Nate Parker has it
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 20, 2007 at 10:42 PM
I'd love to get into Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters, which I saw this evening, but it's early yet. Discussions and terms await. But it's essential to mention Nate Parker, who plays one of three African-American debaters (the other two played by Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker) from Wiley College in 1935 who wound up debating the Harvard University team, under the guidance of Washington's Melvin B. Tolson.
Nate Parker
I've never seen Parker before, but he's got it. He's charismatic, good-looking...a "tan" Paul Newman (as Newman was in The Young Philadelphians) who looks people in the eye cool and steady, and perhaps has a slight weakness for women.
Parker has only been in the game since '04. He's acted only on TV and in crappy movies so far. (I missed his supporting performance in Pride, the swim-team sports movie with Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac that opened last March.) Worse, his next two are low-rent exploitation films -- Tunnel Rats (directed by -- yipes! -- Uwe Boll) and Felon. The Great Debaters is Parker's first and only A-level effort. He needs to build on it and move in another direction, or in five years he'll be Dorian Harewood. It's his call.
All I know is, Parker has a quality, a presence, a vibe. He could be another Denzel. A small group I spoke with after tonight's screening agreed on this point, or at least that he's Newman-esque. It'll be intriguing to see what happens.
Last updated: October 3, 2007
Obviously I'm light in several categories.
Suggestions and disputations are welcome.
BEST PICTURE: Australia (20th Century Fox), The Argentine (Focus Features), Guerilla (Focus Features), Milk (Focus Features), Seven Pounds (Sony), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount/Warner Bros.), The Soloist (DreamWorks), Body of Lies (Warner Bros.), Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage/DreamWorks), The Changeling (Universal Pictures), Frost/Nixon (Universal), Doubt (Miramax), Blindness (Universal Pictures), Defiance (Paramount Vantage), The Duchess (Paramount Vantage), Valkyrie (MGM-UA), The Reader (Weinstein Co.)
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BEST ACTRESS: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Keira Knightley (The Duchess), Nicole Kidman (Australia)
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Inside Elsewhere...
Michelle discovers a couple of comedy films thanks to the power of Netflix.
Adam joins the Elsewhere crew from the Windy City and hits the ground running this week.
Essentials
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July 2
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Diminished Capacity
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson
We are Together
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Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
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A Very British Gangster
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Comments
The thing is, if you go back at look at The Young Philadelphians -- if you didn't know how things actually turned out, you might think Robert Vaughn, not Paul Newman, was destined for stardom. Seriously.
Posted by: Joe Leydon![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
November 21, 2007 12:40 AM
The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Denzel Whitaker. I love it!
Posted by: NDH![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
November 21, 2007 01:34 AM
Why can't you talk about it? Nothing? Anyone here seen it? I'm dying to know if it's an oscar contender. What do terms and conditions mean or should I assume that means when the studio says it's the proper time to talk.
Posted by: kathy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
November 21, 2007 09:36 AM
Jurnee Smollett is a great name. Sounds like a character from early Cronenberg.
Posted by: frankbooth![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at
November 21, 2007 09:41 AM
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