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Mariah Carey Is People’s Choice � And Ours

Roger Friedman
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Mariah Carey is all set to pick up her People’s Choice Award tonight on CBS. She’s a winner, I’m told, for Best R&B singer.

What? Yes, everyone seems to know who’s won those People’s Choice Awards before they arrive at the studio. Who votes in this thing? “The voting public,” a Hollywood publicist replied with a smirk. Well, whatever.

Mariah’s had a big year, especially because of her surprisingly understated performance in “Precious.” She’s picking up Breakthrough Performance awards everywhere, and now, suddenly, directors want Mariah Carey. It’s a far cry from her debut acting debacle years ago in “Glitter.”

It’s too bad Mariah didn’t get pushed more for an Oscar or Globe in “Precious,” since she’s also supported the movie like crazy. She’s shown up anywhere they’ve asked her to go. And she didn’t require a fee to be there, either!

One place where Mariah did not have a big hit last year: music. Her most recent album just didn’t take off despite the witty lead single, “Obsessed.”

But this is what Mariah has to do next, I think, to get back on the charts: a straight ahead album of real singing, no fluttering, no hip hop. She has to get a really musical producer ‘ like her buddy Randy Jackson ‘‘and record some actual, structured songs. She might even cover some classics. But the days of ethereal scatting over this and that, I think, are over. Let the voice be heard!

As for the People’s Choice: if you watch this show, you’ll know who’s won right away by who’s in the audience waiting to get their award. Since Hugh Jackman, Sandra Bullock, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Swift are already being promoted by CBS, you can guess they won their categories. Surprise! They’re not hanging around that studio for their health!

P.S. The People’s Choice has weird categories, like “Best On Screen Team.” For me, that would be the New York Yankees. Just sayin’…

National Board of Review Loses Sponsor Bulgari

Roger Friedman
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The National Board of Review ‘ which snubbed “Precious” and gave Clint Eastwood and George Clooney their annual awards ‘ has lost its sponsor. After three years, Bulgari has pulled out of the awards dinner. This isn’t cause and effect, says a Bulgari rep. They decided to put their money into a more charitable cause: ‘Save the Children.

Annie Schulhof, president of the NBR said in a statement:” The NBR has treasured its partnership with Bulgari for the past several years. Following the celebration of their 125th anniversary and their important work with Save The Children, we hope to work with them again in the future.”

The NBR has no new sponsor to replace Bulgari.

For some reason, though, Bulgari’s money doesn’t show up in the NBR’s annual tax return. They list themselves as a foundation, and thus file a Form 990. No sign of Bulgari in their last three filings. Schulhof’s rep said that the explanation is that the group doesn’t itemize its contributions.

But it is interesting that a membership fee group assigned with the task of watching movies and picking its favorites claimed in 2008 $779,784 in net assets. (I’m putting that in bold because I can’t believe it.) They gave away $75,000 in student grants and had $126,000 in salaries. They claim another $100,000 in “other expenses” including $2,885 for screenings. Maybe this is for popcorn since the studios give them all their screenings.

Meanwhile, members of the NBR are definitely questioning how Eastwood and Clooney racked up all those nominations. Insiders who’ve taken their own polls say most everyone voted for “The Hurt Locker” for Best Picture, Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director, and acting awards for Christoph Waltz (”Inglourious Basterds“) and Mo’Nique (”Precious”). In past years, there have been reports of a smaller committee making the final decisions. But an NBR rep says the vote was counted per-member, and that “there were no unanimous votes.”

Next week, the NBR holds it annual gala after the far more important New York Film Critics dinner on January 11th, and just before the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles (VH-1, January 15th) and the Golden Globes.

Zac Efron’s “Orson Welles”: The 2009 Movie That Got Away

Roger Friedman
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58950399Each year, amid the hoopla and millions spent, one movie completely falls between the cracks. Originally I thought that was Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger,” but then Woody Harrelson got some award attention and the film got a little uplift.

So the winner this year: Richard Linklater’s charming “Me and Orson Welles.” It’s been in theaters for about a month and made less than a million dollars. The distributor is non-existent, which is a shame. This is such a fine film, and one of the real indie companies should have released it. “Me and Orson Welles” deserved a shot.

Luckily, the San Francisco critics reached out and awarded Christian McKay, who plays Welles so brilliantly, their Best Supporting Actor award. I guess that’s something. (McKay also goes up against Harrelson at this year’s Indie Spirit Awards.)

But otherwise, Linklater’s period piece, set in 1937 New York, will go to DVD and cable. Someone will say to me six months from now, “I saw the best movie last night on TV. Why didn’t it do more?” Uh-huh.

Part of my own reluctance about the film was star Zac Efron, who plays 18-year-old Richard, an acolyte actor who winds up getting a bit part in Orson Welles’s landmark production of “Julius Caesar” at the famed Mercury Theater. Efron has been so maligned as a teen heartthrob that you don’t want to take him seriously. Yet, he’s just perfect as Richard, and carries his role with charm and dignity. He was good in “Hairspray,” too. It’s time to cut him some slack and forget the endless, meaningless “blobbing” about him from gossip sites.

The rest of the cast is spot on, too, especially Claire Danes as Welles’s ambitious Girl Friday and James Tupper as Welles’s leading man Joseph Cotten, Eddie Marsan (always great) as John Houseman, Leo Bill as Norman Lloyd (who would play Dr. Auschlander on “St. Elsewhere” 50 years later) and Zoe Kazan as a wannabe short-story writer. They’re all great.

Linklater, I’m sure, had no money for this film, but the production looks lush thanks to some really gifted cinematography, production and art design. New York of 1937 is very beautifully recreated, especially a scene in the real Bryant Park. It’s nice work.

So what happened? Well, there’s no real sex or anything of that nature. There’s no vulgarity, no explosions, or leaps of logic. Linklater recreates the “Caesar” production masterfully. It’s an intelligent, articulate, well-crafted film that’s completely satisfying. And so, in this economy, has no place to go. Who would want to see such a thing? Fifteen years ago, the old Miramax would have released “Me and Orson Welles” and gotten many Oscar nominations. But in this environment, unless Orson were blue, or to get naked with his leading lady, distributors feel there’s no audience.

Too bad: if you can find Linklater’s little gem in a theater, go see it. Without fail, get the DVD. And pray that, when the recession passes, intelligence will be rewarded again.

Maggie Gyllehhaal Gets ‘Bad’ in Crazy Heart

Roger Friedman
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If you haven’t noticed, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard are like the Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman of this generation.

They are each in Oscar contender films ‘ Maggie in ‘Crazy Heart‘ with Jeff Bridges, Peter in ‘An Education‘ with Carey Mulligan. And they each give sensational, understated performances. A year ago they performed Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” together directed by Austin Pendleton at CSC. They’re the real thing.

I had lunch with Maggie at Cookshop on 10th Avenue a couple of weeks ago, to talk about how much everyone loves Jeff Bridges and how ‘Crazy Heart’ turns out to be Fox Searchlight’s surprise movie of the season.

Back in September at the Toronto Film Festival, when I saw Jeff Bridges at the premiere of ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats,’ I’d asked him what else he had coming out, he didn’t even mention ‘Crazy Heart.’ Then ‘Amelia‘ tanked, and F/S scrambled for a live action Oscar film. (The fantastic ‘Mr. Fox‘ notwithstanding.) They looked in all their cupboards and drawers, and found this little film with a country heart of gold.

The Sarsgaards have a three-year-old daughter Ramona who Maggie says has changed her acting career completely. ‘I got a feeling when she was 14 months that I had to do something for myself. It was just during the writers’ strike. And then ‘Crazy Heart’ came to me, and I thought there’s no way this movie will be made. When I read it I said no way.’

Her character Jean is a local journalist/single mom who comes to interview Bridges’ Bad Blake, a washed up country star. They fall into a relationship quickly — which is almost hard to believe because Bad Blake is such a disaster. ‘But he’s also very charming,’ Maggie says, protesting. It’s a much softer part for Maggie, whose career highlights (‘Batman’ aside) include playing S&M in ‘Secretary’ and a drug addict in ‘Sherrybaby.’ Maggie says of Jean, ‘There’s a fierceness about them that Jean doesn’t have.’ She says she got her inspiration from characters played in the 70s by the likes of Sissy Spacek, Ellen Burstyn and Jane Fonda.
Maggie and her famous brother Jake are the children of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, a (now divorced) couple who worked a lot when the kids were growing up. Among their credits are ‘A Dangerous Woman’ and ‘Running on Empty.’ How did they manage to work so much?, I asked Maggie. ‘They cobbled it together,’ she says.

When Gyllenhaal was making “Crazy Heart,” she says, her mom came to the set for two weeks to watch Ramona. ‘She said I wanted to give you the freedom to lose yourself in your work.’

And Ramona kept busy while her mom worked. Bridges included many pictures of her in a book he gave the cast when the movie wrapped.

‘I sort of thought, do I want to approve these pictures? But then I thought she was a major, major part of that experience.’ Does Ramona see her on screen ever?’ ‘I did a voice over for a children’s movie. I asked her, it that nice for you or funny? And she said, It’s nice. And it’s funny.’

Willie Mitchell, the great producer of Al Green and others, dies

Roger Friedman
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Willie Mitchell, the great musician, producer and composer, has died in Memphis. He was 81.

Willie was famous for putting Hi Records on the map in 1970, the label that gave us Al Green, Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, Syl Johnson, and dozens and dozens of hits. He produced them all from his Royal Studios in Memphis, an assuming red brick building.

All those hits like “Let’s Stay Together” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain” came from Willie’s craftmanship. He was one of a kind, a legend. The Grammys honored him in 2008 with a lifetime achievement award.

And it’s not like Willie — a famed trumpeter and bandleader — only worked with Memphis musicians. Big rock stars sought him out all the time. Keith Richards asked him to produce his first solo album years ago, and the result was a wonderful track called “Make No Mistake.” Willie recently worked with Rod Stewart on his album of soul songs. There was only one Willie Mitchell sound, a lush undersweep with the Memphis Horns (the Hodges brothers) and a whip of a back beat. Everyone wanted to copy it, but no one could. And years after Al Green thought he’d moved on, he came back to get it again with Mitchell on a pair of recent albums.

Rock Hall May Jump Ahead Five Years to Get Stars

Roger Friedman
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Rock Hall May Jump Ahead Five Years to Get Stars

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is considering a move not unlike “Desperate Housewives.”

In fact, you might call Jann Wenner the “desperate despot” of rock.

Sources tell me that Wenner is considering doing exactly what the TV show did a couple of years ago — jump ahead five years.

Currently, the RRHOF charter says that in order to be inducted, a band or act isn’t eligible until 25 years have passed since its first record release.

But now that popular music has passed into its retirement, the number of possible new inductees has thinned considerably. This winter, the Hall will induct Genesis, the Hollies, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Jimmy Cliff and ABBA. They’ve all been the on the ballot for a long time and have finally made it mostly because the choices are diminishing.

I’m told that Wenner has looked at the next group of possible inductees, for 2011, and it’s not good: The only superstar who’s had a major career and influenced rock and roll is Sting. Otherwise, the perfectly nice but not exactly big game changers are ‘Til Tuesday, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Vega and Simply Red.

Of course, Wenner could do what many consider the right thing and induct the many missing names from Chubby Checker, Billy Preston and Mary Wells to Chicago, the Moody Blues, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, Rufus & Carla Thomas and so many more it’s hard to list them. But that’s unlikely.

The new idea is to change the charter so that it only takes 20 years to get in. That would move up a lot of acts on the ballot that are more current and carry some name value, which would be good for TV rights. Believe it or not, the following would then be eligible for the 2011 ceremony: Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, Public Enemy, Nirvana, Kid Rock and Smashing Pumpkins. Also a possibility right away: Keith Richards as a solo artist.

The fear, of course, is that with these new guidelines, the artists who’ve been snubbed previously will now never get in. Of course, one other solution would be just to shut the doors, stop inductions entirely and make the annual dinner a revisit of inductees. But TV doesn’t want Nursing Home Rock, so Wenner — who has no one to stop him — will probably not do that either.

Oscar Cast Needs Avatar, Nine, Sandra Bullock

Roger Friedman
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A lot of Academy voters are probably going through their holiday mail today — and guess what — the Oscar ballot is here.

Some nominees seem like done deals. “Up in the Air,” “Precious,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglorious Basterds” and maybe “Invictus” or “Up” are the top likely choices. By now, a regular voter could rattle off that list of five without too much trouble.

But where to go from there? With 10 total Best Picture nominees, it’s the “back five” that will take a little more work and thought this year.

“Avatar,” for example, looks like the Big Studio shoo-in. It’s made a gazillion dollars. Even thought it has no acting nominations, a terrible script and a lot of CGI, “Avatar” will still take a nod. And the idea of James Cameron parading his ego around the Oscars is too tantalizing to pass up.

“Nine” would be next, if for nothing else, the glamour quotient. Without “Nine,” the Oscars could be a dreary affair. (Don’t forget– animated “Up” is great but produces no big stars on the red carpet.)

“Nine” also benefits from at least two or three performance nominations (Marion Cotillard in lead, Penelope Cruz in supporting, Daniel Day-Lewis in lead) and lots of craft noms too. Between SAG, Critics Choice and Golden Globes, “Nine” has momentum. (And if the show doesn’t feature Fergie singing “Be Italian” and Kate Hudson on “Cinema Italiano,” then we’re in for a long, long night.)

Three more? How about “An Education” — absolutely, with Carey Mulligan for best actress, too — and “A Single Man,” with nominations for Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.

One more nomination needed for the big show on March 7: Sandra Bullock, for “The Blind Side.” If we’re going popular this year, then a Bullock nomination is cool. Even Meryl Streep, this year’s fait accompli best actress, would agree.

The 10 nominees that can make this year’s show exciting: “”Up in the Air,” “Precious,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “Invictus,” “Nine,” “Up,” “A Single Man,” “An Education” and “Avatar.”

Movies We Want to See in 2010

Roger Friedman
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While Academy voters are studying their ballots and watching their videos, believe it or not there are a lot of new movies coming soon. Here’s a short list of what we’re looking forward to in 2010:

Howl – a docudrama about poet Allen Ginsberg’s obscenity trial following publication of his famous poem is one of the Sundance openers this year. James Franco is Ginsberg, and should be riveting. Great supporting cast, too: Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Hamm, David Straithairn, Treat Williams, etc.

Shutter Island – Martin Scorsese’s thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio was supposed to have been released a few weeks ago. But Paramount delayed it, saying Oscar campaigns for “Up in the Air” and “The Lovely Bones” had them overextended financially. A February release isn’t always bad — look at “The Silence of the Lambs.” And Scorsese is rarely off key.

The Ghost Writer – Roman Polanski’s new epic comes as he finishes it from lockdown home arrest in Switzerland. The film is supposed to open the Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 8. Polanski won’t be there, but emotions and support will be high. He’s one of our greatest filmmakers, regardless of his past activities. An eclectic cast comprises Pierce Brosnan, Ewan MacGregor, Kim Cattral, Jim Belushi, Tim Hutton and beloved 93-year-old Eli Wallach. Get ready, this is going to be big news when it’s finally seen.

The Tempest — Julie Taymor’s take on Shakespeare, with Helen Mirren playing Prospera, the distaff version of the Bard’s conjurer.

The Tree of Life — Terrence Malick is never less than interesting. Now he’s got Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in a “Benjamin Button”-type ethereal epic that we probably won’t see until the fall. Will it be great? Weird? Self-referential? Or magnificent, like Malick’s “Days of Heaven”? We can only hope.

Hereafter – Clint Eastwood won’t stop making movies, which is just fine. Following “Invictus” he went straight ahead to make this thriller with Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard. My money’s on Clint. And unlike “Invictus,” this may have a love story.

The King’s Speech — Colin Firth is so hot right now — and Oscar bound — in “A Single Man.” Add all that to Geoffrey Rush and very hot HBO director Tom Hooper (”John Adams”) and we may have a new “Shakespeare in Love” next fall. Woefully underused Jennifer Ehle, plus Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, and Michael Gambon round out this cast. If this isn’t an Oscar nominee, I don’t know what it is.

Robin Hood — Russell Crowe at least doesn’t have to fake an accent the way Kevin Costner did long ago. Saddled with many false starts and millions spent on scripts that didn’t work, Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” should nevertheless prove to be a success. Cate Blanchett is Marian, and there’s a strong supporting cast including breakout star Oscar Isaac (also in “Sucker Punch”) and stalwarts like William Hurt and Max von Sydow.

Sucker Punch — The first new film from Zack Snyder, whose “Watchmen” was a watershed fantasy film this year. Snyder puts together Jena Malone, Abbe Cornish, Scott Glenn and Jon Hamm. Could be a winner, and nothing less than interesting.

The Conspirator – Mary Surratt was the only woman charged with conspiracy in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Robin Wright (ex-Penn) gets to play her, directed by Robert Redford. If this is good, it’s also great, with awards awaiting. James McAvoy, on the edge of being huge, is featured along with Kevin Kline, Justin Long and Tom Wilkinson.

Broadway Shows on New Year’s Chopping Block

Roger Friedman
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Broadway is packed this week with tourists and the like. You can barely get a seat to any show, and the restaurants in the theater district are full.

But come January 4th, the Great White Way will be singing a different tune. Several shows are in trouble at the box office and may close quickly.

Among them: “Superior Donuts” closes January 3rd despite solid reviews and an initial rush for tickets. The dreadful “Bye Bye Birdie,” which was already a limited run. Ditto Carrie Fisher’s wonderful “Wishful Drinking” at the subscription Roundabout Theater.

But these are the shows people are gossiping about in the theatre biz: “Ragtime,” “Burn the Floor,” “Hair,” “Memphis,” “God of Carnage,” and, believe it or not, “Fela!”

The latter is a surprise since Jay Z and Will and Jada Smith were faux drafted to endorse and support it. But only Jay showed at the opening, the press office has done nothing but create enemies, and now I’m told this by an inside source: “They’re papering the house. The tickets are so discounted, it’s impossible to make money.”

According to playbill.com, “Fela!” is playing at 89.5% capacity. But the average sold ticket is $77, a far cry from the official top price of $125.

Having even more trouble is the revival of “Finian’s Rainbow” at the St. James. This very terrific production is filling just 59% of its seats, and the average is a paltry $68.

If only that show’s publicist–same as “Fela!”– had done something early on to encourage positive endorsements. I took my family to see “Finian’s” on Saturday, ages 9 to 77, and everyone had a grand time. Kate Baldwin and Jim Norton are not big names, but they’re dynamite. Christopher Fitzgerald continues his hot streak, going from Igor in “Young Frankenstein” to the winning leprechaun here. And the score–”How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”– by Yip Harburg and Burton Lane–is out of this world. The show is as timely as ever, and a definite must for families, especially teenagers. You’d think it would be a natural hit.

But there may be no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

Showbiz411 on Holiday

Roger Friedman
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This column is on a short hiatus–believe it or not–possibly not returning before January 4th. If something terrible, or great, happens, go straight to http://www.hollywoodreporter.com for more information. See you in the New Year!

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