Animal Kingdom To Rack Up Awards (...In Australia)

Remember that one year (2001) when the list-happy AFI (American Film Institute) decided to compete with the Globes and the Oscars in year end prizes? No, that didn't last long. But there's another AFI, The Australian Film Institute, that has been around for a long time and is in no such danger of being a one-off. This year, they're all about the amazing family crime drama Animal Kingdom which they awarded with a record breaking 18 nominations. Sure, the film is in danger of being way overhyped for people who are coming to it late (which is just about everyone given the sorry state of international distribution for dramas of virtually any kind) but for those who can slough off the "omg" raves, I guarantee you'll think it at least an insinuating and well executed crime drama.

AFI Favorites with multiple nominations

Its main competition for the coveted prizes, if you go by nomination counts, is Bright Star (different eligibility calendar over there in Australia). I haven't really covered the Australian Awards before -- we lean on Glenn for that -- but since i've seen three of their Best Picture nominees this time around (the two leaders plus the aborigine musical Bran Nue Dae), why not?

Complete nomination list -- with more Oscar adjacent & actor related comments -- after the jump.




AFI Members’ Choice Award

• Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
• Beneath Hill 60. Bill Leimbach.
• Bran Nue Dae. Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac.
• Bright Star. Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt.
• The Boys Are Back. Greg Brenman, Tim White.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen.

SAMSUNG Mobile AFI Award for Best Film

• Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
• Beneath Hill 60. Bill Leimbach.
• Bran Nue Dae. Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac.
• Bright Star. Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt.
• The Tree. Sue Taylor. Yaël Fogiel.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen.

I'm actually not sure which of these categories Australian's consider their "Best Picture" but it's mostly the same competition anyway with only the widower drama The Boys Are Back and the widow drama The Tree working Swing position. Maybe Clive Owen  &  Charlotte Gainsbourg, who star as those grieving single parents, should've just gotten married to end their suffering: The Tree is Back!  

AFI Award for Best Direction

• Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
• Beneath Hill 60. Jeremy Hartley Sims.
• Bright Star. Jane Campion.
• The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

Macquarie AFI Award for Best Original Screenplay

• Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
• Beneath Hill 60. David Roach.
• Bright Star. Jane Campion.
• Daybreakers. Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig.

It'd be nice to see Michôd fighting for a spot with Oscar in the Original Screenplay category, but even with screeners going out so early, that could be a tough sell. But still, his is an unusually taut and smart script.

Macquarie AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

• Bran Nue Dae. Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins, Jimmy Chi.
• The Boys Are Back. Allan Cubitt.
• The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Stuart Beattie.

AFI Award for Best Cinematography

• Animal Kingdom. Adam Arkapaw.
• Beneath Hill 60. Toby    Oliver ACS.
• Bright Star. Greig Fraser.
• The Waiting City. Denson Baker ACS

With apologizes to the two films here I haven't seen I'll be disappointed if Greig Fraser loses this. I'm still mortified that he collected so few nominations and wins here in America. Bright Star is jaw-droppingly beautiful. It's a shame the way it was treated in last year's Oscar race. 

AFI Award for Best Editing

• Animal Kingdom. Luke Doolan.
• Beneath Hill 60. Dany    Cooper ASE.
• Bright Star. Alexandre de Franceschi ASE.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Marcus D’Arcy.

AFI Award for Best Sound

• Animal Kingdom. Sam Petty, Rob Mackenzie, Philippe Decrausaz.
• Beneath Hill 60. Liam    Egan, Alicia Slusarski, Mark Cornish, Tony Murtagh.
• Bran Nue Dae. Andrew Neil, Steve Burgess, Peter Mills, Mario Vaccaro, Blaire Slater, David Bridie, Scott Montgomery.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Plain, David Lee, Gethin Creagh, Robert Sullivan.

AFI Award for Best Original Music Score

• Animal Kingdom. Antony Partos, Sam Petty.
• Beneath Hill 60. Cezary Skubiszewski.
• Bran Nue Dae. Cezary   Skubiszewski, Jimmy Chi, Patrick Duttoo Bin Amat, Garry Gower, Michael Manolis Mavromatis, Stephen Pigram.
• Bright Star. Mark Bradshaw.

Bran Nue Dae does have fun musical numbers though typically the trailer doesn't really play that up.

AFI Award for Best Production Design

• Animal Kingdom. Jo Ford.
• Beneath Hill 60. Clayton Jauncey.
• Bright Star. Janet Patterson.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Robert Webb, Michelle McGahey, Damien Drew, Bev Dunn.

AFI Award for Best Costume Design

• Animal Kingdom. Cappi Ireland.
• Beneath Hill 60. Ian Sparke, Wendy Cork.
• Bran Nue Dae. Margot Wilson.
• Bright Star. Janet Patterson

AFI Award for Best Lead Actor

• Brendan Cowell. Beneath Hill 60.
• James Frecheville. Animal Kingdom.
• Ben Mendelsohn. Animal Kingdom.
• Clive Owen. The Boys Are Back.

AFI Award for Best Lead Actress

• Abbie Cornish. Bright Star.
• Morgana Davies. The Tree.
• Charlotte Gainsbourg. The Tree.
• Jacki Weaver. Animal Kingdom.

I had assumed that Abbie Cornish could finally collect a trophy for Bright Star until I realized that Jacki Weaver was sharing this category. Though she is absolutely the centrifugal force in Animal Kingdom, she's not really the lead (that'd be Frecheville... and arguably Mendelsohn) and she's offscreen quite a lot and sometimes backgrounded within the scenes she is in.

AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor

• Joel Edgerton. Animal Kingdom.
• Guy Pearce. Animal Kingdom.
• Kodi Smit-McPhee. Matching Jack.
• Sullivan Stapleton. Animal Kingdom.

Tattoed and Tormented: Sullivan Stapleton in Animal Kingdom

I need to take this opportunity to thank the AFI for not nominated Geoffrey Rush who is typically so far over the top he's back down again in Bran Nue Dae. But I am surprised that they saw through his extravagant hamming given his Master Thespian rep. This is a war of cops vs. criminals from Animal Kingdom with wee Kodi as the potential beneficiary of vote splitting. My favorite of the three Kingdom men is Sullivan Stapleton as the tattooed and tightly-wound comparatively tender Craig. But not knowing anything about AFI politics or Australian favoritism, I'm assuming that Pearce is most likely to win given his stardom that he gets the film's big theme-speaking moment.

AFI Award for Best Supporting Actress

• Julia Blake. The Boys Are Back.
• Kerry Fox. Bright Star.
• Deborah Mailman. Bran Nue Dae.
• Laura Wheelwright. Animal Kingdom.

In case you're wondering, Wheelwright plays the teen girlfriend of Animal Kingdom's lead character. I'm pleased to see Fox given props for her subtle but very well modulated reactive mother role in Jane Campion's romantic biopic.

AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR

• Simon Baker. The Mentalist, Season 2. Nine Network
• Ryan Kwanten. True Blood, Season 3. Showcase
• Kodi Smit-McPhee. The Road
• Sam Worthington. Avatar

I haven't yet seen Season 3 but it's nice to see acclaim for Ryan Kwanten who is True Blood's secret weapon, if you ask me. He's just so funny. He offers up a very smart take on a very dim character. As for Kodi, I wrote extensively about The Road here.

AFI I International Award for Best Actress

• Toni Collette. United States of Tara, Season 2. ABC1
• Bojana Novakovic. Edge of Darkness
• Mia Wasikowska. Alice in Wonderland
• Naomi Watts. Mother and Child

Um. Ewwww. on the Wasikowska nomination. I think she's quite a good actress but I think she's quite ungood in that movie. Meanwhile: Go TONI!!!

AFI Young Actor Award

• Ashleigh Cummings. Tomorrow When The War Began
• Morgana Davies. The Tree
• James Frecheville. Animal Kingdom
• Harrison Gilbertson. Beneath Hill 60

AFI Visual Effects Award

• Daybreakers. Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig, Rangi Sutton, James Rogers, Randy Vellacott
• The Tree. Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker
• Tinglewood. Wil Manning
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Chris Godfrey, Sigi Eimutis, Dave Morley, Tony Cole

AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S TELEVISION DRAMA

• Dance Academy. Joanna Werner ABC
• Dead Gorgeous. Ewan Burnett, Margot McDonald. ABC
• Lockie Leonard. Kylie     Du Fresne. Nine Network
• My Place. Penny Chapman. ABC

AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S TELEVISION ANIMATION

• dirtgirlworld. Cate McQuillen. ABC
• Erky Perky. Kristine Klohk, Barbara Stephen, Tracy Lenon. Seven Network
• The Legend Of Enyo. Avrill Stark, Michael Christensen. Seven Network

AFI Award for Best Television Comedy Series

• Lowdown. Nicole Minchin, Amanda Brotchie, Adam Zwar. ABC
• Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. Dean Bates. ABC
• Wilfred II. Jenny Livingston, Tony Rogers, Adam Zwar, Jason Gann. SBS

AFI Award for Best Light Entertainment Television Series

• The Gruen Transfer, Series 3. Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jon Casimir, Debbie Cuell. ABC1
• Hungry Beast, Series Two. Andrew Denton, Andy Nehl. ABC1
• MasterChef Australia. Margaret Bashfield, Judy Smart, Caroline Spencer. Network Ten
• Talkin’ ’bout Your Generation. Peter Beck. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Television Drama Series

• The Circuit, Series 2. Ross Hutchens, Colin South. SBS
• Rush, Season 3. John Edwards, Mimi Butler. Network Ten
• Spirited. Claudia Karvan, Jacquelin Perske, John Edwards. W
• Tangle, Season 2. John Edwards, Imogen Banks. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series

• A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne. Karl Zwicky. Network Ten
• Hawke. Richard Keddie. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Direction in Television

• Dance Academy – Episode 2, ‘Week Zero’. Jeffrey Walker. ABC
• Hawke. Emma   Freeman. Network Ten
• Rush, Season 3 – Episode 308, ‘Train’. Grant Brown. Network Ten
• Tangle, Season 2 – Episode 16, ‘Lost and Found’. Emma Freeman. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Screenplay in Television

• Hawke. Glen Dolman. Network Ten
• Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2 – Episode 6, ‘Happiness, Escapism, Acceptance’. Trent O’Donnell, Phil Lloyd. ABC
• Tangle, Season 2 – Episode 15, ‘Sleepwalking’. Fiona Seres. Showcase
• Wilfred II – Episode 7, ‘Dog Star’. Jason Gann, Adam Zwar. SBS

AFI Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama

• Garry McDonald. A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne. Network Ten
• Corey McKernan. Lockie Leonard. Nine Network
• Aaron Pedersen. The Circuit, Series 2. SBS
• Richard Roxburgh. Hawke. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama

• Cheree Cassidy. Underbelly: The Golden Mile – Episode 7, ‘Full Force Gale’. Nine Network
• Justine Clarke. Tangle, Season 2. Showcase
• Poppy Lee Friar. Dead Gorgeous. ABC
• Catherine McClements. Tangle, Season 2. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama

• Damien Garvey. Underbelly: The Golden Mile – Episode 10, ‘Hurt on Duty’.  Nine Network
• Rhys Muldoon. Lockie Leonard – Episode 11, ‘Snake Hide Oil. Nine Network
• John Waters. Offspring. Network Ten
• Ben Winspear. My Place – Episode 5, ‘1968 Sofia’. ABC

AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama

• Linda Cropper. Satisfaction, Season 3 – Episode 8, ‘Not Vanilla’. Showcase
• Sacha Horler. Hawke. Network Ten
• Asher Keddie. Hawke. Network Ten
• Deborah Mailman. Offspring. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy

• Paul Denny. Lowdown. ABC
• Jason Gann. Wilfred II. SBS
• Phil Lloyd. Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. ABC

AFI Award for Best Feature Length Documentary

• Contact. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Lucy Maclaren, Alex West. ABC
• The Snowman. Rachel Landers, Dylan Blowen.
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Jamie Nicolai, John Cherry.

AFI Award for Best Documentary Under One Hour

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Sharyn Prentice, Marianne Latham, Lavinia Riachi. ABC
• Rudely Interrupted. Susie Jones, Benjamin Jones. ABC1
• Surviving Mumbai. Andrew Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle. ABC
• You Only Live Twice – The Incredibly True Story Of The Hughes Family. Ruth Cullen. ABC1

AFI Award for Best Documentary Series

• Addicted To Money. Andrew     Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle. ABC
• Disable Bodied Sailors. Karina Holden, Nick Robinson. SBS
• Kokoda. Andrew Wiseman. ABC1
• Liberal Rule- The Politics That Changed Australia. Nick Torrens, Frank Haines. SBS

AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Amanda Chang. ABC
• Contact. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Jacob Hickey. ABC
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Charlie Hill-Smith.

AFI Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary

• Disable Bodied Sailors – Episode 3. Nick Robinson. SBS
• Miracles - Episode 1, ‘Miracle in the Storm’. Tony Oliver ACS. ABC1
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Angus Kemp.
• Surviving Mumbai. Jim Frater. ABC

AFI Award for Best Editing in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Karin Steininger. ABC
• Contact. Tania  Nehme. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Steven    Robinson. ABC
• Surviving Mumbai. David Fosdick. ABC

AFI Award for Best Sound in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Brett Aplin, Andrew McGrath, Erin McKimm. ABC
• Inside The Firestorm. Jock Healy, Tristan Meredith. ABC
• Kokoda – Episode 1, ‘The Invasion’. David Bridie, Chris Goodes, Ian Grant, Patrick Slater. ABC1
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Mik la Vage, Doron Kipen, David Bridie.

AFI Award for Best Short Animation

• The Lost Thing. Sophie Byrne, Andrew Ruhemann, Shaun Tan.
• Zero. Christopher Kezelos, Christine Kezelos.

AFI Award for Best Short Fiction Film

• Deeper Than Yesterday. Ariel Kleiman, Benjamin Gilovitz, Sarah Cyngler, Anna Kojevnikov.
• The Kiss. Sonya Humphrey, Ashlee Page.
• The Love Song Of Iskra Prufrock. Lucy Gaffy, Lyn Norfor.
• Suburbia. Antonio Oreña-Barlin, Richard Halsted.

AFI Award for Best Screenplay in a Short Film.

• A Parachute Falling In Siberia. Sarah Shaw, Ian Meadows.
• Deeper Than Yesterday. Ariel Kleiman.
• Glenn Owen Dodds. Trent Dalton.
• The Kiss. Ashlee Page

I know the Film Experience has plentiful Australian readers -- i can see the stats, don't hide! --  so let us know: How did the AFI do this year? As for the rest of you, do you think Jacki Weaver is going to pull off that Supporting Actress Slot with the American Academy? And do you share the love of Kwanten on True Blood and Collette as Tara?

Could Have Beens: Josh Hutcherson Parker / Toni Roxie Collette

Josh Hutcherson's Spider-Man screen test went up at Latino Review. Though I'm sure they'll be pulled soon it's fun to watch. It's actually interesting to see how much effort went into these screen tests. Wouldn't it be great to see all of them back to back? We're talking wire stunts, editing, scene recreations from the original Spider-Man. Everything. Plus, it's not one of those audition tapes that makes the actor look bad. Hutcherson looks like he'd be an excellent Peter Parker. All the press he got for even being in the running will surely do him good. Well, that and holding his own in the stellar The Kids Are All Right cast this summer. I see a SAG nomination come January 2011 (ensemble).

Here's the video and a few screen caps in case it disappears.




The online wailing about Andrew Garfield is a clear case of fear of the unknown. He's as solid a choice as any and probably moreso given that they went with him without any bankability whatsoever and him being older than they'd planned on going. In other words: they know something we don't, having seen his screen test.

But "could have beens" are fun, too. Every once in a blue moon I try to imagine Basic Instinct with any of the women who were considered or rejected it before Sharon Stone got it... and there were so many. I always wonder if Holly Hunter would have won a second Oscar for As Good As It Gets had she not priced herself out of the movie. Or I try to picture Rachel McAdams as Invisible Girl in Fantastic Four. Easy! Or Brad Pitt attempting an English accent for About a Boy. How weird would that have been? (That's why Not Starring is such a fun site to visit randomly.)

This topic also makes me think of Evita (1996) and how it might have been Streep or Pfeiffer (who recorded a demo) instead of Madonna in another iteration.

My saddest could-have-beens will probably remain Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling (Fact: turned it down) -- not because Jodie wasn't superb but because, well, Oscar! -- or Toni Collette as Roxie Hart in Chicago (Rumor: deemed not bankable enough despite being first choice). Both would surely have been excellent.



But maybe the Toni Collette as Roxie thing haunts me only because I l-o-v-e-d her in The Wild Party on Broadway so much. And because I wanted her to play Liza Minnelli for so long in a biopic. I'm dying to see Toni in another musical. Will it ever happen again?

United States of Tara and the Deceitful Netflix Envelope

I just received the second disc of Showtime's United States of Tara in the mail (I know, I know. Shut up. Better late than never) and noticed an odd bit of ad copy.

"Steven Spielberg created this wry cable series that follows Tara (Toni Collette)..."

Er... I know Ol' Spielberg is a beloved household name and all but bad form, Netflix copy editor types, bad form! While Spielberg's name is attached (Executive Producer), Tara is the brainchild of Oscar-winning Diablo Cody (Juno) and one ought to give credit where it's due.

P.S. I like the series so far with "Alice" being my favorite of Tara's alters -- is this because it reminds me of her slam dunk cameo in The Hours (2002)? -- and her son Marshall's "Hell House" experience being my favorite subplot. I'm enjoying the way Toni plays her multiples in a performative rather than strictly naturalistic way. This adds a nice layer to the larger thematic questions of identity building / role playing that the show appears to be building towards. I could be wrong, though. Just halfway through.

P.P.S. I find it unfortunate that after the one-two punch of Rachel Getting Married and this series that Rosemarie DeWitt may be forever typecast as The Female Protagonist's Resentful Sister Who Craves the Familial Attention That the Protagonist Wins via the Sheer Enormity of Her Mental Problems. I mean... that is a microscopic niche. That's even more problematic than Jodie Foster's narrow 'Female Protagonist Trapped In Confined Spaces' phase from a decade back. Good luck finding your next role, Rosemarie!

P.P.P.S. Now that I've seen 8 or so episodes, I'm dying to discuss it. Travel back in time a couple of years and discuss with me. Do you love it?