Your Email:

Friend's Email:

Note: (optional)

Subject:

Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/41524/full/41524/oscars-roundup-composers-actors-writers-documentary-sidelight/ <br /><br /> <b>Oscars roundup, Composers, Actors, Writers ...</b> <br /> Thursday, March 4, 2010 | by nate bloom <br /><br /><h2>Oscars roundup</h2> <p>The Academy Awards will be presented on ABC on Sunday, March 7 at 5 p.m. The best picture nominees (there are 10 this year) include “Inglourious Basterds,” a historical fantasy about Jewish World War II commandos, and “A Serious Man,” about a troubled Jewish college professor. Also, the Israeli “Ajami” is nominated for best foreign language film. But there are Jewish angles that go well beyond those three movies.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Composers</h2> <p><strong>James Horner,</strong> 56, is nominated for best original score for “Avatar.” Horner, who won two Oscars (best score and song) for Cameron’s “Titanic,” is the son of the late <strong>Harry Horner</strong>, an Austrian Jew who went on to become an Oscar-winning art director. James’ mother comes from a prominent Toronto Jewish family.</p> <p><strong>Randy Newman</strong>, 66, and <strong>Maury Yeston</strong>, 64, the grandson of a cantor, vie for the Oscar for best original song. Two Newman songs from “The Princess and the Frog” are nominated, while Yeston is up for a song he composed for the film version of his musical “Nine.”</p> <p> </p> <h2>Actors</h2> <p>Actress <strong>Lauren Bacall</strong>, 85, was given an honorary lifetime Oscar this year. The presentation was made at a special ceremony last November. Bacall’s friend of 65-plus years,<strong> Kirk Douglas</strong>, 94, praised Bacall at the ceremony.</p> <p>Bacall, by the way, is still remarkably active. She is the co-star of “Carmel,” a comedy-drama that was filmed last year in Monterey County. It will open in theaters later this year.</p> <p><strong>Maggie Gyllenhaal</strong>, 32, whose mother is Jewish, is nominated for best supporting actress for role as a journalist who helps a down-and-out country singer (Jeff Bridges) turn his life around in “Crazy Heart.”</p> <p>An honorable mention goes to Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who seems a lock for best supporting actor for his performance as an SS officer in “Inglourious Basterds.” Waltz isn’t Jewish. However, his American ex-wife is — and their son is studying in Israel to be a rabbi.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Writers</h2> <p><strong>Ethan and Joel Coen</strong> are nominated for best original screenplay for “A Serious Man.” Their competition includes <strong>Mark Boal</strong>, 37, a journalist who penned “The Hurt Locker,” a film about the Iraq war that is a best picture nominee.</p> <p>Also nominated in this category is Israel-raised <strong>Oren Moverman</strong>, 44, the director and screenwriter of “The Messenger,” also about the Iraq War. (The Coens and Boal are also nominated in their roles as co-producers of films up for a best picture Oscar).</p> <p><strong>Jason Reitman</strong>, 32, is up for three Oscars for “Up in the Air” — best director, best adapted screenplay and as the co-producer of a film nominated for best picture.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Documentary sidelight</h2> <p>On Feb. 12, j. ran a profile of Berkeley filmmaker <strong>Rick Goldsmith</strong>, who is Oscar-nominated for his documentary “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.” Goldsmith noted that most people are surprised to learn that Ellsberg was raised a Christian Scientist by Jewish parents who had converted to that faith.</p> <p>Intrigued, I checked a couple of Ellsberg bios and I was surprised to learn that <strong>Bernard Barker</strong>, who burgled Watergate and Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office, was Jewish. In 1972, he interrupted an Ellsberg speech — screaming at Ellsberg that he was “a disgrace to the Jewish people.” Ironic, nu?</p>

Please enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below: