Entertainment News
2006-01-20
Brokeback scores nine BAFTA nods
The Constant Gardener flew the flag for Britain
when the British Academy of Film and
Television nominations were ann
The Constant Gardener flew the flag for Britain
when the British Academy of Film and
Television nominations were announced on
Thursday, but George Clooney could be the big winner
when the U.K. film industry hands out its top awards next
month. The political thriller based on the John le
Carré novel was the only British entry in a
Hollywood-dominated short list for Best Film. Its stars,
Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, were up for top acting
honors among the 10 it garnered in total.
Clooney will be
competing against himself when the awards are announced
on February 19. He was nominated for Best Actor in a
Supporting Role for Syriana and Good
Night, and Good Luck. He is also vying for a BAFTA
for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for
Good Night, and Good Luck, which is about
broadcaster Edward R. Murrow battling America's
anti-Communist witch hunt in the 1950s. "What a versatile
man he is. I hope George is sitting in the room when the
winners are announced," said British Academy chairman
Duncan Kenworthy.
The BAFTAs were
moved in 2001 from April to February to fall between the
Golden Globes and the Oscars in a bid to capture some
Hollywood glitter in the cinema awards season buildup.
BAFTA organizers hope Hollywood studios will provide a
full house of top stars when the awards are announced,
although a BAFTA win is no guarantee of Oscar success. Last
year Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar
Baby swept the board at the Oscars but failed to score
at the BAFTAs after distributors refused to send out
copies of the film to voters.
The big
blockbusters of 2005—Harry Potter,
Narnia, and King Kong—surprisingly failed
to feature in the major BAFTA nominations. Gay Western
romance Brokeback Mountain scooped nine
nominations with its stars Heath Ledger and Jake
Gyllenhaal honored along with director Ang Lee. All
are hot favorites to land Oscars. Crash, which
explores race and class among Americans, also garnered
nine nominations, including Best Picture. (Paul
Majendie, Reuters)
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