'The King's Speech' BAFTA romp: What does it mean for the Oscars?

As expected, "The King's Speech" pulled off an impressive sweep at BAFTA, claiming seven awards, including the dual crowns as best picture and best British picture. That marked the first time both prizes went to the same movie since the category for best British film was re-introduced in 1992.

That combo probably clinches its top Oscar victory next. Ever since 2000, when BAFTA moved up its award ceremony to take place before the Academy Awards, the two prizes have agreed on best picture four times: "Gladiator" (2000), "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003), "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) and "The Hurt Locker" (2009). The victory by "Hurt Locker" surprised kudos-watchers.

Last year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts correctly foretold the Oscar winners of supporting actor and actress. Could it be significant that Geoffrey Rush just beat Oscar front-runner Christian Bale ("The Fighter")? His "King's Speech" costar Helena Bonham Carter won supporting actress too, but she wasn't nominated against Oscar faves Melissa Leo ("The Fighter") and Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit"). Or maybe their victories at these British film awards were to be expected considering Rush and Carter are subjects of the empire — he's an Aussie; she's a Brit.

Last year, BAFTA showed a strong preference for British thespians in the lead races, picking Colin Firth ("A Single Man") over eventual Oscar champ Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") and Carey Mulligan ("An Education"), who had an easier time of it. She wasn't nominated against Sandra Bullock ("The Blind Side").

'The Fighter's' Dicky Eklund talks to Men's Journal

 
The real life Dicky Eklund, played by Christian Bale in the Oscar-nominated film "The Fighter," has not had anything close to a simple life since his on-screen story cut to black after the 2000 fight crowning his half-brother, Micky Ward, WBU World Champion. 

A story in the March issue of Men's Journal magazine on stands now chronicles Eklund's life. The former welterweight boxing champion, says the article, has been arrested 66 times, several in the last decade and, in the last four years alone, he has been arrested on charges of cocaine possession and a string of assaults, including charges of attempted murder and assaulting his live-in girlfriend. 

His relationship with his brother is also strained. Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg in "The Fighter," did a lot better financially than Eklund, lives in a better neighborhood and as Eklund says in the article, "We have to keep each other at arm's length sometimes."

Eklund also reveals that after seeing the film for the first time in Los Angeles, he hated it. "Micky looks like a million bucks, and I look like a two-dollar bill," supporting actor nominee Bale says Eklund complained. Paramount Pictures paid Eklund $193,000 for his life rights but he reportedly blew through all that cash and now survives by training local boxers in Lowell, Mass.

Eklund and Ward's mother, Alice, also hated the movie version of herself, according to the story. "Those women were ugly," says Alice, 47, who reportedly received $500 for participating in the film. She was played by Melissa Leo, who received an Oscar supporting actress nomination for the role.

--Nicole Sperling

Photo of Dicky Eklund and Christian Bale by Getty Images.

Poll: Will Melissa Leo's personal Oscar ads backfire?

"She lost my vote!" an academy member reportedly told Tim Appelo of the Hollywood Reporter after seeing an Oscar campaign advertisement placed by Melissa Leo. Usually, "For Your Consideration" ads are handled, placed and paid for by a film's studio or producers, but Leo is mounting the drive herself -– and paying the bills.

"This entire awards process to some degree is about pimping yourself out," she told the New York Times. "I'm confident my fans will understand the ads were about showing a different side of myself."

The ads show Leo looking quite lovely and glamorous –- in sharp contrast to her wrinkled look as a hard-bitten working-class momma in "The Fighter."

"It's clear that she's not just out for herself," asserts Appelo. "She genuinely yearns to strike a blow to reform ageist sexism in the biz."

Such solo campaigns have had mixed results, historically. One paid off for Joan Crawford when she mounted a career comeback drive that led to a best actress victory for "Mildred Pierce" (1945). Going rogue got Candy Clark nominated in the supporting slot for "American Graffiti" (1973) and Sally Kirkland in the lead race for "Anna" (1987), but they had no chance of winning.

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo credit: Melissa Leo

Oscar nominee Pam Martin on editing 'The Fighter'

When it comes to film editing, Oscar voters love boxing movies. The genre lends itself to showy lens work as cameras dart in, out, around, over and under the action of flying fists and dancing bodies in the ring. Two pugilist flicks have won the editing award: "Rocky" (1976) and "Raging Bull" (1980). However, another notable one -– a past best picture champ, "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) -- lost to "The Aviator."

"The Fighter" comes out swinging as a heavyweight contender this year, nominated against "Black Swan," "The King's Speech," "127 Hours" and "The Social Network." It's no coincidence that it's up against the most serious rivals for best picture. Oscarologists believe that there's a mysterious connection between the categories. Since 1981, every best picture champ was also nominated for best editing. The overlap of winners in the two races is about two-thirds.

I asked the film's Oscar-nominated editor what she thinks about all that. Pam Martin also edited "Little Miss Sunshine," which was nominated for best picture of 2006, but not editing, which was odd because she was nominated for the American Cinema Editors' Eddie  award. I also asked her about shooting the intense boxing scenes in "The Fighter" –- what kind of work was involved? How did she collaborate with director David O. Russell?

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: "The Fighter." Credit: Paramount

Join our live chat with David O. Russell Friday, Feb. 4

 
After a six-year break between feature films, director David O. Russell came back strong with his most mainstream movie to date, "The Fighter." Longtime collaborator Mark Wahlberg ("Three Kings," "I Heart Huckabees") was a producer on the film and brought Russell aboard to direct.

The movie, which tells the story of real-life boxing brothers Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale), has garnered a hefty share of key Oscar nominations, not the least of which are nods for best picture and for Russell's directing.

So what was it like for him directing Bale in the role of the drug-addicted Ecklund?  Or dealing with the financing ups and downs of the project? The director will join us at 11 a.m. Friday (Feb. 4) for a live chat to discuss the film, the Oscar race and whatever else you want to ask him about. Sign up below. 

Photo: Mark Wahlberg, left, and director David O. Russell. Credit: Jojo Whilden © 2010 Fighter, LLC.

SAG Awards: Happy birthday, Christian Bale

 
Sunday was a double celebration for Christian Bale, who not only won the supporting actor SAG Award, but also marked his 37th birthday. The intense actor, who took the award for his riveting portrayal of drug-addicted former boxer Dicky Eklund in "The Fighter," said he had celebrated earlier with his family.

 So, "this is gravy," he said holding up his award. "Fantastic!"

The much-lauded Bale also stressed that he had no formal training. "I took no drama classes. So every time I take a role, I say, 'I have no bloody idea how to do this.' "

 And what was most interesting to him about his role in "The Fighter"?

 "That element of empathy and getting to walk in someone else's shoes, which from a psychological perspective I just find fascinating."

 RELATED:

SAG Awards: Complete coverage

SAG Awards: Colin Firth and 'King's Speech' gain SAG recognition

SAG Awards: Red carpet photos

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Christian Bale onstage is surprised by the character he played in "The Fighter," Dicky Eklund, whom he played in the film and won for male actor in a supporting role. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times.

SAG Awards: 'The Fighter' sisters were just protecting family [Updated]

Some of the most memorable combat in the "The Fighter" happened outside the boxing ring -- when Amy Adams tussled with Dendrie Taylor, who played one of the harpy sisters of Mark Wahlberg's struggling boxer. "We found out that we're both dancers so that's how we did the scene, just like it was a dance, we counted it out -- punch, hair pull, punch, down to the ground, one, two, three."

Taylor look puzzled for a moment when told that the on-screen sisters and mother represented a memorable coven of big-hair and big-voices. "Well, they're real and they love family and they'll protect their family no matter what."

She said that in her 25-year career, she never worked on a project that was as satisfying as David O. Russell's Massachusetts family study. "There was a scene in the kitchen and I had some knitting and I asked David if I could knit and he surprised me by saying yes. My character is a brawler, but she still knits a baby blanket and when you see the film and the way David presented it, it's perfect. There's a phone cord you see in the scene too -- I didn't notice it until I watched the movie -- and the way it cuts the screen is perfect. It links us [visually] -- It's a close knit family."   

 -- Geoff Boucher

[For the Record: An earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to Dendrie Taylor as Deirdre Taylor.]

Photo: Melissa Leo center, with her on-screen daughters from "The Fighter" on the red carpet. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Tom Hooper wins top honors from the Directors Guild of America

 

The Directors Guild of America on Saturday evening named Tom Hooper best director of 2010 for "The King's Speech," the film based on the real-life story of King George VI's battle to overcome a debilitating stammer. It is the first guild win in the feature category for the 38-year-old filmmaker.

"Oh my God," said a surprised Hooper. "I am so grateful to my wonderful cast. I am overwhelmed. This is the highest honor of my life."

Hooper was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Movie Award. He's also in contention for a BAFTA and an Academy Award.

"The King's Speech" was the surprise winner last week at the Producers Guild of America Awards -- the Facebook drama "The Social Network" had been favored to win the prize -- and leads the list of most-nominated films heading into the Academy Awards with 12.

The DGA Awards are one of the most dependable bellwethers of the Academy Awards. In fact, in the last 62 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the DGA have disagreed in their choices only six times.

The 63rd annual DGA ceremony was held at the Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood and Highland with Carl Reiner hosting.

The guild awarded its prize for directing a TV drama series to Martin Scorsese for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," though Scorsese, who was said to be ill, did not attend the ceremony. Charles Ferguson won in the documentary category for his feature "Inside Job." Mick Jackson won for directorial achievement in movies for television and miniseries for HBO's "Temple Grandin," while Michael Spiller won for the ABC hit "Modern Family" in the TV comedy series category.

Glenn Weiss won in the musical/variety race for his direction of the 64th annual Tony Awards (CBS), and Larry Carpenter won for his work on "One Life to Live" in the daytime serials category.

The DGA also kicked off its 75th anniversary at the ceremony with DGA winners including Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, John Rich and Steven Spielberg introducing special film-clip presentations on "game-changing" moments in the guild's history.

Among the other awards handed out, Eytan Keller won for outstanding achievement in reality programs for "The Next Iron Chef" (Food Network); Eric Bross won top honors in the children's programs category for "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" (Nickelodeon); and Stacy Wall was recognized for his achievement in commercials directing.

-- Susan King

Photo: Tom Hooper at the James Hotel in Chicago. Credit: Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune

 

Poll: Can Geoffrey Rush pull off an upset victory at SAG Awards?

Nearly every pundit on the planet predicts Christian Bale ("The Fighter") will win the Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actor this Sunday. Out of 19 experts polled by Gold Derby, 16 pick Bale and only three opt for Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech").

Two of those Rush disciples include me and Tariq Khan (Fox News). Tariq is basing his forecast on an informal polling of SAG members he's been conducting vigorously in New York. He's discovering enormous support for "The King's Speech," which isn't surprising since "King" and "The Social Network" were the only two DVD screeners sent to all 98,000 guild members. How many voters went to theaters to see "The Fighter"? Quite a few, yes, but all? In past years, movies sent via DVD to all members have done very well -- like "Inglourious Basterds," which won best ensemble last year after being sent en masse to SAG members.

Rush has won three SAG Awards to date: best film actor for "Shine" (1996), best film ensemble for "Shakespeare in Love" (1998), and best TV film actor for "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" (2004). Bale was nominated for best film ensemble for "3:10 to Yuma" (2007), but lost to the cast of "No Country for Old Men."

-- Tom O'Neil

Poll: What will win the SAG Award for best ensemble?

Eight days ago, before "The King's Speech" won the Producers Guild of America Award and led with the most Oscar nominations, we asked you what will win that key Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble this Sunday. Poll results: "The Fighter" (33%), "The Social Network" (29%), "The King's Speech" (21%), "The Kids Are All Right" (8%), "Black Swan" (7%).

Now let's ask again. The SAG ensemble award is considered to be so important because it has a reputation for predicting best picture at the Oscars, but, truth be told, it's a tenuous link. Over the past 15 years, they've overlapped seven times. However, two of those occasions were hugely significant because the SAG victories foretold upsets to come at the Oscars: "Shakespeare in Love" (1998) and "Crash" (2005). At this point, "The King's Speech" is gaining such momentum that its Oscar victory as best picture wouldn't be considered an upset. Indeed, most pundits favor it to win.

According to Gold Derby's poll of 19 experts, eight predict "The Social Network" win will best ensemble, seven pick "The Fighter," four (including me) say "The King's Speech."

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: SAG Awards