An Evening With Jake
As Jake Gyllenhaal ’98 stood by his side, his head shaved
for a role, his Harvard-Westlake acting teacher described visiting a set to
watch the filming of Gyllenhaal's first major professional movie, “October
Sky.” Ted Walch talked about the cold, wet Tennessee day when Gyllenhaal,
who was still a student at Harvard-Westlake, proved his acting chops in a
pivotal scene. As he showed a clip of the scene at the Dec. 2 Actors
Interview Series, the second Harvard-Westlake Entertainment Event of the
year, Walch remarked on what he knew that day, and what he has seen again
and again as he's traveled to visit the sets of Gyllenhaal's subsequent
movies and plays. “Jake has always been a wonderful actor,” Walch said.
Walch, who has remained close with both Gyllenhaal and his sister Maggie
'95, also an accomplished actor, said the way the pair related to one
another as actors “seemed almost magical.” Jake said he remembered
seeing his older sister on the stage of the school’s Rugby Auditorium and
“being in awe.” As a student-actor at Harvard-Westlake, he recalls,
“that utter excitement in math class when you can't wait to get out of
there and onto the stage.” Despite his obvious love for acting and success
as a professional, Gyllenhaal wasn't the star of every school play. “I
remember one time when I just got ahead of myself,” he said. Having begun
his professional career, Gyllenhaal auditioned for the school play during
his senior year but “I didn't give it my heart,” he said. Gyllenhaal
arrived unprepared for the audition and then asked Walch for directions to
another audition he was attending afterwards. He wasn't cast in the play.
Gyllenhaal said events like that, and years of training with Walch had
instilled him with “discipline and respect” for all aspects of his
craft. But he talked about the importance of also working in theater. He
starred in the play “This is Our Youth” in London's West End in 2002.
Walch made the trip to London twice to see Gyllenhaal's performance.
Gyllenhaal said he considers his latest film, “Jarhead,” a story about a
young marine fighting in the first Gulf War “as very much a theater
experience,” because the director, Sam Mendes, previously ran a theatre
company, directed plays on Broadway and won an Academy Award for his
direction of “American Beauty.” Despite his former student’s rocketing
stardom, Walch still finds Gyllenhaal the same driven, committed actor he
has always been. “Jake always had his priorities straight, and certainly
his heart in the right place,” Walch said.
—Danny Nessim and Julia Wick
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The
Chronicle
Oscar
2006 forecast: boxers, geishas, grunts
NEW YORK TIMES
This time last year, film industry insiders were picking "Alexander," "Spanglish," "The Terminal," "Collateral" and "Cinderella Man" as good bets in the current Oscar sweepstakes. While "Collateral" did receive two nominations (for editing and Jamie Foxx's acting) and "Cinderella Man" was postponed (see below), the other hot possibilities underwhelmed critics and audiences alike and came up empty.
Anything can look good on paper, so picking likely Oscar contenders even before the movies have been made is not an exact science. As OutKast so eloquently put it, "You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather." Still, Hollywood experts are already parsing next year's Oscar race. Here's an early forecast.
"THE PRODUCERS: THE MOVIE MUSICAL" -- (Universal, 12/21/05): Shooting is set to begin this month on the film adaptation of the hit Broadway show, which was itself based on Mel Brooks' 1968 film. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their stage roles, as does the director, Susan Stroman. But none of the principals has ever been nominated for anything Oscar, and this is Stroman's first film.
"MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA" (Columbia-DreamWorks, 12/05) -- Oscar-nominated director Rob Marshall is the third (after Steven Spielberg and Spike Jonze) assigned to this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden -- not always a good sign but not a kiss of death, either (think "Gone With the Wind"). The mostly Asian cast includes Zhang Ziyi ("House of Flying Daggers," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and Ken Watanabe (nominated last year for supporting actor for "The Last Samurai").
"JARHEAD" (Universal, 11/11/05) -- This adaptation of Anthony Swofford's memoir of the Persian Gulf War is being shot in the deserts of California and Mexico, Iraq being otherwise engaged. There is no telling how gripping audiences -- and academy members -- will find this anti-war story, but the director, Sam Mendes, and the star, Chris Cooper, have walked away with Oscars before, for "American Beauty" and "Adaptation" respectively. Much depends on how this Iraq war is going same time, next year.
"CINDERELLA MAN" (Universal-Miramax, 3/18/05) -- Ron Howard's biopic about James Braddock (Russell Crowe), the Depression-era boxer who came from nowhere to beat the heavyweight champ Max Baer, was supposed to have been released in time for this year's Oscars -- but shooting was delayed by Crowe's shoulder injury. Or so they say. Crowe is joined by a fellow Oscar winner, Renee Zellweger.
"PROOF" (Miramax, 2005) -- This finished film, based on David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, was pulled this Christmas "because we felt it didn't make sense to harness it with Oscar expectations," according to one Miramax insider. Is that code for turkey? Not necessarily. The same studio delayed the release of "Finding Neverland" last year so as not to crowd "Cold Mountain." Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins star, which may be enough to make people forget that the ostensible subject is math.
"CHE" (River Road Entertainment, 2005) -- The South American revolutionary is back -- or at least his icon is back, on T-shirts, hats, skateboards. Audiences who warmed to a young Ernesto Guevara in this year's "Motorcycle Diaries" should love it when Benicio Del Toro dons the beret for this biopic, written by Terrence Malick and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Given the Oscar pedigree of the principals and the politics of Hollywood, "Che" could topple the competition.
'BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN' (Focus Features, 10/7/05) -- This year's Oscars represent the triumph of the semi-independent subsidiaries -- boutique studios under the corporate umbrella -- and none has fared as well lately as Universal's Focus Features ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Pianist"). This year looks promising as well, and on paper this film has Oscar written all over it. Based on a short story by Annie Proulx ("The Shipping News"), written by Larry McMurtry ("Lonesome Dove") and directed by the Oscar-nominated Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger"), this modern cowboy story stars a couple of young, A-list actors, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, as lovers.
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credit: DeluthSuperior.com
The
Cannes Film Festival is going to the dark side. After months of negotiations
between George Lucas and festival officials, Star Wars: Episode III - The
Revenge Of The Sith will open the festival in the South of France in May.
It's hoped that Ewan McGregor, who plays the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, will attend, although he'll be about to open in Michael Grandage's new London stage version of Guys And Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre.
It could be a star-packed Cannes this year. Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger are planning to attend with an outofcompetition screening of their latest picture, Cinderella Man, plus there's talk of them handing out the main prize at the closing ceremony.
Another major movie rumoured to be at the festival is Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. It's based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx.
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credit: ThisisLondon.co.uk
The
complete 'Donnie Darko'
The 2001 oddity "Donnie Darko," starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a 1980s suburban high-schooler who senses the impending end of the world, has a sizable cult following. The movie's reputation is chiefly due to occasionally quirky bits of dialogue and its sharp take on teen alienation. (It can't possibly be due to that hideous 6-foot rabbit that - shades of "Harvey" - only Donnie can see.)
Demand was sufficient to bring a 20-minutes-longer version to the screen last summer.
"Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut" is now issued as a two-disk DVD on Tuesday (Fox, 133 mins., R, $26.98).
We learn more about English teacher Drew Barrymore (an executive producer of the film) as well as Donnie's strange parents. There are more special effects, including a huge recurring closeup of Donnie's dilating pupil. And the opening-credits song has changed.
Some extras from the 2002 DVD return. You also get commentary from writer-director Richard Kelly, a production diary by the director of photography and featurettes about the fans, most of whom have spent way too much time with the movie.
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credit: New
York Daily News
Nearly two months after its scheduled
release, there is still no word on an opening date for Proof, the film
adaptation of alumnus David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize–winning play, about a
University of Chicago professor and the relationship between his daughter
and one of his students.Once predicted to be a frontrunner in this year's Academy Awards, the film's delay has caused frustration among moviegoers and Hollywood insiders alike, generating concerns over unforeseen problems. Last December, audiences had hoped to see the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal grace the Chicago quads on the silver screen. In autumn 2003 the production, directed by Academy Award-nominee John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), moved to the University of Chicago campus to film a number of scenes, drawing a great deal of attention from the community
During the filming, hundreds of star-struck students volunteered as interns, production assistants, and extras, anxious to see their contributions on the big screen in December. In addition, the University administrators worked closely with the Proof team to accommodate their needs while on an active college campus.
"Shifting the release dates of films by months or even years is certainly not unusual in the film business," said Steve McFarland, the former University communications project manager for the film. McFarland, who is now associate director of development communications at Harvard University, added, "Whenever Proof is finally released, I'm certain it will be a great piece of work, and be something the University of Chicago will be proud to have participated in."
Hart-Sharp Productions, the company that produced and financed Proof,
estimated a release in the fall of 2005, but promised no guarantees. "Our side of the project is completed, so it's totally up to Miramax now," said a company representative, who refused to give his name. "The film is out of our hands."
After backing the film financially, Hart-Sharp sold the final project to Miramax for distribution in theaters and film festivals worldwide. With no update from the distribution company since December, the company representative reiterated, "It's all being delayed because of complications with Miramax."
The film's setback reflects a turning point for Miramax Films and its status in the movie industry. The company recently laid-off 65 of 485 employees, or 13 percent of its workforce, and has not commented on any future business plans, according to an Indiewire.com report. During last month's Sundance Film Festival, conversation buzzed about the possible breakup of the company later this year.
Miramax Films was formed in 1979 by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who named the company after their parents, Miriam and Max. The company originally produced lower-budget "art house" films, but has since grown into an industry powerhouse, posting $695 million in movie revenues last year and estimated to be worth $2 billion, according to Business Week Online.
In 1993, Walt Disney Studio Entertainment bought Miramax for $75 million, marking the start of a rocky relationship between the Weinstein brothers and Disney CEO Michael Eisner. In September 2005, the Weinstein brothers' contract with Disney will expire, signaling an uncertain future for both companies.
In a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Disney representatives issued a statement that the company was unable to determine whether current projects would be abandoned or suffer financial setbacks. There is no indication whether or not Proof is one of the projects mentioned in the statement.
In a telephone interview, Miramax representatives had no updates on Proof. "In movies, it happens all the time," said one Miramax representative, adding that no estimate for a release date can be considered until after September. "It's hard to tell at this point," said another representative from Harvey Weinstein's office.
Hart-Sharp Productions acknowledged the close link between Proof and the University of Chicago community, and addressed growing concerns over the film's questionable future. "It will definitely come out," said the Hart-Sharp representative, who noted that Miramax is only one of the many distributors in the industry. "It's a final film, for sure, and we're going to get it out somehow."
Amidst the uncertainty, Hart-Sharp remains optimistic about their film, and their representative encouraged the University community to be patient. "It'll be out later this year and hopefully it'll win some awards," he said.
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credit: Chicago
Maroon