Hollywood movies can go through the whole roladex of would-be leading men and ladies before the final actors are chosen. When a star like Leonardo DiCaprio nails a movie role like in Titanic, it’s hard to imagine the movie without him (unlike Rose, I would NEVER let go). Can you believe the Home Alone’s Macaulay Culkin even had a chance at landing the role of a lifetime? Vanity Fair put together this crazy collage of what some of our fav films would look like if the roles had gone to other stars in consideration. Here’s our favourite finds.
Lindsay Lohan - Alice in Wonderland
I’d only believe Lindsay as innocent Alice if it was Mean Girls-era LiLo.
Bill Murray - Star Wars
Nobody in a galaxy far, far away would have take the comedian as serious action star in his SNL days.
Ellen Page - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
As badass as Ellen Page is, her face would have been way too sweet to play Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish thriller.
Christopher Walken - Pirates of the Carribean
Why am I not surprised Johnny Depp landed the hunky role of Captain Jack Sparrow instead?
John Travolta - Forrest Gump
The only thing crazier than Tom Hanks not being first choice for Forrest is the fact that John Travolta said no to the role.
X-Men fans director Bryan Singer announced via Twitter that Ellen Page and Anna Paquin have both signed on the join the latest installment of the superhero movie franchise, X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Page and Paquin are set to reprise their pre-Juno and True Blood roles as wall-defying Kitty Pryde and energy-sucking Rogue respectively. Their mutual love interest, Iceman as played by Shawn Ashmore, is also set to return.
The latest X-Men movie feels already stacked considering Ian McKellan (Magneto) and Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier) will join their younger counterparts, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. In addition, current Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence will also reprise their superhero roles as the perpetually badass Wolverine and shape shifter, Mystique.
The movie revolves around time travelling so the age jump from X-Men: The Last Stand to now shouldn’t be out of place.
Watch the ‘90s cartoon version of Days of Futures Past to get a sense of what may or may not happen in the new film:
There’s nothing like watching your favourite celebrities in their film debuts and seeing how different they looked before they made it big. This mashup combines some of our favourite actors and actresses in their very first films. Take Zooey Deschanel in Mumford above — she’s a long way from her unicorn-loving, cute-dress wearing, songbird days.
In order of appearance: Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Jeff Goldblum, Drew Barrymore, William Hurt, Clint Eastwood, Harvey Keitel, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Kate Bosworth, Steve Carell, Alison Brie, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Jason Bateman, Michael Keaton, Jamie Foxx, Kate Beckinsale, Edward Norton, James Earl Jones, and Chevy Chase.
Watch it here:
As previously reported, Woody Allen’s European film adventure will take its next stop in Italy. Penelope Cruz signed onto the project last week, and now the full cast of the film has been revealed.
Perezhilton.com reports that Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, and Ellen Page have jumped aboard the Allen train. The film will take place in Rome but all other plot details are being kept very secret.
From the looks of it we can expect a comedy. Most likely Baldwin and Cruz will have some sort of romance and the same goes with Page and Eisenberg. Page and Eisenberg have that natural eccentric chemistry due to their indie credibility.
Hopefully more details will be revealed soon perhaps a menage a trois is in the works a la Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Christopher Nolan has announced the title for his new Batman film, the third installment in the series. According to Perezhilton.com, the film will be titled The Dark Night Rises. Surely people will get a “rise” out of that title, it is kind of a let down. It’s surprising that with all those cinematic tricks up Nolan’s sleeve he couldn’t come up with a better title. I guess he’s not so good with words. In any case, the film is sure to be a blockbuster.
Nolan also announced that despite the whirlwind of rumors, The Riddler will not be one of the villains in the film. Wow, another let down. So who can the new villain be? Maybe Bane, or Catwoman? If the title doesn’t sell the film a screen siren in a leather catsuit definitely will. Hopefully it’s not Ellen Page, not so sexy in Inception.
So The Dark Night Rises is being filmed in New Orleans, it has a lame title, and there is no Riddler? Oy vey, Nolan better deliver something good soon.
Teens know what they want, and what they want is “Gossip Girl” and the Jonas Brothers.
The pop culture sensations each garnered six surfboard trophies on Sunday at the 10th annual Teen Choice Awards.
“Gossip” stars Blake Lively, Chace Crawford and Ed Westick each took home their own awards, for Best Breakout Actress, Actor and Villain, respectively. Lively was also named the best TV Drama Actress.
The Jonas Brothers got an obscene amount of love from the crowd, picking up the titles of “choice breakout group, love song, music single, song of the summer, male red carpet fashion icons and male hotties,” CBC News reports.
Miley Cyrus, who reportedly once dated one the Jonas bros, picked up three awards herself, despite the fact that she was hosting. She won for best TV comedy, best TV comedy actress and best female artist.
Canadian cutie Ellen Page picked up the awards for choice breakout movie female and choice movie actress in a comedy for her performance in “Juno,” which also won for best film comedy.
Ellen Page is set to bring one of the most iconic characters in 19th century literature to life on the big screen.
BBC Films has signed the Halifax native, who nabbed an Oscar nomination this year for her starring role in “Juno,” to play the lead in a movie adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.”
The 1847 novel tells the story of the romance between the titular orphan-turned-governess and her master, Edward Rochester.
A lead actor and a director have yet to be chosen.
Bronte’s novel has been the subject of many adaptations over the years, including BBC-produced miniseries in 1973 and 2006, as well as a 1996 Hollywood version starring Anna Paquin as young Jane and Charlotte Gainsbourg as adult Jane.
Page, 20, has been keeping busy since “Juno” – this latest project aside, she has also signed onto the Drew Barrymore-directed comedy “Whip It!” and the dramatic thriller “Peacock.”
She can currently be seen in theatres in the dramedy “Smart People,” which also stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid.
Juno can do no wrong.
The Academy Award winning teen-pregnancy comedy released a chart-topping soundtrack shortly after its release that proved so popular, the film is putting out a follow-up album.
Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs will be 15 tracks of quirky Juno-inspired songs that didn’t make it onto the first soundtrack.
ITunes will release the digital-only album April 8 while other digital music retailers will have it as of May 13, according to CBC.ca.
This follow-up will feature music by songwriter Kimya Dawson, Yo La Tengo, the Bristols, Trio Los Panchos, Astrud Gilberto, Barry Louis Polisar, Buddy Holly, Belle and Sebastian and Juno star, Ellen Page.
“None of these songs made the movie, but they are all essential members of the Junoverse,” Juno director Jason Reitman says in the liner notes.
Ellen Page will no longer be going to hell – and that’s a bad thing.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Page has dropped out of Sam Raimi’s upcoming film “Drag Me To Hell.” She was set to star as a woman under a curse, reports the CBC.
Raimi was so determined to have Page star that the filming schedule was set for her. However, the film wasn’t ready to shoot and has had to be pushed back. Page will be working on Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It!” at that time, and will also have to go through intense physical training to play a competitive roller derby skater.
Fresh off her success with “Juno,” Page also has a film called “Peacock,” co-starring Cillian Murphy, in the works.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, “White Oleander” star Alison Lohman will take Page’s place in “Hell.”
It was no surprise that Juno, the little indie flick about a pregnant teen, took home top honours at the Film Independent’s 2008 Spirit Awards.
The picture walked away with three major awards, including the nod for Best Feature.
Canada’s sweetheart Ellen Page was there to accept her Best Lead Actress award and humbly thanked Best First Screenplay winner Diablo Cody.
“This is so, so special, but this is pretty much all Diablo Cody’s fault,” Page said. E! Online reports. “She wrote one of the best screenplays I have ever read and created a teenage female lead I feel like we’ve never seen before.”
Cody was just as praise giving to the director and cast but also to the ceremony itself.
“This is the coolest award in the coolest category,” she said. “There is nothing like writing a first screenplay.”
Other winners included Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Javier Bardem and Cate Blanchett.
Canadian It-girl Ellen Page has landed a starring role in Sam Raimi’s upcoming horror movie “Drag Me To Hell.”
Page, who could win a Best Actress Oscar this month for her performance in “Juno,” will play a woman who falls victim to a curse.
Raimi co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Ivan and will also direct.
The movie marks Raimi’s return to horror after helming the successful “Spider-Man” series. Raimi launched his film career in the ’80s with the Evil Dead films, which have since become cult classics.
Shooting for “Hell” will begin next month in Los Angeles.
Afterwards, Page will start preparing for her role in “Whip It,” Drew Barrymore’s directing debut about a small-town Texas girl who joins a roller derby league.
“Juno” has grossed a whopping $117 million so far.
Home grown girl Ellen Page is officially one of today’s hottest actresses.
The Canadian star of “Juno” is set to share the coveted cover of Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood Issue with 10 other young female stars.
The spread, shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, hits newsstands Wednesday will feature “Enchanted” actress Amy Adams , “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Zoe Saldana of the upcoming Star Trek movie and other up and coming starlets.
John Galliano for Dior exclusively designed traditional ball gowns and vintage swimsuits for the actresses to wear for the photo shoot.
Ryan Gosling and Ellen Page have both been honoured at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
Gosling was given the Independent Award Tribute for “significant and unique contribution to independent film.” While his role in “Lars and the Real Girl” makes the award timely, his performances in indie flicks like “Half Nelson” and “The Slaughter Rule” collectively earned him the award.
Meanwhile, Page was one of five actors who received the Virtuosos Award. The award is a new addition to the festival because there were so many “young actors who have distinguished themselves through performances in film this past year,” states the Festival’s official web site.
Page shares the award with Casey Affleck, James McAvoy, Marion Cotillard and Amy Ryan, which was handed out last night.
How many award nominations can Ellen Page and Sarah Polley accumulate over one season? Apparently, quite a lot!
The Canadian actresses continued their sweep with the Genie Award nominations, announced yesterday.
This time it was Page’s performance in “The Tracy Fragments” that had garnered acclaim for the 20-year-old. Not only will she be competing for best lead actress against Julie Christie, who took home the SAG award over the weekend, but she is also up against Molly Parker. Page credits Parker with inspiring her love of acting, after working together on the Canadian Independent film “Marion Bridge.”
The nod for Christie is good news for Polley, as she directed Christie in “Away From Her.” Polley herself was nominated for Achievement in Direction and Adapted Screenplay.
Here’s a complete list of all the nominees.
BEST MOTION PICTURE
L’AGE DES TENEBRES / DAYS OF DARKNESS – Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
AWAY FROM HER – Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss
CONTINENTAL, UN FILM SANS FUSIL / CONTINENTAL, A FILM WITHOUT GUNS – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
EASTERN PROMISES – Robert Lantos, Paul Webster
SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL – Laszlo Barna, Michael Donovan
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION
DENYS ARCAND – L’Age des tenebres / Days of Darkness
SARAH POLLEY – Away From Her
DAVID CRONENBERG – Eastern Promises
ROGER SPOTTISWOODE – Shake Hands With the Devil
BRUCE MCDONALD – The Tracey Fragments
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ROY DUPUIS – Shake Hands With the Devil
MARC LABRÈCHE – L’Age des tenebres / Days of Darkness
CLAUDE LEGAULT – Les 3 P’tits Cochons / The 3 Little Pigs
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
GORDON PINSENT – Away From Her
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
ANNE-MARIE CADIEUX – Toi / You
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
ELLEN PAGE – The Tracey Fragments
MOLLY PARKER – Who Loves the Sun
BÉATRICE PICARD – Ma tante Aline / My Aunt Aline
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
MARIE-GINETTE GUAY – Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
VÉRONIQUE LE FLAGUAIS – Surviving My Mother / Comment survivre à sa mère
LAURENCE LEBOEUF – Ma fille mon ange
FANNY MALLETTE – Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
KRISTEN THOMPSON – Away From Her
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
DANNY GLOVER – Poor Boy’s Game
GUILLAUME LEMAY-THIVIERGE – Les 3 P’tits Cochons / The 3 Little Pigs
ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL – Eastern Promises
MICHEL ANGE NZOJIBWAMI – Shake Hands With the Devil
GILBERT SICOTTE – Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
PIERRE LAMOTHE, CLAUDE LALONDE – Les 3 P’tits Cochons / The 3 Little Pigs
DENYS ARCAND – L’Âge des ténèbres / Days of Darkness
MARC-ANDRÉ LAVOIE, SIMON OLIVIER FECTEAU, DAVID GAUTHIER – Bluff
STEVE KNIGHT – Eastern Promises
DOUGLAS COUPLAND – Everything’s Gone Green
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
SARAH POLLEY – Away From Her
MICHAEL DONOVAN – Shake Hands With the Devil
MAUREEN MEDVED – The Tracey Fragments
BEST DOCUMENTARY
PANACHE / ANTLERS – André-Line Beauparlant, Danielle Leblanc
RADIANT CITY – Gary Burns, Jim Brown, Bonnie Thompson, Shirley Vercruysse
SHARKWATER – Robert Stewart
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA
APRES TOUT – Alexis Fortier Gauthier, Élaine Hébert
FAIRE CHALUIM MHIC LEÒID / THE WAKE OF CALUM MACLEOD – Marc Almon, Nona MacDermid
REGARDING SARAH – Michelle Porter, Amy Belling
SCREENING – Anthony Green, Philip Svoboda
THE TRAGIC STORY OF NLING – Jeffrey St. Jules, Larissa Giroux
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
HERE AND THERE – Diane Obomsawin, Marc Bertrand
JEU – Georges Schwizgebel, Michele Belanger, Marcel Jean
MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI – Maciek Szczerbowski, Chris Lavis, Marcy Page
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
JEAN-FRANCOIS BERGERON – Les 3 P’tits Cochons / The 3 Little Pigs
SUSAN MAGGI – Poor Boy’s Game
JEREMIAH MUNCE, GARETH C. SCALES – The Tracey Fragments
RONALD SANDERS – Eastern Promises
DAVID WHARNSBY – Away From Her
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SCORE
DAVID HIRSCHFELDER – Shake Hands With the Devil
STEVE LONDON – That Beautiful Somewhere
DON MACDONALD – FIDO
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO – Silk
HOWARD SHORE – Eastern Promises
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SONG
ALAN DOYLE – Young Triffie’s Been Made Away With – Young Triffie’s Been Made Away With
VALANGA KHOZA, DAVID HIRSCHFELDER – Shake Hands With the Devil – Kaya
BYRON WONG, LUKE NICHOLSON – Poor Boy’s Game – Breathe
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
ANDRE LINE BEAUPARLANT – Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns
LINDSEY HERMER-BELL, JUSTIN S.B. CRAIG – Shake Hands With the Devil
ROB GRAY, JAMES WILLCOCK – FIDO
FRANCOIS SEGUIN – Silk
CAROL SPIER – Eastern Promises
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
DOLLY AHLUWALLIA – Partition
DENISE CRONENBERG – Eastern Promises
CARLO POGGIOLI, KAZUKO KUROSAWA – Silk
MARY E. MCLEOD – FIDO
JOYCE SCHURE – Shake Hands With the Devil
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
MIROSLAW BASZAK – Shake Hands With the Devil
BRUCE CHUN – Nitro
ALAIN DOSTIE – Silk
VIC SARIN – Partition
PETER SUSCHITZKY – Eastern Promises
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND
CLAUDE LA HAYE, OLIVIER CALVERT, HANS PETER STROBL, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL – Silk
ERIC FITZ, JO CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, BENOÎT LEDUC – Shake Hands With the Devil
JOHN J. THOMSON, STEPHAN CARRIER, MARTIN LEE – Citizen Duane
JOHN HAZEN, MATT CHAN, BRAD DAWE – The Tracey Fragments
STUART WILSON, CHRISTIAN COOKE, OREST SUSHKO, MARK ZSIFKOVITS – Eastern Promises
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
MARTIN PINSONNAULT, PIERRE-JULES AUDET, MICHELLE CLOUTIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, LOUIS MOLINAS – Nitro
WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROBERT BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O’FARRELL – Eastern Promises
MARIE-CLAUDE GAGNÉ, DIANE BOUCHER, GUY FRANCOEUR, CLAIRE POCHON, JEAN-PHILIPPE SAVARD – Roméo et Juliette
MARCEL POTHIER, GUY FRANCOEUR, ANTOINE MORIN, GUY PELLETIER, FRANÇOIS SENNEVILLE – Shake Hands With the Devil
STEVEN MUNRO, JOHN SIEVERT, DAVID DRAINIE TAYLOR – The Tracey Fragments
It’s official: Ellen Page and her pregnant alter-ego “Juno” are Oscar worthy.
The film received nods in several category where it will be the only comedy competing against some huge, heavy-hitter dramas. 20-year-old Page is up against the likes of Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Julie Christie (Away From Her), Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) and Laura Linney (The Savages) for Best Actress.
“Juno” is nominated for Best Picture against the critical favourites “Atonement,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.”
Screenwriter Diablo Cody and Canadian director Jason Reitman also scored a nomination for “Juno.”
Sarah Polley will also be representing Canada at the awards. She was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for her film, “Away From Her.”
With so many fantastic performances, it will be especially hard to guess the winners this year. The Best Actor category is an exciting list: George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) and Tommy Lee Jones (In The Valley of Elah).
Other notable nominations are 13-year-old Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) and Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James?).
James McAvoy and Keira Knightley were noticably snubbed for their lead performances in “Atonement.”
Here is a complete list of the nominations:
BEST PICTURE
“Atonement”
“Juno”
“Michael Clayton”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie, “Away From Her”
Marion Cotillard, “La Vie en Rose”
Laura Linney, “The Savages”
Ellen Page, “Juno”
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd”
Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises”
Tommy Lee Jones, “In the Valley of Elah”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”
Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”
Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”
Hal Holbrook, “Into The Wild”
Tommy Lee Jones, “No Country For Old Men”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Tom Wilkinson, “Michael Clayton”
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”
Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”
Jason Reitman, “Juno”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, “Juno”
Nancy Oliver, “Lars and the Real Girl”
Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”
Brad Bird, Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird, “Ratatouille”
Tamara Jenkins, “The Savages”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood”
Christopher Hampton, “Atonement”
Ronald Harwood, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”
Sarah Polley, “Away From Her”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Beaufort” (Israel)
“The Counterfeiters” (Austria)
“Katyn” (Poland)
“Mongol” (Kazakhstan)
“12″ (Russia)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
“Persepolis”
“Ratatouille”
“Surf’s Up”
BEST ART DIRECTION
“American Gangster”
“Atonement”
“The Golden Compass”
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
“There Will Be Blood”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” Roger Deakins
“Atonement,” Seamus Mcgarvey
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Janusz Kaminski
“No Country For Old Men,” Roger Deakins
“There Will Be Blood,” Robert Elswit
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Across the Universe,” Albert Wolsky
“Atonement,” Jacqueline Durran
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” Alexandra Byrne
“La Vie En Rose,” Marit Allen
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street,” Colleen Atwood
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“No End in Sight”
“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience”
“Sicko”
“Taxi to the Dark Side”
“War/Dance”
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“Freeheld”
“La Corona” (“The Crown”)
“Salim Baba”
“Sari’s Mother”
BEST FILM EDITING
“The Bourne Ultimatum,” Christopher Rouse
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Juliette Welfling
“Into the Wild,” Jay Cassidy
“No Country for Old Men,” Roderick Jaynes
“There Will Be Blood,” Dylan Tichenor
BEST MAKEUP
“La Vie en Rose”
“Norbit”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Atonement”, Dario Marianelli
“The Kite Runner”, Alberto Iglesias
“Michael Clayton”, James Newton Howard
“Ratatouille”, Michael Giacchino
“3:10 to Yuma”, Marco Beltrami
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Falling Slowly” from “Once”
“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted”
“Raise It Up” from “August Rush”
“So Close” from “Enchanted”
“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
“I Met the Walrus”
“Madame Tutli-Putli”
“Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)”
“My Love (Moya Lyubov)”
“Peter & the Wolf”
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
“At Night”
“Il Supplente (The Substitute)”
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)”
“Tanghi Argentini”
“The Tonto Woman”
BEST SOUND EDITING
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“No Country For Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“There Will Be Blood”
“Transformers”
BEST SOUND MIXING
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“No Country For Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“3:10 to Yuma”
“Transformers”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Golden Compass”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
“Transformers”
Halifax actress Ellen Page, currently earning critical kudos for her role as a spunky pregnant teen in “Juno,” will star in Drew Barrymore’s directing debut.
The film is called “Whip It” and will be based on the book “Derby Girl” by Shauna Cross, according to Variety.
Page, 20, will play a teen who rejects her family’s expectations that she participate in beauty contests and instead enters the world of roller derby.
“I can’t wait to kick ass on wheels!” she said in a statement.
Barrymore, who recently starred in “Lucky You,” “Music and Lyrics” and “Fever Pitch,” has a $10 million US budget to work with.
“I’ve been working toward the goal of directing my entire life,” Barrymore said. “‘Whip It!’ is a story that really spoke to me.”
The movie will start shooting this summer in Texas.
Could Canadian cutie Ellen Page be the key to helping Jamie Lynn Spears cope with being a pregnant 16-year-old?
The New York Post reports that Spears is obsessed with the soundtrack to “Juno” – Page’s current film in which she stars as a 16-year-old who accidentally gets pregnant. Spears saw the film the day before her exclusive pregnancy announcement with OK! Magazine was released, and sources tell the newspaper that the film and music have inspired Spears. “She loves it and it’s helping her through her difficult time,” a source commented.
Page contributed to the “Juno” soundtrack when director Jason Reitman asked her what music she thought Juno would listen to. Page suggested the Moldy Peaches. Six songs by Kimya Dawson, a member of the Peaches, are included on the “Juno” soundtrack.
Despite being nominated twice in the same category, Michael Cera – along with his Canadian counterparts – lost at the 13th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards last night.
Cera was nominated in the Best Young Actor category for both his roles in “Superbad” and “Juno.” But it was Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada (The Kite Runner) who picked up that trophy.
The Broadcast Film Critics Association also chose Julie Christie’s performance in “Away From Her” over Ellen Page’s “Juno.” That’s good news for fellow Canadian Sarah Polley, however, as she directed and adapted the screenplay for “Away From Her.”
Page and Cera didn’t go home completely unhappy, however. “Juno” was named Best Comedy Movie and screenwriter Diablo Cody won in the Best Writer category for the script – her first ever. The hip soundtrack to the film is out in stores today.
Ryan Gosling also lost the Best Actor award to Daniel Day-Lewis.
Director Yves Simoneau was the only Canadian who didn’t go home empty-handed. His TV movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” won in the Best Picture Made for Television category.
Here is the complete list of nominees and winners:
Best Picture
American Gangster
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Best Actor
George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch – Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises
Best Actress
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her
Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page – Juno
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook – Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There
Catherine Keener – Into the Wild
Vanessa Redgrave – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
Best Acting Ensemble
Hairspray
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
Gone Baby Gone
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Best Director
Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Sidney Lumet – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Sean Penn – Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright – Atonement
Best Writer
Diablo Cody – Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy – Michael Clayton
Nancy Oliver – Lars and the Real Girl
Sean Penn – Into the Wild
Aaron Sorkin – Charlie Wilson’s War
Best Animated Feature
Bee Movie
Beowulf
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie
Best Young Actor
Michael Cera – Juno
Michael Cera – Superbad
Freddie Highmore – August Rush
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada – The Kite Runner
Edward Sanders – Sweeney Todd
Best Young Actress
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Dakota Blue Richards – The Golden Compass
AnnaSophia Robb – Bridge to Terabithia
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Best Comedy Movie
Dan in Real Life
Hairspray
Juno
Knocked Up
Superbad
Best Family Film
August Rush
Enchanted
The Golden Compass
Hairspray
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Best Picture Made for Television
The Company
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Tin Man
The War
Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
La Vie en Rose
Lust, Caution
The Orphanage
Best Song
“Come So Far”, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley – Hairspray
“Do You Feel Me”, Anthony Hamilton – American Gangster
“Falling Slowly”, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Once
“Guaranteed”, Eddie Vedder – Into the Wild
“That’s How You Know”, Amy Adams – Enchanted
Best Composer
Marco Beltrami – 3:10 to Yuma
Alexandre Desplat – Lust, Caution
Clint Eastwood – Grace Is Gone
Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood
Dario Marianelli – Atonement
Alan Menken – Enchanted
Best Documentary
Darfur Now
In the Shadow of the Moon
The King of Kong
No End In Sight
Sharkwater
Sicko
Receiver of the Joel Siegel Award: Don Cheadle
Young Canadian talent doesn’t get much better – or cuter – than Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Their sweet, funny, and real performances are just part of what makes “Juno,” as a whole, a touching, hilarious and wonderful film.
Page plays precocious and off-beat Juno MacGuff, who despite being damaged is very comfortable in her own skin. As a 16-year-old, she is also very naive about the world of adults – a world she is forced to join when she becomes pregnant by her best friend (Cera). A high school girl getting pregnant may seem clichéd (hell, doesn’t it happen every week on Degrassi?), but I can assure you, “Juno” is in a league of its own.
One of the most touching elements of the film is Juno’s relationship with her father and step-mother, played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. When Juno announces to them that she’s pregnant, they are of course disappointed in her: as her father states, “I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when.” But in a blink, the pair go into automatic support mode, planning doctor’s visits and shopping trips for pre-natal vitamins. Their no holds barred love for their flawed daughter and ability to roll with the punches together is truly touching.
Janney especially shines, comedically and dramatically. She and Juno don’t exactly have the perfect-mother daughter relationship. So when she (hilariously) tells a rude ultrasound technician to “go back to night school and learn a real trade,” the bond between them is solidified. She clearly respects her young step-daughter, something that is so important and inspiring.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that their relationship suddenly becomes totally congenial, because “Juno” is all about being real. Its characters are imperfect, and the ways they have been hurt in the past are obviously a part of them. But the hurt is not dwelled on; every character just keeps on moving forward, and helping each other to do the same.
The only unrealistic part is the insanely snappy dialogue, but it’s so deliciously pitch-perfect that it doesn’t detract from the film at all. “Juno” is hysterically funny, but I barely allowed myself to laugh the whole time, because I didn’t want to miss a single word. This is screenwriter Diablo Cody’s first film, and there is a reason she has been nominated for both a Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award.
Cody’s script has a lot of amazing jokes, but she never makes fun of her characters. Even Jason Bateman’s character, the prospective adoptive father and wannabe rock star, is treated with dignity. Juno’s presence drastically changes his life and relationship with his wife (Jennifer Garner), and they are forced to come to terms with certain truths about themselves. It may not be pretty, but it’s honest. Director Jason Reitman also used creative close-up shots to visually tell the audience about the characters. His fantastic direction combined with brilliant performances make every character a fully formed and unique person.
At the Q&A session after its second showing at the Toronto International Film Festival, Reitman told the crowd that he saw “Juno” as a film about a girl forced to grow up too fast and a man trying to stay a kid. But it’s really much more than that. It’s about strong women, and the bond of family; about always being true to yourself; and about love, in the many routes it takes. “Juno” is not to be missed.
Canadians were nominated for some of the biggest Golden Globe honours today.
20-year-old Ellen Page was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for “Juno,” and Ryan Gosling’s performance in “Lars and the Real Girl” was honoured with a nod for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. In the world of television, “Dirty Sexy” Donald Sutherland was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie.
“Atonement” led the pack with 9 nominations, including 13-year-old Saiorse Ronan for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
Here’s the complete list of nominations.
ryan gosling
ellen page
donald sutherland
saiorse ronan
MOVIES
BEST MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
BEST MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson’s War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd
BEST DIRECTOR
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ridley Scott, American Gangster
Joe Wright, Atonement
BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington, American Gangster
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Jodie Foster, The Brave One
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley, Atonement
BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson’s War
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page, Juno
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
John Travolta, Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson’s War
Saiorse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
BEST SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Ethan and Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Ronald Hardwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson’s War
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/U.S.)
The Kite Runner (U.S.)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)
BEST SCORE
Atonement
Eastern Promises
Grace is Gone
Into the Wild
The Kite Runner
ORIGINAL SONG
”That’s How You Know,” Enchanted
”Grace Is Gone,” Grace Is Gone
”Guaranteed,” Into the Wild
”Despedida,” Love In the Time of Cholera
”Walk Hard,” Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
TV
BEST DRAMA TV SERIES
Big Love
Damages
Grey’s Anatomy
Mad Men
The Tudors
BEST MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
Extras
Pushing Daisies
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Bill Paxton, Big Love
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, Damages
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
David Duchovny, Californication
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Ted Danson, Damages
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Andy Serkis, Longford
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Rose Byrne, Damages
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy
Samantha Morton, Longford
Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
5 Days
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
The Company
Longford
The State Within
BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jim Broadbent, Longford
Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa for Christmas
Jason Isaacs, The State Within
James Nesbitt, Jekyll
BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It
Queen Latifah, Life Support
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Sissy Spacek, Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre
