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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Film Expert Thelma Adams
Aired February 10, 2002 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hollywood and movie fans are getting ready for this week's Oscar nominations. They will be announced Tuesday.
Joining me from New York to talk about her favorite picks is film expert Thelma Adams.
Thelma, good to have you with us.
THELMA ADAMS, FILM EXPERT, AMERICA ONLINE: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: You work for America Online, we should probably point that out.
ADAMS: Right.
O'BRIEN: That's...
ADAMS: From AOL.
O'BRIEN: AOL being affiliated with this company and all that stuff. All right, let's get -- let's get into Best Picture, shall we?
ADAMS: Let's.
O'BRIEN: Is it a good year, you think?
ADAMS: You know, people -- "good year," "bad year" -- a month ago, people were saying there wasn't a frontrunner. There is clearly a frontrunner, and it is "A Beautiful Mind."
O'BRIEN: Really?
ADAMS: There's no...
O'BRIEN: Do you think it should win?
ADAMS: I think it will win. I think there are a number of good things. There's "Lord of the Rings." There's "In the Bedroom." There's "Moulin Rouge," and now "Black Hawk Down." All five of them are very different, very strong contenders. But I do think it's clear "A Beautiful Mind."
O'BRIEN: Why is that? ADAMS: Why is that? Because it really -- it really touched a lot of people. It had a great performance, great direction, great script. And it's one of those, you know, tortured -- tortured success stories, you know, the story of a scientist who is schizophrenic but still, you know, comes out ahead, had a wonderful marriage. This is not truth. This is not a biography, it's a biopic. It's fiction. And I don't think it's going to hurt the movie that it doesn't reflect the actual facts.
O'BRIEN: In short, the voting members of the Academy will be suckers for the theme, right?
ADAMS: I think that they will be suckers, and I think that's exactly the way to put it. And I think "Lord of the Rings" is going to do very, very well, but I don't think it's really targeted. It's targeted at fans. AOL users really, really like it, but I don't think it's going to be the top pick.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. I mean, are there just not enough 9-year-old boys voting?
(LAUGHTER)
ADAMS: That's very clear!
O'BRIEN: And yeah, I -- actually, a lot of 9-year-old boys I've talked to -- it's kind of scary, too. So anyway, that -- I think that's...
ADAMS: And it's -- you know what? Boys -- it's a little long.
O'BRIEN: It is long.
ADAMS: I think -- I think it goes -- 39-year-old boys love it. I'll say that much.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. Peter Pan syndrome there. "Peter Pan" is not one of the Best Pictures this year. So let's move on to Best...
ADAMS: So let's move on.
O'BRIEN: Best Director. Who do you think...
ADAMS: Best Director...
O'BRIEN: ... did the best job?
ADAMS: Boy, who did I think did the best job?
O'BRIEN: Yeah, you first.
ADAMS: Robert -- me first. Robert Altman.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. ADAMS: I thought he was coming into this, he was going to be the leading contender for "Gosford Park."
O'BRIEN: Right.
ADAMS: And then he stumbles at the DGA awards. And now it looks like Ron Howard may sweep, with this "A Beautiful Mind" sweep.
O'BRIEN: Really.
ADAMS: You know, another great director, Baz Luhrmann, who did "Moulin Rouge" was terrific. Ridley Scott, who didn't get it for "Gladiator" last year is up for "Black Hawk Down." And there's just a lot -- a lot -- Peter Jackson, of course, we can't leave him out for "Lord of the Rings," although I really don't think he's going to win.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. Yeah. So you're -- you're predicting kind of a "Mind" sweeper kind of thing.
ADAMS: A "Mind" sweep.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. All right, let's...
ADAMS: I think that right now -- let's move on.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. Best Actor. Let's do Best Actor. And are we going to continue our "A Beautiful Mind" segment here with...
ADAMS: The "Mind" sweep!
O'BRIEN: Yeah, the "Mind"...
ADAMS: The "Mind" sweep! Russell Crowe is tough. I mean, the guy is not, you know, the most popular guy in Hollywood. He won last year. But he was terrific as Nash. There's no question that this was the performance of the year, but there is another strong contender, and that is Denzell Washington for "Training Day."
O'BRIEN: Ah! What about Will Smith as Ali? That was good.
ADAMS: And Will Smith as Ali. Will Smith was terrific.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: It's a departure for him. He showed he had the chops.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: As we see, he was tremendous. Also don't overlook Tom Wilkinson in...
O'BRIEN: "The chops" -- that's a good term, by the way, for this one, "the chops." Anyway...
ADAMS: The chops!
O'BRIEN: Yeah. And then -- I'm sorry. Go ahead.
ADAMS: No, Tom Wilkinson from "In the Bedroom"...
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: ... terrific. And rising, rising, rising, Sean Penn for "I Am Sam."
O'BRIEN: Ah! Interesting.
ADAMS: Because...
O'BRIEN: I don't know. That's kind of...
ADAMS: I think...
O'BRIEN: ... a controversial movie, though. I hear it's...
ADAMS: It is -- you know what? I've got to say I honestly did not like this movie.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. Yeah.
ADAMS: But Sean Penn is terrific, and a lot of people do. I mean, it's -- it kind of came out late in the year, and it's -- it has momentum, like "Black Hawk Down," like "Monster's Ball." If we're going to go into Best Actress, we're talking Halle Berry.
O'BRIEN: Why don't we? Good thought.
ADAMS: Why don't we!
(LAUGHTER)
ADAMS: Because we need to be segueing over there.
O'BRIEN: You don't need me! You just carry on!
(LAUGHTER)
ADAMS: No, Miles, I always need you!
O'BRIEN: Anyway, go ahead.
ADAMS: OK. The top contender here is Sissy Spacek for "In the Bedroom." She's terrific.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: It's the best performance. But the -- but the next contender is Halle Berry for "Monster's Ball." Here's Sissy Spacek we're showing now.
O'BRIEN: Yeah. Well, now, tell me about "In the Bedroom." A lot of people say that should be the best movie, though.
ADAMS: For me...
O'BRIEN: If you go -- if you were voting.
ADAMS: For me -- if I was voting, "In the Bedroom" best movie of the year.
O'BRIEN: Really? Yeah.
ADAMS: It's so moving. It's so real. It's so touching. And Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson play this long-married couple. And boy, it seems like they've been married.
O'BRIEN: Really.
ADAMS: How did they create that? It seems like they've been married 25 years. No question.
O'BRIEN: Wow. That's good.
ADAMS: They're tops. I mean, also, we have to, for Best Actress, do the Judy Dench...
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: I mean, every year, the Judy Dench...
O'BRIEN: Yeah, kind of a (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ADAMS: ... for "Iris."
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: I'm interested to see if Naomi Watts from "Mulholland Drive" is going to get in there.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: Also, I...
O'BRIEN: What about Nicole?
ADAMS: Nicole.
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
ADAMS: Let's talk Nicole. What do you think?
O'BRIEN: Let's. Let's talk for the rest of the show about Nicole, if you don't mind!
(LAUGHTER)
ADAMS: Let's go ahead -- do you want to talk about the others? Do we want to talk "Moulin Rouge"?
O'BRIEN: No, no. We're out of time. We're going to have to do Supporting Actor and Actress some other time.
ADAMS: OK, let's do that.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, listen, we'll -- we're going to keep this list, and I'm going to hold you to it, see how you do.
ADAMS: OK.
O'BRIEN: We'll give you a rating.
ADAMS: We'll bring -- we'll come back afterwards.
O'BRIEN: Yeah, come back and we'll chat a little later, when it gets closer...
ADAMS: Terrific.
O'BRIEN: ... the big event.
ADAMS: Thanks, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Thelma Adams, who looks at movies for America Online. As always, a pleasure to have you with us.
ADAMS: Thanks.
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