published on 11/30/06

Oscar season at the movies

Rachel Pittenger Staff Writer

For film-savvy Vassar students, the approach of the long winter break brings excitement about the holiday movie season. The holidays offer a wealth of new movies that are vying for Academy Award-winning status, and the film industry is highly selective about the films it releases during this popular time of year.

One especially controversial and ambitious film is Mel Gibson’s epic Apocalypto, premiering Dec. 8, which will likely generate significant media attention after Gibson’s widely publicized, anti-Semitic drunken rant earlier this year. The film follows a Mayan citizen who flees from his home after being chosen for a sacrifice during the kingdom’s decline.

Two films that will likely catch the attention of Vassar students are Blood Diamond and The Pursuit of Happyness. Blood Diamond will open on Dec. 8 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, whose star power has grown since his critically acclaimed performance in Martin Scorcese’s The Departed earlier this year. The film co-stars Djimon Hounsou (from Amistad and Beauty Shop). Blood Diamond follows two men as they seek to recover a precious jewel in war-torn Sierra Leone. The combined talents of the leading actors in this action-packed film lends promise to its potential as both an exciting audience favorite and an Oscar contender.

The Pursuit of Happyness stars Will Smith opposite his real-life son Jaden in a rags-to-riches tale based on a novel by Chris Gardner. This moving father-son story, opening on Dec. 15, looks promising both as a feel-good story and a tearjerker. Critics already consider Smith a contender for Best Actor at the Academy Awards on Feb. 25.

Another highly anticipated film which will premiere on Dec. 15 is Dreamgirls, a story about a 1960s female singing group trying to find success on Broadway. It boasts an impressive cast including Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover and Eddie Murphy. Critics are discussing the ways the plot seems to be based on Diana Ross and The Supremes, but the film is being presented as fiction.

Finally, George Hickenlooper’s Factory Girl has generated ample Oscar-buzz. Factory Girl is the story of Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick’s rise to stardom in 1965 and her early death at age 28 of a drug overdose. Sienna Miller stars as Sedgwick alongside Guy Pearce as Warhol, and Hayden Christensen plays Billy Quinn. Quinn is a fictional folk star bearing strong similarities to Bob Dylan. Factory Girl will debut on Dec. 29, wrapping up a dynamic calendar year at the movies.

Additional reporting by Mally Anderson, Arts Editor.