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Tobey Maguire, ex-Spider Man, Grows Up in “The Details”

Roger Friedman
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If you think about it, Tobey Maguire spent the 90s as a wide eyed naif in movies like “The Cider House Rules” and “Wonder Boys.” For most of the 2000s, he was Spider Man in three blockbusters. At 35, even though he’s an adult, married, with kids, Maguire is kind of an enigma.

Not any more. With “The Details,” written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, Maguire grows up. As Dr Jeff Lang, an ob-gyn, Maguire nails “The Details”–which premiered on Monday night here at Sundance–and gives the performance of his life.

This black comedy is really a tour de force, as Jeff manages to turn a simple suburban house-extension project into a nightmare that mushrooms into infidelities, murder, and calamaties almost too hard to explain to his wife, played by Elizabeth Banks as a beautiful comic straight woman.

Maguire and Banks are not alone: Laura Linney is hysterical as a very eccentric neighbor who figures large in their lives. There are also great supporting turns by Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta and Kerry Washington (whose character disappears — I hope there’s a resolution on the cutting room floor).

Estes– who directed “Mean Creek” a few years ago–never lets go of the reigns of “The Details.” Maybe this film is the “Little Miss Sunshine” of this festival. He manages to keep the humor high and the pathos just where it belongs,landing “The Details” like a plane in a suburban backyard filled literally with ripped up sof and cute but dangerous raccoons.

Maguire is the real focus here. Not only does he give up Spider Man, he also makes a little “Mary Jane” joke just to signal this is a new chapter in his career. This one should last a long time.

Oscar Snubs: Wahlberg, Affleck, Nolan, Gosling, “Superman”

Roger Friedman
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It’s a great morning for most of Hollywood.

But for some who did excellent work, Champagne may be replaced by Xanax.

Snubbed in the Best Directors category: Ben Affleck for “The Town” and Christopher Nolan for “Inception.” At least the latter film got a Best Picture nod and the former a Supporting Actor nod for Jeremy Renner.

Ryan Gosling — who’s been nominated everywhere else–was knocked out of Best Actor by Javier Bardem. They are each terrific actors. It’s a heartbreaking miss for Gosling since Bardem has an Oscar. Gosling will be back again.

Also, Mark Wahlberg, who really made “The Fighter” come together and come alive–his performance is what holds that movie together. Wahlberg has also turned out to be one of Hollywood’s most interesting players as a producer and an actor. He’ll be thanked a lot on Oscar night.

Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for Superman” missed out entirely. It’s also won a lot of awards. It’s also the best marketed doc in years, maybe ever. What a shame. The state of the public school system needs the attention.

And Julianne Moore — her work in “The Kids Are All Right” is four star. She’s one of our best actresses. But this year was unusually crowded in Best Actress, and Annette Bening has been waiting even longer for her statue. Julianne will be back, also. Her Oscar is right around the corner.

2011 Oscar Nominations: King’s Speech Leads With 12, But Gosling, Garfield Snubbed

Roger Friedman
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2011 Oscar Nominations: King’s Speech Leads With 12, But Gosling, Garfield Snubbed

The 2011 Oscar nominations are in, and “The King’s Speech” and “The Social Network” are the big winners.

The main snubs: Ryan Gosling, who was not nominated for his superb job in “Blue Valentine.” This is really surprising. And Andrew Garfield didn’t make it in for “The Social Network.” Each of those seemed like absolute choices.

Instead, Javier Bardem’s work in “Biuitiful” took Gosling’s spot. And John Hawkes’ turn in “Winter’s Bone” siphoned off votes for Garfield.

Indeed, “Winter’s Bone,” a movie so small it should have been just in the Indie Spirit Awards, picked up nods for Best Picture, Supporting Actor, and Actress (Jennifer Lawrence).

Another big snub: nothing for documentary “Waiting for Superman,” directed by Davis Guggenheim. The education doc is a hit, and won the Critics Choice Award and many critics’ prizes. Guggenheim won the Oscar previously for “An Inconvenient Truth.”

No nominations for Golden Globe nominees “The Tourist” or “Burlesque.” Not even Best Song for the latter. Diane Warren was robbed!

The 10 Best Picture nominees are King’s Speech, Social Network, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, True Grit, 127 Hours, Toy Story 3, Winter’s Bone, Black Swan.

Best Actor: Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Colin Firth, James Franco.

Best Actress: Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams.

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, John Hawkes, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Geoffrey Rush

Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, Helena Bonham Carter, Melissa Leo, Hailee Steinfeld, Jacki Weaver.

Director: Darren Aronofsky “Black Swan,” David O. Russell “The Fighter,” Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech,” David Fincher, “The Social Network, the Coens, “True Grit.”

Complete list at www.oscars.org

Exclusive: Michael Jackson Closest Friend Signs Book Deal

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Frank Cascio, Michael Jackson’s closest friend and longtime associate, has signed a book deal with HarperCollins’s William Morrow division.

Cascio, who sometimes has been known as Frank Tyson, is the eldest son of the Cascio family of New Jersey, Jackson’s surrogate family.

It was Cascio to whom Michael turned in 2003 when he needed someone to oversee the Arvizo family. It was Cascio’s record keeping that helped exonerate Jackson on the counts of conspiracy in 2005.

Frank Cascio’s brother, Eddie, is the author and producer of several tracks on Michael’s new album, called “Michael.”

But it was Frank who originally worked on that music with another singer.

Now Frank Cascio will explain his and his family’s long relationship with Michael and with his kids.

Frank is also setting up a charitable venture into which he will contribute proceeds from the book. I hear that the charitywill build schools and help children in Haiti. Details are forthcoming. And many big name celebs are said to be signing on. (I can’t say the names, but they’re the real deal.)

If anyone in the Jackson saga was to write a memoir — besides manager Frank DiLeo–it would have to be Frank Cascio. His 25 year relationship with the pop star was a constant, whether Jackson was experiencing highs or lows.

Kevin Smith Will Release “Red State” Horror Film On His Own

Roger Friedman
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Kevin Smith — director of “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” and “Dogma”–caused a stir last night at Sundance with his new “Red State.”

Smith–always looking to mix it up–had announced that he’d sell the movie in a public auction at the Eccles Theater right after the only screening. Of course, the place was packed with potential bidders. In the end, Smith bought the film himself, for $20 and announced that he’d release it on his own. The first show is March 5th at Radio City, followed by a limited tour to famous theaters in hospitable cities.

The tour makes a stop in Kansas, home of crazy right wing “reverend” Fred Phelps, upon whom Smith’s main character–a crazy right wing evangelist played beautifully by legendary actor Michael Parks–is based. Last night, Phelps sent protesters to picket the movie. So Smith had his own counterprotesters, who carried their pown provocative signs. Nothing like getting a little publicity. “Maybe we’ll protest at his house,” Smith joked.

“Red State” is partly about Reverend Cooper, who kidnaps homosexuals and kills them viciously in his remote family compound. It’s also about how the ATF and FBI handle domestic terrorism. Neither group will be happy with Smith, who manages to depict the inadequacies of both sides. We did learn that bible study sometimes includes being handy with an AK47.

On other hand, “Red State”–made quickly this past fall–may be Smith’s best work. It looks terrific, has a talented cast including Melissa Leo and John Goodman, and moves very efficiently It’s violent, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. It is surely an indictment of the “red states”–although the red is also about blood. This is a horror film, after all, albeit one with a definite goal and point of view.

PS In his long remarks after the film, Smith praised his “rabbi,” Harvey Weinstein for teaching him everything about the film business. We’ll have a video later this morning of the whole shebang.

Sundance ’11 Sunday: Ellen Barkin Comes Full Circle with Her First Director

Roger Friedman
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Twenty nine years ago, four years before Sam Levinson was born, his father Barry Levinson directed Ellen Barkin in her debut feature, “Diner.” Remember Beth, who was married to Daniel Stern? She wouldn’t put his record albums back on the shelf in the right order.

Now Sam Levinson is 25 and has written and directed his first feature–starring and produced by Ellen Barkin. “Another Happy Day” is a wedding dramedy along the lines of “Rachel Getting Married.” It also comes with a CAA packaged cast of strong players–thanks to Barkin’s agent Bryan Lourd. Among them: Ellen Burstyn, George Kennedy, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, Kate Bosworth, Ezra Miller, and Jeffrey DeMunn, who may be the unsung star of the piece.

The Baker-Hellman clan is gathering for a wedding in Annapolis, Maryland–yes, Barry’s famously from Baltimore, so not that much has changed in Levinson land. The highly autobiographical story revolves around Barkin and Haden-Church’s disastrous first marriage. They produced two children, then married others and had more kids. All the kids have problems, ranging from mild Aspergers to serious drugs, drinking, etc.

Burstyn is the formidable matriarch, cold and unyielding. And, of course, she’s great. Barkin is her needy, drama creating daughter, who is also mother of the Sam Levinson stand in character, played so well by Ezra Miller. Moore is Haden-Church’s second wife, brassy, demanding, spiteful, but maybe not so wrong in her efforts to be recognized.

“Another Happy Day” is better written than directed, although that’s not a criticism. Levinson says he wrote the script at 22. He’s bitten off a lot, with many, many characters. Not all of it works, and the mix of levity and drama is often wildly uneven. But the script finds a lot of real, identifiable relationships that hit home. When the film builds momentum, Levinson is on a roll. For a while.

The main character, Lynn, is clearly written for Barkin. It’s the kind of role every actress of her age dreams of–the whole movie revolves around her. All the actors are top notch. Burstyn, of course, is superb. But I was surprised how likeable and sympathetic Demi Moore was–and that she truly is age-defying.

At the Q&A Levinson said the shoot took just 23 days. Barkin — I will bet–is a strict producer. The movie looks lavish, so potential distributors will have to take all that in account.

Sundance ’11: Saddam’s Crazy Kid, and Crazy Love

Roger Friedman
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If you want to win an Oscar, play a crazy ol’ despot. Forest Whitaker did it with “The Last King of Scotland.” Christoph Waltz did it with “Inglourious Basterds.”

Now Dominic Cooper, the up and coming young British actor, knocked the Sundance crowd out last night playing Uday Hussein, the now dead (thank god) son of Saddam in “The Devil’s Double.”

The Lee Tamahori film is like “Scarface” in the desert. Cooper plays not only Uday, but Latif Yahia, the man who was forced to be Uday’s double during the wild days of the Saddam reign of terror leading up to the Gulf War.

This is no “Patty Duke” show. Cooper is mesmerizing in both roles, often on screen together. Latif–at least in this film–is thoughtful, has a conscious, even realizes early on that Uday is, as he says, “a psychotic.”

Uday is a delicious character. He rapes, pillages, and tortures. He is amoral sort of beyond the pale. Cooper never turns him into a cartoon, although by the time we see Uday and his  mother watching TV in bed together, we’ve almost jumped the shark. Luckily, the Americans arrive in 1991. Uday is maimed–great scene –and eventually dies in 2003 when Saddam is finally deposed.

Whoever gets “Devil’s Double” will have an Oscar nominee in Cooper. And a wild ride. Let the bidding begin!

While distributors fight over “Devil’s Double,” one of them has nabbed Drake Doremus’s “Like Crazy.” A few wanted this sort of British “Blue Valentine”–what seems to be an auobiographical account of the American director’s ill fated romance and marriage to a beautiful youg Brit. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are the stars; I found the film ultimately a little tedious. It’s all improvised, too. So surprise! Paramount paid $4 million for worldwide rights. That’s like, crazy. You do learn a lot about immigration laws, however, concerning well-heeled Brits and Americans. Not the usual INS story.

King’s Speech Wins PGA in Oscar Race Upset

Roger Friedman
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Well, well: the Oscar race is shaping up into a little drama of its own.

Last night the Producers Guild of America gave it award to “The King’s Speech.” After everyone expected “The Social Network” to win, here comes Tom Hooper’s classic Best Picture to snatch a very important award.

It was so unexpected that Harvey Weinstein wasn’t even there. He’s here, at Sundance, checking out new fillms. I’m told he was ecstatic–and genuinely shocked–when he got the news.

Meanwhile, Scott Rudin, the producer of “The Social Network” was at the PGA, getting a lifetime achievement award. It couldn’t have been fun to lose that way. And Scott has two big movies this season: “Network” and “True Grit.”

Ironically, everyone from “The Social Network” was on hand–from Sony’s Amy Pascal to Justin Timberlake. Our pal, Leah Sydney, says there was a gasp in the room when the winner’s name was read. (More on the PGA later.)

The PGA is a pretty decent indicator of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Recent winners include “The Hurt Locker,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” and “No Country for Old Men.” It’s rare that the PGA winner doesn’t go on to win the Oscar. “Little Miss Sunshine” is one of those examples.

Harvey Weinstein has two recent PGA wins, for “Chicago” and “The Aviator”–the latter did not win the Oscar, the former did. “Shakespeare in Love,” which won the Oscar, didn’t take the PGA. “Saving Private Ryan” did.

“The Social Network” won the Golden Globe, which, I think, will also contribute to its losing the Oscar. The voters of the Academy are smart, and disregard choices made by the laughable Hollywood Foreign Press.

“Three’s Company” Reborn as Slightly Risque Drama

Roger Friedman
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It’s unclear if anyone outside of Sundance will ever see it, but James Franco debuted his “Three’s Company: The Drama” last night at the New Frontiers exhibition playing at the former Miners Hospital on Park Avenue in Park City.

This isn’t a film, but more of a video. Franco and friends got the rights to remake the first three episodes of the Seventies sitcom. Franco takes the Jack-John Ritter part. A female friend plays Janet, and a male friend with a dark beard and mustache not quite covered by a blond wig is Chrissie-Suzanne Somers.

Neighbor Larry is played by Franco’s pal Vince Jolivet with a wig. The real Larry–actor Richard Kline–was flown in and shown episode 1 in the art installation. He and his wife were a little taken aback at a few of the modern dialogue changes.

But most of the dialogue was right from the original show. It’s just spoken seriously, without a laugh track. “Suddenly you see how desperate the characters were,” Kline said later. The original Larry, of course, never let his genitalia become exposed, even if briefly. 

The videos were projected on all four white walls of a room that was barely 12 feet square. Viewers were invited to sit on the floor. Once the campy shlock value of the whole thing subsided, “Three’s Company-The Drama” actually settled down into something weirdly interesting. It was not a goof or even an homage. It was actually the freshest thing I’d seen all day after four features in a row of varying effect.

All photos c2011 Showbiz411

Mary Kate and Ashley Have a Serious Actress Sister

Roger Friedman
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0

Sundance 2011 opened with a lot of interesting moments, if not the best films.

Friday’s biggest revelation: that those annoying publicity hounds Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, aka the Olsen twins, have a serious actress sister.

Elizabeth Olsen, 21, debuted here on Friday with Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” the story of a young woman who gets sucked into cult in rural upstate New York. She’s raped, abused, brainwashed, and made witness to a murder. Olsen is amazing. She also resembles more Maggie Gyllenhaal than her nightclubhopping sisters.

The rest of the cast is very good, of course: Hugh Dancy, Sarah Paulsen, John Hawkes, and Brady Corbet do a lot to support Olsen. But this young woman–who will appear later this year in Bruce Beresford’s “Peace, Love, and Understanding”–is going to be a big deal in 2011.

More from day 1: first, that Robert Redford narrates the opening animation for the premiere films does a lot to enhance the experience. Second: that every gift swagging, freebie guzzling, awful party person here should be made to watch the Susanne Rostock documentary of political activist, singer, and actor Harry Belafonte called “Sing Your Song.” The first 45 minutes recount an exceptional life of substance that should be a lesson to the crowd here. The great men and women of history didn’t waste their time trying to get free Oakley sunglasses.

Rostock literally just brought the finished film here. She may still do some work on it, especially in the second half. Belafonte’s recording career is rushed–his live Carnegie Hall album is considered a template for all such discs. Also, I don’t recall anything about his starring in Robert Altman’s “Kansas City.” But it was a pleasure to see his second wife Julie, and Diahann Carroll, another groundbreaker.

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