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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With David Sterritt
Aired January 19, 2003 - 09:51 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Tonight is one of the bigger nights for handing out awards in Hollywood. And for fancy parties after the Golden Globe Awards are presented, of course.
Joining us now from New York is David Sterritt, film critic for the "Christian Science Monitor." Good morning to you, David.
DAVID STERRITT, "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR": Hi there.
COLLINS: We want to talk to you about several different picks that you have. Your personal favorites, but also the winners that are predicted, you know, for whatever reason, the talk of the town, I should say.
What do you think about the very best picture?
STERRITT: Well, I personally would go for "The Hours" out of the movies that have been nominated, because I think it's a really amazing movie, very different, very challenging. Really tries to do something unusual.
But I think that there's much more likelihood that a movie like "About Schmidt" is going to win, because it's a little easier, it's sentimental, the kind of thing that Hollywood goes for. And Jack Nicholson gives a really amazing performance in it that I think, by itself, makes the movie the first runner.
COLLINS: And you say, you know, Hollywood always goes for that kind of thing. I mean, is this kind of like figure skating? Are there a lot of politics before, you know, you ever actually get a winner? I would imagine so.
STERRITT: Oh, of course. Everybody talks about this. Everybody argues, there's a lot of negotiation. The studios run big campaigns to try to get their own movie into the front-runner slot, even apart from the merits of that movie.
So yes, there's an enormous amount of politicking and campaigning that goes on. But in the long run, it does come down to what movie- goers like to see.
And the people who vote the Golden Globes are the same as anybody else. They just like a good, in many ways, old-fashioned kind of a sentimental movie. That's why I think "About Schmidt" is probably going to win. And it's why a movie like "Gangs of New York" is probably not going to win, because it's big and impressive but it's also very violent and very dark and very tough and very kind of cool. So even though it's very impressive in many ways, basically I think it's going to come down to an old-fashioned people movie like "About Schmidt."
COLLINS: Right, and of course, "About Schmidt" makes you feel a little bit better as you're walking out of the theater.
STERRITT: That's one of the reasons people go to the movies, to feel better.
COLLINS: Right. OK. So what about your pick for best performance by an actress?
STERRITT: Yes, it's an interesting category, because I think there's a few really good performances in it.
COLLINS: Right.
STERRITT: Certainly, Diane Lane has been getting a lot of attention for "Unfaithful" from some of the other people who give out awards. And Nicole Kidman does amazing things in "The Hours."
But here, my own personal favorite, and I think she has a good chance of winning is Julianne Moore. She's been nominated for "Far from Heaven," which I think is probably the best American movie of the year. But she's also in "The Hours." And so here she's given two absolutely sensational performances.
She's a great actress and I think that her hour is coming around. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her sweep in for Best Actress in a Drama, even though she really does have some strong competition.
COLLINS: Pretty impressive this year in two films, too, just like Leonardo DiCaprio with "Gangs of New York" and "Catch Me if You Can."
STERRITT: Absolutely, yes. It seems to be a year when some people are doubling up.
And you know, she especially, I mean, she's a great actress anyway. And to give two performances of such high quality within, really, just a few weeks of each other they opened, it's just amazing.
COLLINS: We decided that she looks like our own Josie Karp, sports correspondent.
Let me ask you about best performance by an actor. Who do you think's going to get it for the guys?
STERRITT: Yes, well, here there's, again, there's a lot of possibilities. And I'm going to go back to "About Schmidt." And I think that Jack Nicholson is going to win, not only because it's a really good performance, but because it's got to be the least glamorous performance of his whole career. I mean, here this man who actually is middle-aged and not exactly dumpy in real life, is playing one of the just sort of most painfully ordinary looking characters we've seen in a long time. And it's still very much Jack Nicholson, but it's also very much this just ordinary guy who is just aging and over the hill and, anyway, it's terrific work.
And I just, I really think the Golden Globes are going to go for it.
COLLINS: All right. Well, interesting.
Last, really, really quickly, I've got to mention "Chicago." Very, very excited about this one. You like it too?
STERRITT: I think it is totally far and away the favorite. And I also think that it's going to pick up two or three wins in -- well, at least two major wins in the performer category.
It's a movie that people just -- it's got toes tapping all around the world already. And I just can't imagine that it's not going to sweep in. I don't think it's the greatest movie of the year, but it's probably one of the most fun when it comes to any kind of awards.
COLLINS: You should see the dancing Miles is doing right now during the clip.
All right. David Sterritt, film critic for the "Christian Science Monitor," thanks so much for your time and expertise.
STERRITT: Been a pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 19, 2003 - 09:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: Tonight is one of the bigger nights for handing out awards in Hollywood. And for fancy parties after the Golden Globe Awards are presented, of course.
Joining us now from New York is David Sterritt, film critic for the "Christian Science Monitor." Good morning to you, David.
DAVID STERRITT, "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR": Hi there.
COLLINS: We want to talk to you about several different picks that you have. Your personal favorites, but also the winners that are predicted, you know, for whatever reason, the talk of the town, I should say.
What do you think about the very best picture?
STERRITT: Well, I personally would go for "The Hours" out of the movies that have been nominated, because I think it's a really amazing movie, very different, very challenging. Really tries to do something unusual.
But I think that there's much more likelihood that a movie like "About Schmidt" is going to win, because it's a little easier, it's sentimental, the kind of thing that Hollywood goes for. And Jack Nicholson gives a really amazing performance in it that I think, by itself, makes the movie the first runner.
COLLINS: And you say, you know, Hollywood always goes for that kind of thing. I mean, is this kind of like figure skating? Are there a lot of politics before, you know, you ever actually get a winner? I would imagine so.
STERRITT: Oh, of course. Everybody talks about this. Everybody argues, there's a lot of negotiation. The studios run big campaigns to try to get their own movie into the front-runner slot, even apart from the merits of that movie.
So yes, there's an enormous amount of politicking and campaigning that goes on. But in the long run, it does come down to what movie- goers like to see.
And the people who vote the Golden Globes are the same as anybody else. They just like a good, in many ways, old-fashioned kind of a sentimental movie. That's why I think "About Schmidt" is probably going to win. And it's why a movie like "Gangs of New York" is probably not going to win, because it's big and impressive but it's also very violent and very dark and very tough and very kind of cool. So even though it's very impressive in many ways, basically I think it's going to come down to an old-fashioned people movie like "About Schmidt."
COLLINS: Right, and of course, "About Schmidt" makes you feel a little bit better as you're walking out of the theater.
STERRITT: That's one of the reasons people go to the movies, to feel better.
COLLINS: Right. OK. So what about your pick for best performance by an actress?
STERRITT: Yes, it's an interesting category, because I think there's a few really good performances in it.
COLLINS: Right.
STERRITT: Certainly, Diane Lane has been getting a lot of attention for "Unfaithful" from some of the other people who give out awards. And Nicole Kidman does amazing things in "The Hours."
But here, my own personal favorite, and I think she has a good chance of winning is Julianne Moore. She's been nominated for "Far from Heaven," which I think is probably the best American movie of the year. But she's also in "The Hours." And so here she's given two absolutely sensational performances.
She's a great actress and I think that her hour is coming around. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her sweep in for Best Actress in a Drama, even though she really does have some strong competition.
COLLINS: Pretty impressive this year in two films, too, just like Leonardo DiCaprio with "Gangs of New York" and "Catch Me if You Can."
STERRITT: Absolutely, yes. It seems to be a year when some people are doubling up.
And you know, she especially, I mean, she's a great actress anyway. And to give two performances of such high quality within, really, just a few weeks of each other they opened, it's just amazing.
COLLINS: We decided that she looks like our own Josie Karp, sports correspondent.
Let me ask you about best performance by an actor. Who do you think's going to get it for the guys?
STERRITT: Yes, well, here there's, again, there's a lot of possibilities. And I'm going to go back to "About Schmidt." And I think that Jack Nicholson is going to win, not only because it's a really good performance, but because it's got to be the least glamorous performance of his whole career. I mean, here this man who actually is middle-aged and not exactly dumpy in real life, is playing one of the just sort of most painfully ordinary looking characters we've seen in a long time. And it's still very much Jack Nicholson, but it's also very much this just ordinary guy who is just aging and over the hill and, anyway, it's terrific work.
And I just, I really think the Golden Globes are going to go for it.
COLLINS: All right. Well, interesting.
Last, really, really quickly, I've got to mention "Chicago." Very, very excited about this one. You like it too?
STERRITT: I think it is totally far and away the favorite. And I also think that it's going to pick up two or three wins in -- well, at least two major wins in the performer category.
It's a movie that people just -- it's got toes tapping all around the world already. And I just can't imagine that it's not going to sweep in. I don't think it's the greatest movie of the year, but it's probably one of the most fun when it comes to any kind of awards.
COLLINS: You should see the dancing Miles is doing right now during the clip.
All right. David Sterritt, film critic for the "Christian Science Monitor," thanks so much for your time and expertise.
STERRITT: Been a pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
