Kate: "I am absolutely thrilled to be nominated for 'Iris' -- and it's incredible that Judi, Jim and I have all been acknowledged for our work in a movie that is so important to us."

Fun stuff: Kate is the #1 Best Supporting Actress contender for a fourth consecutive week on Zeusefer’s Weekly Oscar Prediction Charts (updated Dec 22). Remember, "the predictions are based on buzz on casting, character & film as well as on reviews."

Best Supporting Actress:

1 Kate Winslet, Iris (win possible, nom certain)

2 Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (win possible, nom certain)

3 Helen Mirren, Gosford Park (win and nom possible)

4 Maggie Smith, Gosford Park (win not possible, nom certain)

5 Marisa Tomei, In The Bedroom (win not possible, nom certain)

Judi Dench is at #2 for Best Actress; Jim Broadbent is at #1 for Best Supporting Actor; Richard Eyre, #19 for Best Director, Eyre and Charles Wood, #6 for Best Adapted Screenplay; Iris #13 for Best Picture.

Entertainment Tonight aired last night (Dec 20) very brief remarks by Kate in a segment about the Golden Globe nominations. I must comment that Kate's expression, when speaking about her 'boyfriend' was one of pure delight. It's wonderful to see her looking so happy.

Host: Kate Winslet told us she'll attend the awards with new beau, director Sam Mendes.

Kate: "Oh, I know exactly who my date's gonna be."

Reporter: "Tell us."

Kate: "It's gonna be my boyfriend."

ET Online has a clip of Kate's remarks about receiving news of the nomination. (The clip wasn't there last night, but has been uploaded since the broadcast.) GO!

I have posted the transcript of her remarks and several screen captures HERE!

One of my news search engines turned up today (Dec 21) an article and link to a brief video interview with Kate posted yesterday on an Austin, Texas news site:

Kate Winslet in Austin when she learns of Golden Globe nomination

Titanic actress filming with Kevin Spacey

Rob Marroquin, KVUE News

Kate Winslet was in Austin Thursday when she got word that she'd been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her part in the film "Iris." The film tells the true-life story of the author Iris Murdoch, who was later stricken with Alzheimer's. Winslet plays the author in her early years. Judi Dench was also nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role as the elder Murdoch.

Winslet, 26, is in town for the filming of the Kevin Spacey movie, "The Life of David Gale." That film centers on the life of a University of Texas professor turned upside down when he's accused of murder.

Winslet, a two-time Oscar nominee, says it's a joy working in Austin but says she hasn't had a chance to enjoy the city because she spends a lot of her time on the set and the rest of it caring for her young daughter.

Go to the KVUE page to watch 16 second video of Kate (Real Player).

Kate was asked how she likes Austin.

Kate: "Austin’s great. I mean, I’ve just been, you know, working. And when I’m not working I’ve been mummy to Mia, my daughter. So, I haven’t really had much of a chance to really, you know, see the sights. But, no, you know, it’s got a great atmosphere, and I’ve had a lot of fun here."

Source: kvue.com, Dec 20

Several UK papers have published articles about British actors being honored with Golden Globe nominations. Following are a couple of the items:

It’s The Great British Gold Rush

By Mark Jagasia Showbusiness, Correspondent

A String of British actresses has been nominated for Golden Globe film awards.

Dame Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Dame Maggie Smith, Tilda Swinton and Helen Mirren have all been named as possible winners at the ceremony in January. There are already hopes that they could pick up some Oscars at the more prestigious Academy Awards in February...

The film Iris saw Kate Winslet nominated best supporting actress and Dame Judi Dench best actress as novelist Iris Murdoch.

Source: The Express, Dec 21

Brit Stars On Award Shortlist

British actors Judi Dench, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith and Kate Winslet were nominated yesterday for Hollywood's Golden Globe awards.

Moulin Rouge and A Beautiful Mind, which stars Russell Crowe as a mentally ill genius, led the shortlist, with six nominations each.

Legendary director Robert Altman's Gosford Park received five, while The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring has four.

Nicole Kidman has two chances to win, for Moulin Rouge and The Others.

And British film Bridget Jones's Diary was nominated for best comedy.

The awards, next month, are seen as a guide to the Oscars.

Source: The Mirror, Dec 21

Ewan’s Bid For Golden Globe

Ewan McGregor leads British hopes in the Golden Globe awards - often seen as a pointer to Oscars success. But Harry Potter, the blockbuster film of the year, failed to get even a mention as the nominations were unveiled in Los Angeles yesterday. Ewan is the only Brit competing for best actor in a musical or comedy. His film Moulin Rouge and Russell Crowe's A Beautiful Mind jointly top the shortlist with six nominations each.

Dame Judi Dench, up for best actress for her role in Iris, won a Golden Globe in 1998 and another this year. She is up against Tilda Swinton for The Deep End.

Three Brits compete in the supporting actor category.

Jim Broadbent is nominated for Iris, Ben Kingsley for Sexy Beast and Jude Law for AI in the awards which are handed out on January 20.

For best supporting actress, Helen Mirren goes up against Gosford Park co-star Dame Maggie Smith and Kate Winslet for Iris.

British-made Bridget Jones's Diary is nominated for best musical or comedy.

Sir Paul McCartney is in the running for best song with Vanilla Sky from the Tom Cruise movie of the same name, as is Sting with Until from the film Kate & Leopold.

Anne Frank star Ben Kingsley fights Conspiracy's Kenneth Branagh for best TV actor, with Emma Thompson in the female category for Wit.

Source: The Daily Record, Dec 21

Miramax Films has proudly issued a press release about the success of their films with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Miramax Films received fifteen overall Golden Globe nominations, the most for any studio, including the first ever nomination for Dimension Films. Miramax's nominations included three for "In the Bedroom" and "Iris," two for "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Kate & Leopold," and "The Shipping News," and one each for "Amelie," "Behind the Sun," and for Dimension Films' "The Others." The announcement was made today by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in Los Angeles. The nominations include...

"Iris"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture/Drama -- Judi Dench Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture -- Kate Winslet

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture -- Jim Broadbent

"Oh how lovely, what a wonderful Christmas present," said Judi Dench.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be nominated for 'Iris' -- and it's incredible that Judi, Jim and I have all been acknowledged for our work in a movie that is so important to us," said Kate Winslet.

"I'm very, very excited... and looking forward to the party," said Jim Broadbent.

The Guardian published today an article about IRIS:

Age Will Win -- Iris Murdoch's fall could not have been more marked: perhaps the greatest novelist of her generation, she was reduced to a state of perpetual puzzlement by Alzheimer's. Martin Amis gets the first look at Richard Eyre's tender, raw portrait of her decline.

The article also appeared in Talk magazine; I posted it on the IRIS Features page Nov 28.

Would you believe that the bloody Mirror won a 'newspaper of the year' award? Amazing, considering the use of speculation and lack of hard facts in articles about celebrities. But, the Mirror was applauded for publishing:

...a series of hard-hitting articles by the paper's former foreign editor, John Pilger, that were fiercely critical of American policy towards Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The Mirror won the award for newspaper of the year, giving Piers Morgan the prize he has dreamed of since he took over as editor seven years ago. The award recognises Morgan's skill in repositioning the Mirror - traditionally a leftwing paper - closer to its roots.

Morgan's other notable campaign this year was to declare war on celebrity publicists. He ordered his journalists to stop granting copy approval to celebrities, and ridiculed the actress Kate Winslet when she threatened to sue the paper over an interview.

Dec 20, 5:30 AM PST -- I turned on the TV just in time to hear Hugh Jackman reading the following names at the Golden Globe awards nominations press conference: Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind; Cameron Diaz, Vanilla Sky; Helen Mirren, Gosford Park; Maggie Smith, Gosford Park; Marisa Tomei, In The Bedroom; Kate Winslet, IRIS. CONGRATS, KATE!!!

Note that there were six nominees, but no surprises. We'll see in two months who the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science choose.

Judi Dench rec'd a Best Actress nom for her work in IRIS; Jim Broadbent rec'd a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Read the complete list of nominations HERE.

Two more positive reviews of IRIS; they're posted HERE.

The revered film critic Andrew Sarris feels IRIS is one of the best films of the year, and writes, "Kate Winslet as the younger Iris Murdoch and Judi Dench as the older version manage to bring the literary lioness to vibrant life: Ms. Winslet by the fruitful union of her voluptuous body with her hard-edged, impudently intellectual countenance, Ms. Dench by her magisterial mental authority slowly crumpling into the horrible confusion of Alzheimer’s."

Gianni Truzzi: "Murdoch's emphasis on the weight of words makes a reviewer consider his own. Iris commands superlatives; the film is important, powerful, absorbing."

Off The Record: Kate Tops Irish Charts

Nicole Kidman has been kept from the top of the Irish singles charts ... by a fellow actress.

What If, the debut single by Kate Winslet, is the top-selling record across the Irish Sea and continues a Hollywood trend.

A tilt at the singles charts seems to be the in-thing in Tinseltown, as earlier this year, Gwyneth Paltrow enjoyed Top 10 success in Australia with the duet Cruisin' with Eighties rocker Huey Lewis.

Now the men are getting in on the act - Russell Crowe and Billy Bob Thornton are to release albums.

Source: Daily Record, Dec 20

Kate's performance in Enigma was one of the year's highlights, according to The Times:

Films of 2001:

...It has been a great year for barmy British romances: Renée Zellweger as a chubby marvel in Bridget Jones’s Diary; Nic Cage in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin; and Kate Winslet in Enigma. Predictably, though, it is The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone that have provided the glittering highlights of 2001.

Kate’s personal life was one of two 'stories of the year':

Another marital split that sparked huge media interest was British actress Kate Winslet breaking up with her movie director husband Jim Threapleton.

A media frenzy followed a couple of months later when Winslet, who starred in the blockbuster "Titanic," was reported to have started a relationship with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes...

"The two stories of the year would have to be Tom and Nicole's divorce and the marital separation of Kate Winslet and subsequent development involving Sam Mendes," said Kevin O'Sullivan at The Mirror in London.

Souce: Yahoo! News, Dec 19

Box office update -- IRIS was estimated on Sunday to take in $21,000 on two screens during the first three days of release. According to Variety, the actual figure is $23,144. Nice!

IRIS is mentioned a couple of times in the Dec 17 issue of New York magazine. Thanks to Rebecca for the tip!

The Best of the Rest

As we head down to the wire in what may be one of the fiercest Oscar derbies in years, a scorecard to the remaining contenders (and also-rans)

IRIS

Dame Judi Dench is already a front-runner in the Best Actress Oscar sweepstakes for her performance as British novelist Iris Murdoch, who succumbed to Alzheimer’s Disease in 1999. Kate Winslet plays Iris as a younger woman and Jim Broadbent is heart-breaking in the role of Oxford literary critic John Bayley, Iris’s doting and devoted husband. What could have been a treacly disease-of-the-week TV movie may turn out to be the love story of the year.

Opening

The Camera’s Iris

"I was totally conscious from the word go not to make this film sentimental," says Richard Eyre, the former director of Britain’s Royal National Theatre and the writer-director of IRIS, the screen biography of famed English author Iris Murdoch that depicts her descent into Alzheimer’s disease. "In the end, it’s a 90-year love story, with the illness as a metaphor for what love can surmount."

IRIS shows the beginning and end of her marriage to John Bayley, the somewhat straight man to Iris’s idiosyncratic lead, and from whose autobiography the screenplay was adapted. Iris is played in her youth by Kate Winslet and in her dotage by Judi Dench. "When John saw the film, he said it was like watching King Lear," says Eyre, whose The Crucible with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney opens on Broadway this February. "But I think what he liked most was Kate."

A review of the film is also included in the magazine. I’ll post that later today.

I’ve posted this item from Femail recently, but as it’s their lead item today, here it is again:

Best and Worst Dressed of 2001
by Susannah Conway

Who wore the best dress of the year? And who wore the worst? This has been a brilliant year for style watching. Here's our round up of the best and worst dressed women and men of 2001 - in no particular order...

Kate Winslet has had a rocky ride in her personal life this year but after losing four stone in weight she became a magazine cover girl. Always dressing to flatter her figure she looks great whether she's wearing a denim jacket or couture leather dress. [Pic from SAG ceremony last March with the caption 'Kate Winslet was a fashion icon for young mums everywhere this year']

Commentary on movie ads, with a mention of the Travers quote in the IRIS ad:

Inside Moves: No Stone unturned
It's a banner year for serious blurb biz
By Claude Brodesser

A Rolling Stone gathers no moss, but it certainly gets hurled across plenty of movie ads.

Lately, no one has been more prevalent than Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, whose colorful quotes have been getting maximum ink from studio marketing departments.

Not only Rolling Stone but also major consumer titles like the New York Times, the New Yorker and Newsweek suddenly rule the quotemaster's roost. This is notable because for years, the bar in Hollywood marketing suites was set so low as to use any positive quote from anyone still breathing.

Why the re-emphasis on recognizable names?

After Hollywood's embarrassment last summer at the revelation of Sony Pictures' manufactured "critic" David Manning, fatuous blurbmeisters like 60 Second Preview or Wireless magazine are viewed as risque at best and, in these sober times, audience-alienating at worst.

"I think for the first time," says one studio marketing insider, "people are actually reading the sources of the quotes. And if it's not a real news outlet, marketing people realize it can actually hurt their movie." Adds another studio publicist: "After Sept. 11, not many movies were junketed, and not having a junket means fewer junketeers to quote."

She notes that even the publicists' usual quote-fishing from journos has been suspended. Which now means that the ubiquitous Travers appears even more prominently in full-page ads. Even adult-oriented weepers like "Iris" use Travers' screaming plaudits: "With Judi Dench and Kate Winslet, director Richard Eyre has struck gold! Twice!" blares a full pager in the New York Times.

One can almost imagine the collective reaction of Rolling Stone's teen hordes: "Yeah, man. Judi Dench. She's so hot… not!"

Evening Standard writer Victorian Coren feels the U.S...

...must import their healthy-sized sex symbols from Britain. Flesh on a US screen is fine - as long as it's obviously foreign. So, we give them Kate Winslet and they love her busty bloom, as long as they can stress that she is "an English rose". We give them gorgeous, curvy Nigella ("ripe" and "full" says the New York Times), sticking her fingers in a treacle pudding, and they'll love her too - but only after shouting "It's porn! It's an orgy!" as though they've never seen anything like it at home.

Their own Renee Zellweger was, of course, allowed to play Bridget Jones at a "normal" weight - but only after the whole world had been told that Renee had gone on a special diet to look like a Brit, and the pounds had come off at the end of filming. Back to "American shape". Very ironic.

I have added a couple more reviews to the IRIS Reviews page. I transcribed Roger Ebert's and Richard Roeper's remarks from the segment on IRIS that aired on their program Sunday evening. Be warned: Ebert totally dismissed the film simply because it isn't a typical biopic. Roeper commented that Kate is "terrific" and Judi is "excellent". Critic Neil Smith gives the film 4 stars out of five and feels "Dench and Winslet inhabit the role of Iris with such intensity it's hard to take your eyes off them."

LOL - Singer Rick Astley certainly understands the British press - and so doesn’t want to recapture fame in England!

Get those hankies out, we've got tragic news. Eighties pop star Rick Astley has revealed to us he will never again release a single in Britain. We were stunned when he said: "I'm bringing out a single in France early next year but I have no plans to release it here. I just don't want to. I don't want to be famous in Britain again. I have a family to think of now."

Well, I have news for Rick: once a British celeb, always a target of the British press. You can work in another country, but they’ll still follow you and print **** about you back home.

And while I’m at it... I was sooo disappointed that the entertainment news programs last night (Dec 17) didn’t include the supporting actors' honors when reporting on the LA Film Critics awards. They gave only the film, director, lead actor and actress winners. !

New complex in Winslet Place, Reading, is open:

Moving into 'Kate's place'
People who would otherwise struggle to find anywhere to live have been handed the keys to a new home in the heart of town. A range of people who need additional support as well as a roof over their heads moved into a new complex in Winslet Place last week.
The one and two-bed flats are the product of a partnership between the Reading Single Homeless Project (RSHP) and Thames Valley Housing. The aim was to provide cheap-rent homes backed up by support services for people such as the single homeless, ex-offenders and people who were in care. As well as having a roof over their heads, tenants are also offered special support services to integrate them into the community and get their lives back on track.
The development, on the old Rex Cinema site, off Oxford Road, was opened by Mike Orton, Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for housing on Tuesday. Cllr Orton said: "I am delighted this development includes 20 badly needed affordable homes. It is also a pleasure to honour our local star, Kate Winslet."
Nick Harborne, director of Reading Single Homeless Project, said the tenants had settled well into the flats.

The Mirror has an article Dec 18 about Kate and Sam; it's posted HERE. It is mostly speculation (about what Sam was thinking, LOL), but also includes new quotes from his father and stepmother about his relationship with Kate. Excerpt:

Sam's father told yesterday how the couple's relationship is "very serious" and said they are spending every spare moment together. Retired college professor Peter, 62, said: "I would be delighted if Kate and Sam got married. She has had a rough time lately and he has never settled down, so perhaps the time is right. He certainly talks about her more strongly than any of his other girlfriends. He's a very decent man who wouldn't trifle with her affections." 

The British press has picked up the news of US film honors for Brit stars; following are portions of one of the many articles:

British Actors Win Honours at American Film Critics' Awards

By Fiachra Gibbons, arts correspondent
After the "grimmest year in Hollywood in living memory", British actors last night lorded it at the US critics' awards, the first early indicators of how the Oscars might pan out...

There were further celebrations in Los Angeles last night when the west coast critics garlanded Richard Eyre's Iris, choosing Kate Winslet, who plays the young Iris Murdoch, as best supporting actress and Jim Broadbent, who plays her husband John Bayley, as best supporting actor.

Source: The Guardian, Dec 18

The Broadcast Film Critics have announced their honors; they have chosen three actors in each category. Jim Broadbent is on the list of Best Supporting Actors - Drama for his work in IRIS. Surprisingly, both Kate and Judi were overlooked. Can't win 'em all!

Dec 17, 9 PM -- Alex Fung, who runs an awards-oriented website, claims to have the list of nominees for the Golden Satellite awards. His info has been reliable in the past. Let’s hope this list is indeed accurate! If so, Kate, Judi and Jim have received nominations. [Update Dec 17, 8 AM -- This list has been confirmed by Variety.]

Note: This group has separate categories for drama and comedy/musical for both lead and supporting actors. HFPA, who give out the Golden Globes, does not have separate categories for supporting actors.

Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees:
Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)
Fionnula Flanagan, The Others (Dimension)
Brittany Murphy, Don't Say A Word (Fox)
Julia Stiles, The Business Of Strangers (IFC)
Marisa Tomei, In The Bedroom (Miramax)
Kate Winslet, Iris (Miramax)

Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees:
Halle Berry, Monster's Ball (Lions Gate)
Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Grey (Warner Bros.)
Judi Dench, Iris (Miramax)
Nicole Kidman, The Others (Dimension)
Sissy Spacek, In The Bedroom (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton, The Deep End (Fox Searchlight)

Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees:
Jim Broadbent, Iris (Miramax)
Billy Crudup, Charlotte Grey (New Line)
Ed Harris, A Beautiful Mind (DreamWorks)
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast (Fox Searchlight)
Ian McKellen, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (New Line)
Goran Visnjic, The Deep End (Fox Searchlight)

Go HERE for the complete list, according to Alex. Congrats to Kate, Judi and Jim on more recognition for their wonderful work in IRIS!!

I've posted another favorable review of IRIS HERE. The two most recent reviews echo my own sentiments about the film:

Les Phillips: The screenplay...cuts between the times constantly. The effect is not flashback or flash-forward; it's composite, or pointillist, and it's very effective here... Movies about creative people usually try to let you know just exactly how brilliant the artist is, and they almost always fail at that. Eyre doesn't really try to do that very much - again, he assumes you know how important and talented Murdoch was, and that's probably the best way to approach the problem in this case... The actors are wonderful - the kind of performances that seem lightly effortless.

Frank Ochieng: What's most effective about Iris Murdoch is that we never get a real glimpse as to what this woman is really all about. It sounds frustrating but it is really fascinating to see her as a colorful yet bewildering intellectual. The film stalls a bit, though, when we focus upon the older Iris... Winslet is fabulous as the young Iris, who exudes so much energy as the nascent novelist. Overall, Iris is a stylish production that flows with radiance.

This item is not directly related to Kate, but to someone close to her. Who knows? She may attend the premiere:

HOLLYWOOD -- DreamWorks has skedded the Sam Mendes-directed gangster pic "The Road to Perdition," starring Tom Hanks, for July 12. That's nearly the same frame when the company successfully launched "Saving Private Ryan" in 1998 and "What Lies Beneath" in 2000. "We've had good luck with this date," DreamWorks distrib chief Jim Tharp said. "This film will appeal to adults, and July is certainly a good month for Tom Hanks."

..."Perdition" is based on a graphic novel about a hitman known as the Angel of Death (Hanks) seeking to avenge the murders of his wife and son in the Depression-era Midwest.

Pic is a co-venture with Fox, which will distribute internationally.

Mendes' follow-up to "American Beauty" also stars Jude Law, Paul Newman, Stanley Tucci and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Also on board are cinematographer Conrad Hall, an Oscar winner for "Beauty," and screenwriter David Self, who wrote "Thirteen Days."

Today (Dec 17) the nominees for the AFI Awards 2001 were announced. The nominations confused many people because a number of films and performances that have received recognition from other groups were overlooked by the American Film Institute. As one movie lover asked today, "Do actors have to be in an American film to be eligible? If not, 'Gosford Park' and 'Iris' certainly got the shaft."

Another person commented, "Was there an implicit or explicit decision to limit this to American films? It certainly seems odd for Gosford to be a nomination leader and not even make the top ten, also to leave out Dench, Winslet, Mirren, Smith."

As a member of the AFI, I knew that IRIS would be excluded because it isn’t an 'American' film. According to the rules, the product must be an "English language motion picture with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States."

We’ll see tomorrow how Kate, Judi and Jim fare with the Broadcast Film Critics and the Golden Satellite committee.

Info on the Broadcast Film Critics awards --

They are bestowed by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Winners are selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period in mid-December and announced the day after the votes are tabulated. The Critics' Choice Awards are presented at the BFCA's annual awards ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel in late January. The BFCA is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing 162 television, radio and online critics.

BTW - This group has rated IRIS an 80 (on a scale of 20 - 100), a very good rating from them (higher than In The Bedroom and Vanilla Sky, about equal with The Royal Tenenbaums). And last year, Kate placed 4th in votes for Best Supporting Actress, just three votes behind 3rd place Julie Walters.

Info on the International Press Academy (the group that bestows the Golden Satellite awards) --

The International Press Academy (IPA) is both the largest and most diverse association of professional entertainment journalists in the world. With a membership of over 200 working press representing both domestic and foreign markets, IPA membership reaches more than 500,000,000 people globally via major print, television, radio, cable and the Internet. Unlike other press organizations, The International Press Academy is open to all full-time entertainment journalists, both domestic and foreign, who cover the fields of film, television and interactive media.

Last year, Kate received a nomination for her performance in Quills from IPA.

I’m planning on attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival next month - Enigma will screen on Saturday, Jan 12, 7:00 PM, Palm Springs High. Tickets go on sale to the general public Jan 2. (I've ordered my tickets and booked the hotel, LOL.) Go to the official site for more info.

The 13th annual Nortel Networks Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival has announced its roster of approximately 150 films, culled from more than 45 countries.

This year’s fest will be held Jan. 10-21. The selection includes 50 U.S. and 10 world premieres.

Also screening are 43 of the 51 films submitted for consideration in the best foreign language film category for the Academy Awards. These films will compete for the Intl. Cinematographic Press Federation award, or Fipresci.

Fest will open with India’s romantic comedy "The Monsoon Wedding," from director Mira Nair.

Accepted Films

Enigma / 2001
U.S.A., U.K. (England)
Suspense/Thriller

Source: Variety, Dec 17

(Mon Dec 17) Some news organizations are catching up with the weekend news. BBC News has a nice article about the LA Film Critics Assoc honors. Excerpt:

Todd Field's directorial debut In the Bedroom has been named best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association. The accolade is being seen as indicator to its potential success at the next Oscars. The association awarded the film's star Sissy Spacek the honour of best actress for her portrayal of a grieving mother.

British actress Kate Winslet took the title of best supporting actress for her role as the young Iris Murdoch in the biographical tale Iris.

Fellow countryman Jim Broadbent was recognised as best supporting actor for his role in the musical spectacular Moulin Rouge. [He was also cited for his performance in IRIS.]

Miramax Films has issued a press release citing the honors from LAFCA:

Sissy Spacek for Best Actress, Jim Broadbent for Best Supporting Actor and Kate Winslet for Best Supporting Actress

NEW YORK, Dec. 16 -- Miramax Films is proud to announce that the Los Angeles Film Critics Association has selected "In the Bedroom" as Best Picture of the Year and Sissy Spacek as Best Actress for her performance in "In the Bedroom" as well as Jim Broadbent as Best Supporting Actor for his performances in "Iris" and "Moulin Rouge" and Kate Winslet as Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Iris." The awards will be presented on January 22, 2002 at the Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica...

Jim Broadbent, who was selected by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association as Best Supporting Actor for his performances in "Iris" and "Moulin Rouge," was also recently awarded Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review for his performances in "Iris" and "Moulin Rouge." "In the Bedroom," which is currently playing in selected cities, opens in theaters across the United States on December 25, 2001. "Iris" opened in New York and Los Angeles on December 14, 2001.

Source: PR Newswire, Dec 17

Great new review of IRIS is posted HERE. Excerpts:

Expressionistic and resoundingly involving, Eyre's thought-provoking film is perceptively engaging... As the youthful Iris, Winslet artfully shows us the spunky comfort of her Oxford days as she shares the exuberance of the era... Winslet is fabulous as the young Iris, who exudes so much energy as the nascent novelist.

More on Kate's number one status in Ireland:

Source: Undercover, Dec 17

While What If? is in the Top 10 on music charts in Europe, Christmas Carol: The Movie is also doing well, debuting at #8 on the UK box office chart!

Femail has posted a 'year in review' gallery of pics, and included a pic of Kate at the announcement of her split from Jim with this caption:

Titanic star Kate Winslet and husband Jim Threapleton split up. The tearful actress says the shock decision is 'mutual', September 4, 2001.

Kate is the person men would like to snuggle up and enjoy a bottle of wine with. The Wine Institute of California's survey was conducted in November; 962 adults were polled:

...On a lighter note, the survey also reveals who British men and women would most like to snuggle up and enjoy a bottle of wine with. Rather surprisingly, it seems that more men (4%) would prefer to uncork with Ann Widdecombe than with Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart (3%), whilst Kate Winslet received the most votes overall (35%).

And whilst Robbie Williams got women's top vote with 25%, David Beckham and Tony Blair both seem equally unpopular with just 4% of the vote each. Despite their current popularity, maybe UK women just felt their conversational skills wouldn't be up to much...

Source: PR Newswire, Dec 17

Kate and Paltrow on the same videotape (no comment, LOL):

Sense and Sensibility/Emma

Cinema Club

Cert U

This double bill pairs two highly successful 90's adaptations of Jane Austen novels. Both books offer a more palpable and lively account of 19th Century society than any history book and these sensitive screenplays, helmed by Ang Lee and Douglas McGrath, make entertaining cinema of Austin's sharply-observed character portraits and moral dilemma-driven plot twists. Lee assembled a star-studded cast in order to bring Sense And Sensibility to film. Emma Thompson both adapted and starred in this tale of two sisters, Elinor (Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), who are forced to find another place to live when their father dies and leaves his estate to the eldest son from his first marriage. The sisters try to settle into new surroundings, where they fall for a couple of dashing young chaps (played by Hugh Grant and Greg Wise). However, as the tale progresses, the girls begin to learn the harsh facts of life in a society which is obsessed with financial status.

Gwyneth Paltrow stars as the eponymous heroine of Douglas McGrath's film adaptation of Emma, the tale of a beautiful English girl who can't seem to help but meddle in the romantic lives of those around her and inevitably messes things up. However, Emma faces an uncomfortable problem when 'unusual' feelings emerge for her brother-in-law.

Sense and Sensibility/Emma is available to buy through Ananova's ecommerce partner Black Star for only £8.29.

Source: Ananova, Dec 17

Reminder -- Part One of Titanic airs tonight on NBC. Part Two airs Monday night.

The New York Film Critics Online, consisting of 25 members, have named Judi Dench Best Actress for her work in IRIS today, Dec 16. (Maggie Smith was named BSA.)

Box office projections for the weekend Dec 14-16 are in this afternoon (Dec 16):

"Iris," a biopic with both Kate Winslet and Judi Dench essaying late English novelist Iris Murdoch, did $21,000 from one theater each in New York and Los Angeles.

A great figure! I know that the plans for release by Miramax Films are dependent on the numbers from this week's run. Hopefully, the good box office stats will result in the film's release in a few weeks in many cities.

Last night I posted the news that Kate had been named Best Supporting Actress by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, along with a list of winners and runners-up. Additional articles about the LA Film Critics Association honors are being published today, including this one from Yahoo! News:

L.A. Critics Have "Bedroom" Eyes

It's probably about time for Sissy Spacek to start working on that Academy Award speech. The actress, who was previously Oscar'd for her headlining role in The Coal Miner's Daughter, is emerging as one of the few favorites in this wide-open Hollywood awards season after winning Best Actress accolades from the Los Angeles Critics Association Saturday for her turn as a devastated mother in In The Bedroom. Earlier this week, Spacek was named Best Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle.

In the Bedroom, meanwhile, is looking like it could garner some serious Oscar play in the Best Picture race, as the L.A. critics voted the tragic family drama their favorite film of 2001. In recent years, the critics organization, which consists of about 50 Los Angeles-based film writers, has championed such movies as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Insider and L.A. Confidential, all of which subsequently became Academy Award nominees.

Despite In the Bedroom taking two of the top awards from the group, no single movie dominated.

David Lynch received Best Director plaudits for his bizarro thriller Mulholland Drive. Best Actor props went to Denzel Washington for playing bad cop in Training Day.

In the supporting races, Kate Winslet was honored for her work in the Iris Murdoch biopic Iris and Jim Broadbent for his roles in Iris and Moulin Rouge. Memento mastermind Christopher Nolan got the Best Screenplay prize for his noirish brainbender. John Cameron Mitchell, who wrote, directed and starred in the transsexual musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, was given the L.A. critics' "New Generation" prize for up-and-coming talent. And Shrek picked up the award for top 'toon.

Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, whose music underscored such films as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and The Untouchables, will receive the Career Achievement Award at the group's January 22 ceremony.

For those looking for a sure-thing pick for the Oscar office pool, good luck. So far, no consensus Best Picture favorite has emerged. The National Board of Review unofficially kicked off the pre-Oscar awards season by choosing Baz Luhrmann's eye-popping musical Moulin Rouge as the year's Best Picture and the New York Film Critics Association went with Mulholland Drive. Perhaps the Academy Award forecast will become unclouded next week when the Broadcast Film Critics Association announces its faves on Tuesday.

Here's a complete rundown of Los Angeles Critics Association winners:

Best Picture: In the Bedroom
Direction: David Lynch, Mulholland Drive
Actress: Sissy Spacek, In the Bedroom
Actor: Denzel Washington, Training Day
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, Iris
Supporting Actor: Jim Broadbent, Iris and Moulin Rouge
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, Memento
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, The Man Who Wasn't There
Music/Score: Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Production Design: Catherine Martin, Moulin Rouge
Documentary: The Gleaners and I
Foreign Film: No Man's Land (Bosnia)

Animation: Shrek
New Generation Award: John Cameron Mitchell, director, writer and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Career Achievement: Ennio Morricone

Source: Yahoo! News, Sunday December 16 12:57 AM EST

Kate holds at #1 for the third consecutive week on Zeusefer’s Weekly Oscar Prediction Charts. Remember, "the predictions are based on buzz on casting, character & film as well as on reviews."

Best Supporting Actress

1 Kate Winslet, Iris (win possible, nom certain)

2 Judi Dench, The Shipping News (win possible, nom certain)

3 Maggie Smith, Gosford Park (win possible, nom certain)

4 Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (win & nom possible)

5 Marisa Tomei, In The Bedroom (win not possible, nom possible)

6 Helen Mirren, Gosford Park (win & nom possible)

7 Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive (win & nom possible)

How IRIS fares on other charts:

Judi Dench is at #2 on the Best Actress chart (win possible, nom certain). Kate is at #30.

The Best Supporting Actor charts shows Jim Broadbent at #1 (win possible, nom certain).

It’s the #14 slot for Richard Eyre on the Best Director chart. He is also at #6, along with Charles Wood, on the Best Adapted Screenplay chart.

Iris is ranked #11 on the Best Picture chart.

Kate is still in the final five Best Supporting Actresses on Oscar Central and one of the supporting actresses 'to beat' on Oscar Watch.

Film critic Emanuel Levy has published his list of the best in film in 2001. He named Kate Best Supporting Actress. He ranks Jim Broadbent #2 on his Best Supporting Actor list, and Judi Dench #5 on his Best Actress list.

I found one filmlover’s predictions interesting:

Best Supporting Actress: The clearest category: It's Smith, Mirren, Winslet, Connelly, and Tomei. I'll make an early prediction and say that Kate Winslet, whom many will probably feel is overdue, will emerge from this field the winner.

How I wish his prediction would come true. The pundits did, however, predict nom’s for Holy Smoke and Quills, and none materialized. Nothing’s certain, we’ll just have to hope for a nom this year.

What If? is still doing well on the music charts. It is #1 in Ireland for the second week. The MRIB chart shows it at #10 in the UK; however, BBC Radio 1 has it at #11. As of Dec 10, the single was #10 in Germany, according to Musicmarkt.

Found a mention of Kate in a Washington Post story about how things are changing in Afghanistan:

Humaira, 35, operated a beauty parlor in Kabul for a decade before it was shut down by the Taliban in 1996. For the next five years she styled women's hair in her home, but she and her clandestine customers were always fearful of being arrested.

Two weeks ago, Humaira reopened her shop for Eid and decorated the walls with posters of luxuriantly coiffed Indian fashion models. The curtained shop has no hot water for washing hair and no electricity for operating hair dryers, but the owner said her clients are eagerly flocking back, just for the pleasure of it.

"We don't have to worry now, because some government officials came to my shop and told me to let them know if anyone bothers me," Humaira said. Most women want their hair long or braided for Eid, but girls ask for "Titanic" haircuts in the style worn by actress Kate Winslet in the movie of the same name.

Weekly Winslet Index