Hampton and Potter

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There was a party at the Chateau Marmont last night on behalf of La Vie en Rose star Marion Cotillard, who's generally considered to be in a neck-and-neck race for the Best Actress Oscar against Away From Her's Julie Christie. Held in the two-storied Bungalow #1 and agreeably un-crowded, it was a kind of mixed-bag affair -- some press, some publicists, some talent (Star Trek costar Clifton Collins, director Larry Kasdan), producer Mark Johnson, former Paramount Classics chief Ruth Vitale, etc.

Atonement screenwriter Christopher Hampton -- Monday, 2.4.08, 8:40 pm

I had a chance to speak briefly with Christopher Hampton, the legendary London-based writer whose Atonement script has been nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. I mentioned my admiration for the final scene in which Vanessa Redgrave, playing the final, septugenarian, cancer-ridden incarnation of Briony Tallis, confesses her feelings of life-long guilt for having fatally screwed up the lives of her big sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and her sister's boyfriend Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) to a TV interviewer.

Hampton said that he based this scene largely upon screenwriter and playwright Dennis Potter's final interview, taped in 1994, in which he spoke about his oncoming death from cancer and his struggle to finish his work. His interviewer was Melvyn Bragg. The chat was released on VHS in April 2002.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 5, 2008 at 12:45 PM

comment #1

Sean says ...

"Marion Cotillard, who's generally considered to be in a neck-and-neck race for the Best Actress Oscar against Away From Her's Julie Christie."

Unfortunately, they're racing for who gets to be runner up to Ellen Page.

Posted by Sean at February 5, 2008 1:07 PM

comment #2

broadstreetbully says ...

"There was a party at the Chateau Marmont last night on behalf of La Vie en Rose star Marion Cotillard"

The elitist in Jeff just loves to start off items with phrases like that.

Posted by broadstreetbully at February 5, 2008 1:11 PM

comment #3

Breedlove says ...

Sean, I was thinking the same thing. I keep hearing that it's a race between Cotillard and Christie, but it seems like Ellen Page would win, with all the buzz she and the movie are getting. The movie just came out, it's making money, she carries it...

Posted by Breedlove at February 5, 2008 1:18 PM

comment #4

Sean says ...

Breed - don't let anybody convince you otherwise. The problem is that everybody writing about The Oscars hates Juno and complains that it's even nominated, so they allow themselves to have a blindspot about its chances of winning this award.

I am more sure that she will win than that Javier Bardem will.

Posted by Sean at February 5, 2008 1:22 PM

comment #5

actionman says ...

Page should have won supporting actress for Hard Candy.

Julie Christie wins. If she doesn't, it's Cotillard. They were both fucking outstanding in their respective films.

Posted by actionman at February 5, 2008 1:26 PM

comment #6

Wrecktum says ...

When did Chris Connelly grow his hair long?

Posted by Wrecktum at February 5, 2008 1:38 PM

comment #7

p.Vice says ...

Hmm... and here I thought Hampton came up with the TV show idea because there was no other way to have the character speak her little secrets to us.

Posted by p.Vice at February 5, 2008 1:40 PM

comment #8

deadre says ...

Can you imagine what people will think of Ellen Page if they ever see HARD CANDY. She definitely deserved notice and awards for that performance, not nearly so much for this one. I'll root for MC.

Posted by deadre at February 5, 2008 1:41 PM

comment #9

ArchiveGuy says ...

"Neck-in-neck"?!?!? More wishful thinking. As good as she might be, there is a reason only one foreign language performance has won in this category--and that was to a smoking hot international superstar, not somebody no one had heard of before this. And 3 acting Oscars for musical biopics in 4 years? Nuh-uh.

Posted by ArchiveGuy at February 5, 2008 5:06 PM

comment #10

renorambler says ...

I think the love for Christie will carry her through.

I'm a big fan of MC as much for her performance in A Very Long engagement as anything else. But I can't believe that a French actress in a French film will take it at the Oscars over JC.

Posted by renorambler at February 5, 2008 7:30 PM

comment #11

Edward says ...

Julie Christy was amazing, but so was Gordon Pinsent. He should have been nominated. He had so many scenes where he didn't speak, but his expression, his quiet intensity was phenominal. If I taught an acting class I show this film to my students and point how the greatness of his performance.

Posted by Edward at February 6, 2008 1:39 PM

comment #12