Counter-buzz kibboshings

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The Envelope's Mark Olsen has thrown together a mildly amusing riff on how an award-quality performance can be countered-buzzed or kibboshed by another high-profile performance given by the same actor or actress in the same year that isn't as widely admired.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's performances in The Savages, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead and Charlie Wilson's War overlap to some degree, but they don't (or won't) tarnish each other in the slightest.

The best-known example of this syndrome, he notes, is the case of those Norbit billboards having killed Eddie Murphy's shot at winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his Dreamgirls performance.

Olsen lists 14 possible scenarios that might result in another Murphy-like tumble, but no one in the running for any acting award has a low-rent stinker like Norbit in the wings. Olsen has mainly listed actors and actresses who've given two or three strong or distinctive performances in '07, which may have voters dithering over which was was superior, and in what category the best one belongs. Nice try, but the analogies don't fly.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 12, 2007 at 6:08 PM

comment #1

Balthazar says ...

The Savages, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead and Charlie Wilson's War ....

....Man, I wish I could just take a whole fucking afternoon and sit down in a theater and watch those three flicks back to back to back. PSH rocks.

Posted by Balthazar at November 12, 2007 6:49 PM

comment #2

Caustic712 says ...

Not sure whether Jolie will get a nod for A MIGHTY HEART (which the success of BEOWULF could potentially aid)... but if she does get nominated, she should be thankful that WANTED isn't opening until the end of March (and therefore the billboards won't start until after awards season).

Posted by Caustic712 at November 12, 2007 6:50 PM

comment #3

berg says ...

dennis hopper gets nominated for HOOSIERS, yet his performance the same year as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet is one of the defining bad guys of cinema

Posted by berg at November 12, 2007 7:15 PM

comment #4

deadre says ...

has anyone seen Great Debaters? What about Denzel? He gives an oscar worthy performance everytime he comes up to bat. I assume American Gangster will make much more money but still, isn't there a possiblity these two performances might confuse the nominations Or maybe he'll get a nomination in every catagory.

Posted by deadre at November 13, 2007 12:25 AM

comment #5

Dan Revill says ...

Wait, shouldn't Wells be given credit for Murphy not winning his Oscar? Norbit's good name shouldn't be sullied here. ;-)

Posted by Dan Revill at November 13, 2007 3:06 AM

comment #6

GayAsXmas says ...

I don't think Kidman will be nominated for Margot, but I hope the Golden Compass is as big a hit as it deserves. Her character in the subsequent books actually has the potential to be an Oscar worthy role as she turns from being a really cool, if one dimensional villain, to be much more conflicted and interesting.

Posted by GayAsXmas at November 13, 2007 3:09 AM

comment #7

berg says ...

after watching PSH during the last part of BTDKYD it's obvious - here's an actor who can go through the eye of the needle for his role

Posted by berg at November 13, 2007 8:03 AM

comment #8

Mark says ...

as i read this, there is a For Your Consideration ad for The Namesake running. Not that he has a chance, but Kal Penn has a couple interesting bookends to this film; Epic Movie and the sequel to Kumar.

Posted by Mark at November 13, 2007 8:31 AM

comment #9

Silverscreenvideos says ...

Robin Williams might well have gotten a nomination for either Insomnia or One Hour Photo. Unfortunately, he also had Death to Smoochy on his resume that year.

Oscar does seem to like the Lead/Supporting daily double as with Jamie Foxx in Ray, which could help Jones or Blanchett this year.

Posted by Silverscreenvideos at November 13, 2007 10:30 AM

comment #10

frankbooth says ...

"dennis hopper gets nominated for HOOSIERS, yet his performance the same year as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet is one of the defining bad guys of cinema."

He wasn't bad in that one, was he?

I can't find anything online to verify it, but I distinctly remember reading this story years ago, and if it isn't true it should be: when they told him he had the Oscar nom, he and his loved ones began to celebrate and jump up and down. Hopper then abruptly stopped, a confused look on his face, and said "Wait. Hoosiers?!"

Posted by frankbooth at November 13, 2007 10:46 AM

comment #11

Craig Kennedy says ...

I choose to believe that anecdote is absolutely true. To believe anything else hurts inside a little.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at November 13, 2007 11:01 AM

comment #12

Bocephus says ...

"as i read this, there is a For Your Consideration ad for The Namesake running. Not that he has a chance, but Kal Penn has a couple interesting bookends to this film; Epic Movie and the sequel to Kumar."

Epic Movie is obvious garbage, but Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle was brilliant. I have very high expectations for Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. The trailer is hilarious.

Posted by Bocephus at November 13, 2007 1:31 PM

comment #13