Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, 8 Year Old Sunny Pawar Come Roaring Into Oscar Mix with Instantly Beloved “Lion”

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“Lion” came roaring into New York today, joining the Oscar mix as a definite Best Picture nominee with phenomenal performances from Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, eight year old Sunny Pawar, and gorgeous newcomer (in the West) Priyanka Bose.

“Lion” is the amazing story of how Saroo Brierley got on the wrong train in India at age 5 in 1986 and wound up adopted by a couple in Australia. Using Google Earth he found his biological family in India some 25 years later. Saroo published a book about all this in 2012, and now it’s a five-hanky movie directed by Garth Davis and produced by the folks from “The King’s Speech.”

Everyone is in town for the launch this week including the real Saroo and his adoptive parents, Sue and John Brierley. The movie has clearly been a labor of love as the Brierleys, Kidman, Patel and little Sunny– who was found in casting call and is absolutely remarkable in the film– have bonded like crazy. Kidman and Sue Brierley held hands during a Q&A today following a screening and light repast at Le Cirque before the gala opening tonight at the Museum of Modern Art.

Given the current grim situation in New York (not to mention the traffic disaster that’s manifested itself from Trump Tower), “Lion” is like a salve for the soul. The film opens November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving.

Keep refreshing… more from tonight’s premiere…

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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