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Oscar notes relating to Our Tribe in Hollywood
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By: NATE BLOOM Freelance Writer
The Oscars were moved to an early date this year - Feb. 29. The bad news is this is a fairly thin year for Jewish Oscar nominees.
The good news is that Billy Crystal is back hosting the show after a three-year hiatus.
For me, 2004 will always be remembered as the year in which the (non-Jewish) Clint Eastwood issued the most surprising "Oscar-related Jewish remark" since the (non-Jewish) Bob Hope said, "Oscar time - or, as it is known in my house - Passover."
Eastwood, who directed the hit "Mystic River," was interviewed just before the Oscar nominations were announced. He was asked about the possibility of nominations for his flick. He responded, "Kineahora! Kineahora!"
The reporter retorted, "Pardon?"
Eastwood said, "That's a Jewish expression meaning 'Don't talk about it. It's bad luck.'" Or, more literally, "May the evil eye stay away."
Feature Film Nominees
The evil eye kept away from "Mystic River" - it got six Oscar nominations, including best picture, director, and actor - Sean Penn. Penn, 43, is the son of the late Leo Penn, a Jewish actor and director who died in 1998. Leo's film acting career was cut off in the late '40s when he was blacklisted. He kept busy as a stage actor and TV director.
He could have easily snared another Oscar nomination for "21 Grams" and he's already won the Golden Globe for "Mystic River." Sean's daughter in "Mystic River" was played by Emmy Rossum, 17, a Jewish actress.
Competing with Penn for the best actor Oscar is Sir Ben Kingsley, nominated for his performance as an Iranian immigrant in "House of Sand and Fog." Kingsley may have had only one Jewish grandparent, but he has amassed a record of bravura performances as a Jewish character. His best- known Jewish character is Itzhak Stern in "Schindler's List." Sir Ben also played Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal in a 1989 TV film; the prophets Joseph and Moses in TV flicks; Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father, in the 2001 ABC miniseries on Anne Frank; and gangster Meyer Lansky in "Bugsy."
"House of Sand and Fog" is the first movie directed by 40-year-old Russian Jewish immigrant Vadim Perelman (he also co-wrote the film). The film's Oscar-nominated music is by James Horner, 50, a top-tier film composer.
Competing with Horner in the best score category are Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, and Thomas Newman. Shore is nominated for "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." (He's also nominated for co-writing the song from the film, "Into the West.")
Danny Elfman, 50, is of "Russian-Polish Jewish" background. He started as an avant-garde rock musician, playing in the band "Oingo-Boingo," with his brother, Richard Elfman. This year, he is nominated for his score for Tim Burton's "Big Fish."
Thomas Newman, 48, who is nominated for his score for "Finding Nemo," is the son of legendary film composer Alfred Newman, the winner of nine musical Oscars. This is Thomas' seventh Oscar nomination.
Gary Ross, 47, is nominated for best adapted screenplay for "Seabiscuit," which he also directed. The picture's producers, including Ross, are nominated for best picture. Ross grew up a horse-racing fanatic, and his not-very-religious parents gave him a trip to Santa Anita racetrack in lieu of a bar mitzvah.
Cinematographer John Schwartzman is nominated for his work on "Seabiscuit." His late father, producer Jack Schwartzman, was Jewish.
Competing with Gary Ross for best-adapted screenplay Oscar is Shari Springer Berman, 38. She is co-director and co-screenwriter of "American Splendor. " She shares this nomination with her husband, Robert Pulcini, her co-director and co-writer. The film was adapted from the autobiographical comic books of the same title by Harvey Pekar, a Jewish writer and retired file clerk from Cleveland.
The Documentary Makers
Errol Morris, 56, is nominated for best documentary for "The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara."
The Friedman family of Long Island is the subject of Andrew Jarecki's Oscar-nominated documentary, "Capturing the Friedmans." Jarecki's film leaves viewers unsure whether the Friedmans are really guilty of sexually molesting children.
Also competing for best documentary Oscar is "My Architect," about the life of the famous and highly influential Jewish architect Louis Kahn.
Nate Bloom is the California-based editor of www.Jewhoo.com.
The good news is that Billy Crystal is back hosting the show after a three-year hiatus.
For me, 2004 will always be remembered as the year in which the (non-Jewish) Clint Eastwood issued the most surprising "Oscar-related Jewish remark" since the (non-Jewish) Bob Hope said, "Oscar time - or, as it is known in my house - Passover."
Eastwood, who directed the hit "Mystic River," was interviewed just before the Oscar nominations were announced. He was asked about the possibility of nominations for his flick. He responded, "Kineahora! Kineahora!"
The reporter retorted, "Pardon?"
Eastwood said, "That's a Jewish expression meaning 'Don't talk about it. It's bad luck.'" Or, more literally, "May the evil eye stay away."
Feature Film Nominees
The evil eye kept away from "Mystic River" - it got six Oscar nominations, including best picture, director, and actor - Sean Penn. Penn, 43, is the son of the late Leo Penn, a Jewish actor and director who died in 1998. Leo's film acting career was cut off in the late '40s when he was blacklisted. He kept busy as a stage actor and TV director.
He could have easily snared another Oscar nomination for "21 Grams" and he's already won the Golden Globe for "Mystic River." Sean's daughter in "Mystic River" was played by Emmy Rossum, 17, a Jewish actress.
Competing with Penn for the best actor Oscar is Sir Ben Kingsley, nominated for his performance as an Iranian immigrant in "House of Sand and Fog." Kingsley may have had only one Jewish grandparent, but he has amassed a record of bravura performances as a Jewish character. His best- known Jewish character is Itzhak Stern in "Schindler's List." Sir Ben also played Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal in a 1989 TV film; the prophets Joseph and Moses in TV flicks; Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father, in the 2001 ABC miniseries on Anne Frank; and gangster Meyer Lansky in "Bugsy."
"House of Sand and Fog" is the first movie directed by 40-year-old Russian Jewish immigrant Vadim Perelman (he also co-wrote the film). The film's Oscar-nominated music is by James Horner, 50, a top-tier film composer.
Competing with Horner in the best score category are Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, and Thomas Newman. Shore is nominated for "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." (He's also nominated for co-writing the song from the film, "Into the West.")
Danny Elfman, 50, is of "Russian-Polish Jewish" background. He started as an avant-garde rock musician, playing in the band "Oingo-Boingo," with his brother, Richard Elfman. This year, he is nominated for his score for Tim Burton's "Big Fish."
Thomas Newman, 48, who is nominated for his score for "Finding Nemo," is the son of legendary film composer Alfred Newman, the winner of nine musical Oscars. This is Thomas' seventh Oscar nomination.
Gary Ross, 47, is nominated for best adapted screenplay for "Seabiscuit," which he also directed. The picture's producers, including Ross, are nominated for best picture. Ross grew up a horse-racing fanatic, and his not-very-religious parents gave him a trip to Santa Anita racetrack in lieu of a bar mitzvah.
Cinematographer John Schwartzman is nominated for his work on "Seabiscuit." His late father, producer Jack Schwartzman, was Jewish.
Competing with Gary Ross for best-adapted screenplay Oscar is Shari Springer Berman, 38. She is co-director and co-screenwriter of "American Splendor. " She shares this nomination with her husband, Robert Pulcini, her co-director and co-writer. The film was adapted from the autobiographical comic books of the same title by Harvey Pekar, a Jewish writer and retired file clerk from Cleveland.
The Documentary Makers
Errol Morris, 56, is nominated for best documentary for "The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara."
The Friedman family of Long Island is the subject of Andrew Jarecki's Oscar-nominated documentary, "Capturing the Friedmans." Jarecki's film leaves viewers unsure whether the Friedmans are really guilty of sexually molesting children.
Also competing for best documentary Oscar is "My Architect," about the life of the famous and highly influential Jewish architect Louis Kahn.
Nate Bloom is the California-based editor of www.Jewhoo.com.
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