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CNN Sunday Morning
Final Preparations for Oscars Being Made
Aired March 24, 2002 - 09:23 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: You know, really folks at home should listen to the director track, don't you think?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Is there anyway, Dee, can we get that on the air because she is having a hard time right at this moment.
PHILLIPS: We're trying to get everything all lined up here but I think we're OK.
O'BRIEN: All right.
PHILLIPS: I think we have the famous Leon Harris.
O'BRIEN: Yes, our Cecil B. Demille (ph) has called the shots and here is Leon Harris wearing his Sarget (ph) shoes.
LEON HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, I heard about that.
O'BRIEN: You were sleeping, of course, when we were talking to the "Redbook" lady, and she had million dollar slippers there.
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Which was kind of astounding.
HARRIS: I've heard about those shoes. I've yet to see them myself. And by the way, your friends at Pick-n-Pay told me tell you hi. I just saw them down the street a bit.
PHILLIPS: Don't rip on his suit. Come on, Leon. He doesn't look that bad.
O'BRIEN: Oh man, be nice. I like the pleather jacket though, it's nice.
HARRIS: Hey, listen man. This is the real deal. Listen I'm in Hollywood man. I figure I might as well go ahead and play like "Shaft" right? All I need now is my sunglasses.
By the way I just lost my (UNINTELLIGIBLE), can't hear you guys. So I'm just going to go ahead and take it. I'm just going to assume you guys can hear me. Hey listen, we are here just outside of the Kodak Theater here where they're just -- Miles you would appreciate this. How about this? They're like T minus 11 hours from the beginning of the 74th Annual Academy awards, and as you can see behind me.
I don't know if you can or not because the sun is shining down there, the workers have been out here even in the dark of night, still doing the final preparations here. And a lot of people are really looking forward to seeing what happens here, number one because so many people have not seen the inside of this theater. It's a first, the first time this theater is going to be used for this event, and in fact, this theater was designed for this event. So a lot of us are really curious to see how it's going to look on television.
Some of the other firsts involved here as well, the first time this show has been back in Hollywood since 1960. So a lot of people are excited about that, and to show you how the industry itself has changed, one more first to take note of, first time ever there will be a special category of award strictly for animated films.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice over): Say no more. With a new category all their own at this year's Academy Awards, animated feature films are dressed up and going to the wall.
PETER DOCTER: This is the first year that there's ever been a feature animated film category, so this is history man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the past, when you made an animated feature film, the best you could hope for was a nomination in Best Song or Best Music or something like that, and now we have with this category, it celebrates the film as a whole.
HARRIS: More than a decade ago, Disney's Beauty made history as the first animated film to earn a Best Picture nomination. It lost to Hannibal Lecter's beast, but animated features considered by some as just glorified cartoons, had indeed officially grown up.
HARRIS: The Academy is limiting the category to three nominees. This year "Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Shrek" got the nods. One of them will definitely win an Oscar. That's the good news. Then again -
KENNETH TURAN, LA TIMES FILM CRITIC: I really believe that had there not been a special category for animation this year, that "Shrek" would have had an excellent chance of being one of the five Best Picture nominations. But on the other hand, it would not have won an Oscar.
HARRIS: Popularity is no problem, as last year's third highest moneymaker with more than $265 million, "Shrek" was no slouch at the box office. Together, the three nominees accounted for a half billion in ticket sales.
TERRY THOREN: The best thing about these three movies is that they prove that animation is not just cartoons for kids. It takes a human being to breathe life and emotion and give these characters a spirit.
HARRIS: A spirit Oscar himself promises to recognize from now on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (on camera): It might be animated but it's no child's play. That's for sure. Folks are taking it all very seriously. We'll keep you updated on things as they unfold here on Hollywood Boulevard. Back to you two back in the studio.
O'BRIEN: Hey, Leon, can you hear us now?
HARRIS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: How many times have your kids watched "Shrek" now?
HARRIS: Oh my God.
O'BRIEN: We're on a 200th airing now.
HARRIS: I think we're right behind you. I think we're right behind you.
O'BRIEN: Unbelievable. We just watched it this weekend last night. It's unbelievable.
HARRIS: But see, that's one of the other things about that movie is that that movie may not win but you know what, it's been such a commercial success, you know it actually will makes folks' careers, you know, that way and sometimes people are thinking the way things work here in Hollywood, they take that into consideration when they're making their votes. If they say it's close, at least if one was the big commercial success, that's good enough. We'll give the other one the Oscar. So, we'll see.
PHILLIPS: Well we look forward to your show tonight, Leon.
HARRIS: OK, we'll see you guys later.
PHILLIPS: Bring it in.
O'BRIEN: 7:00 p.m. Eastern time and you know "Shrek" is better on the 100th airing. It is absolutely. All right, have a good day man. Don't work too hard now.
PHILLIPS: So has Leon. He said over 100th airing.
HARRIS: All right guys.
O'BRIEN: Stay close to the security detail out there, all right.
HARRIS: Listen, they're right behind me, as they have been since I left the airport. O'BRIEN: We'll see you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Leon.
O'BRIEN: Probably checking his Sarget shoes at the airport undoubtedly.
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