Best Actress • Cynthia Erivo Best Song • “Stand Up”

EXTRA EDITION

BEST PIC/ACTOR/ DIRECTOR/ WRITER

GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARD NOMINEE

• ©HFPA BEST ACTRESS DRAMA CYNTHIA ERIVO BEST ORIGINAL SONG • “STAND UP”

WINNER WINNER BEST ORIGINAL SONG BEST ACTRESS “Stand Up” Hollywood Breakout Actress Award Cynthia Erivo and Joshuah Brian Campbell Cynthia Erivo Hollywood Music in Media Awards Hollywood Film Awards

“A rousing and powerful drama anchored by Erivo’s precise and passionate performance.” A.O. Scott

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION JANUARY 3, 2020

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YEARS

CONTENDERS Say His ‘Name’

EDDIE MURPHY HAD A BANNER 2019 BETWEEN ‘DOLEMITE IS MY NAME’ AND HIS RETURN TO ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.’ Lovingly , hand-made by the studio that created AND

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ON THE LAM Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya star in “Queen & Slim.”

Protest Art GENIUS EXISTS IN ANYONE skillful enough to turn a nightmare Tinder date into a political Finds Receptive protest about Black America’s fate. “Queen & Slim” develops a world in which the unarmed black man isn’t murdered by a police officer. Instead, he, the titular Slim (Daniel Kaluuya), Audience shoots a cop in self-defense and goes on the run with his Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith). Art isn’t created in a vacuum. Television WHAT ‘QUEEN & SLIM’ MEANS FOR THE shows such as “Black-ish,” “Being Mary Jane” and “Atlanta” have incorporated police brutal- POST-#BLACKLIVESMATTER GENRE ity into individual episodes, rendering conversations digestible and part of everyday black life. By LaTesha Harris (COVER) PHOTOGRAPH BY ART STREIBER (THIS PAGE) CAMPBELL ADDY/UNIVERSAL PICTURES ADDY/UNIVERSAL CAMPBELL (THIS PAGE) STREIBER ART BY PHOTOGRAPH (COVER)

6 VARIETY.COM “Stewart is off the charts...She’s among the greatest actresses of our day”

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Several recent films centering on black sto- people who maybe aren’t black, aren’t brown, “Films open eyes, but you ries — “Clemency,” “Harriet” and “Just Mercy” it’s a thing that may be difficult for them to — also address this systemic violence. These relate to. So what I was really trying to do with have to do it by being are necessary stories about African-American the film, I’m gonna put them in our shoes and honest and authentic.” issues, especially in light of such movements say, ‘This is how it feels.’” as #WhiteLivesMatter or #NotAllCops. Round- “Queen & Slim” achieves exactly that with a George Tillman ing out the conversation with 2018’s “Of Mon- tense traffic stop straight from the headlines. sters and Men” and 2019’s “Black and Blue,” a After the cop is shot, the film’s stakes are laid post-#BlackLivesMatter genre is emerging. out in three lines: Creating a feature film about the topic is “You’re a black man that killed a cop and then risky: Black audiences already live it and oth- took his gun,” says Queen, aka Angela Johnson. ers may not want to see it. “I’m not a criminal,” says Slim, aka Ernest Hines. That wasn’t a concern for screenwriter Lena “You are now.” Waithe. “We wrote this for black people. Period. Criminality is subjective, a label determined So if other folks want to come and listen in, by the state. Race is a factor, gender a modifier. they’re welcome,” Waithe told Variety before the Context doesn’t matter. It’s a parallel that any- film’s debut. “Even though I don’t necessarily one who’s been paying attention will understand. vs. godless direction, ’hood versus respectable, know some of these [victims of police brutality], The film’s director, Melina Matsoukas, created excellence vs. existence. I know them. And I feel like we’re a part of the it as a “love letter to blackness.” Indeed, “Queen However, every thread for discussion becomes same family, and I feel like a piece of me dies & Slim” highlights the complexity of black a moot point with the film’s ending, in which when I see these news stories. And I don’t think identity: working class vs. upper class, piety greed-driven state violence turns the couple into martyrs, strengthening the black community while broadcast news tells a false narrative of armed threats. Shelleen M. Greene, associate professor of cinema and media studies at UCLA, praised the film’s images and potential for interpretation. “Queen and Slim become mythical, legends. For me, the film was about how black people survive and find joy amidst institutional violence; we don’t have to sacrifice beauty even when we’re talking about extremely difficult things,” Greene tells Variety. “The visuals inter- rogate. The actual use of the dashcam or the mobile phone, the ways in which we’ve become accustomed to capturing scenes of violence, the way they test the truth.” The film is beautifully shot and composed; Matsoukas’ background as a photographer and music video director pays off. But for Afri- can-American audiences, the emotional trauma can be overwhelming. When 20% of the people shot and killed by police officers in 2019 alone were black men, according to a Washington Post database of police shootings, why would black moviegoers pay to leave a theater feeling as disheartened as they would if they turned on the news? Filmmaker Julie Dash offers a reason why these stories carry much more weight and context in a feature film: “Matsoukas has crafted a film that’s not only something new; it’s unde- niably something more — an unexpected bap- tism, through cinematic displays of images that haunt us long after she fades to black. “More than a genre road picture, Matsoukas paints a picture of a resistance march, where black bodies are forced to negotiate life and death while navigating the highways and back- roads of America.” The developing post-#BLM genre was given a jump-start in 2018 with “Hate U Give,” starring Amandla Stenberg. Director George Tillman Jr. POST #BLM GENRE “Just Mercy” (above) and took a “character-first” approach to his story “Clemency” (right) about police brutality. JUST MERCY: WARNER BROS.; CLEMENCY: NEON BROS.; CLEMENCY: WARNER MERCY: JUST

8 VARIETY.COM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES

3 GOLDEN GLOBE® NOMINATIONS INCLUDING DRAMA BEST DIRECTOR BEST PICTURE SAM MENDES

CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS INCLUDING BEST DIRECTOR 8BEST PICTURE SAM MENDES

THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR IS

A STAGGERING PIECE OF FILMMAKING. A CINEMATIC WALLOP YOU NEVER SAW COMING. SYMPHONIC, BOLD AND EMOTIONAL. A TWO-HOUR TIGHTROPE WALK.

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FIGHT ON Cynthia Erivo stars in “Harriet,” about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

“We see all these shootings on the news and “Even though clearly inspiring Hollywood creatives. But names read about them in articles, but we don’t know such as Ariane Lamont McCree and Dante Red- how people who are actually affected by it I don’t necessarily mond Jones, both of whom died in officer-re- deal with it,” Tillman tells Variety. “Racism and know some of lated shootings in November, fail to get national police brutality are systematic issues. These are traction in the news. things that have been passed down for years these victims, I Ultimately, Queen and Slim take on the and years from slavery and KKK programming. know them. I feel responsibility of being stand-in characters for All of that goes into the neighborhood and the these stories, acting as memorable examples community. Film opens eyes, but you have to do we are all part of when news is forgotten. it by being honest and authentic.” the same family.” “Queen & Slim,” as the strongest entry in the Tillman’s film raises an important point: post-#BLM genre to date, widens the gates for audiences can feel outrage by an immediate vio- Lena Waithe more films centered on police brutality, inviting lent transgression, but they forget that the real witness to real-life truths. Despite all critiques world requires action, not platitudes on Twitter. that could be applied to it, the film opens a con- The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Eric versation. A labor of love with extreme nuances Garner and Michael Brown drove the message and various interpretations, “Queen & Slim” is one of #BlackLivesMatter into everyday conversation, of the most thought-provoking films of 2019. GLEN WILSON/FOCUS FEATURES

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Healing FROM THE MOMENT I LEARNED that “Honey Boy” explored a complex father-child relationship — how pain and abuse can transcend generations — I knew that interviewing Shia Power of ‘Honey’ LaBeouf would be an emotional experience for me. I just never expected it to change me. WHAT SHIA LABEOUF TAUGHT ME, A FELLOW TRAUMA As someone who’s exhaustively dissected her own father-child dynamic, I felt the gravity VICTIM, ABOUT EMPATHY AND FORGIVENESS of this personally important topic. But mostly, I felt shaken because speaking with LaBeouf

By Jasmin Rosemberg about “Honey Boy” meant confronting my own family history of trauma. I knew LaBeouf had written this mostly true account of an alcoholic father and child star while undergoing therapy in rehab for his own struggles. I hadn’t anticipated his haunting can- dor, exhibiting the tremendous work he’d done to understand and heal himself. I was awed by his maturity and forthcomingness, but most of all, by the fact he had something I didn’t — a desire to forgive.

TROUPE THERAPY ”Honey Boy” co- star Lucas Hedges gave writer-star Shia LaBeouf vital insight about his own behavior.

14 VARIETY.COM AMAZON STUDIOS (2) “I was justintheright Shia LaBeouf looked atinthatlight.” a manIhadnever develop empathy for the rightpeopleto setting andaround my back, sotheactingwas offthetable. … My of aseed,” hesays. “They were throwing dirton with andportray him? into theshoes ofa man like hisfather, identify but persisted. ableto step been How hadLaBeouf cycle oftrauma. from Texas. The three ofuswere a perpetuating my grandfather’s affair withaMexican woman we’d learned my father hadahalf-sister, from years, aMexican woman from Texas. Inmy teens, tresses, includingonehe’d withfor eight been for 33years. We discovered theassembly ofmis- females feared. Myparents married hadbeen utation for a being “womanizer,” whom someone and liaisonslaw infractions —hiswork rep- sister andIuncovered our father’s web oflies up naked and sore andsexually assaulted. acquiescing to aman’s bullying, Itook it. Iwoke but hegrew agitated. And, accustomed asIwas to brought meover Champagne, thatis. Irefused it, Stars” after-party, andan assertive club promoter cissistic guys like him. never gotten, Iinvolved myself withmany nar- like Iwas invincible. Eager for thevalidation I’d feel like Icould never enough, good be but also me down andbuild meup— could make me felt frightened, but protected. tear Hecould both receive hours later. onastool,him naked awaiting he’d thebeating father would stick hishandinto flame, orstation on him. He’d told usthehorror stories, ofhow his nia, like Dracula unthinkably —hadbeen hard down. Hisfather —who from hailed Transylva- a grade lessthan100. Itwas behavior passed reprimanded mefor apimple, anextra pound, immensely afraid ofhim. dilemma —hecould get anything from anyone. but more defining, hecould resolve my every than life. Many would himashandsome, describe man I’d ever met. My6-foot-tall father felt larger charming, manipulative, terrifying andeffective to pickapart theinfluencesofmost brilliant, tainly did. “I got to inmy thepoint life where Iwas sort The anger andresentment Ifelt haslessened, I moved hometo Brooklyn, which is when my Until thenightIcovered a “Dancing With the lovedI both andfeared my father. With him, I hiseldestHe expected to be “perfect,” and I wanted to exactly be like him. But Iwas also I’d thepast intherapy, spent decade striving He could have easily heldonto blame. Icer- “Honey Boy.” (right) plays a youngerversion of himselfin Shia LaBeouf his fatherand Noah Jupe(left) DAD TOTHEBONE character, father was andLaBeouf’s initially, too. with my life again,” hesays. from adistance, anditmade mefall inlove Hedges atage 22. trayed by Noah Jupe atage 12andthenLucas stand himself, and Otis, the character por- in thatlight—like awounded man.” empathy for aman Ihadnever really at looked setting andaround to develop therightpeople I know who’s here?’ been … Iwas just intheright ing upfrom thedirt, you’re thinking, ‘Who elsedo from,” hesays. “And thenwhen you’re look- aseed him, orwasn’t questioning where hispain came scum. “I didn’t have much empathy orlove for can deal withit.” self to thatplaceinasafe environment soyou ing to trigger you. … You’re to trying push your- you go into theattic ofyour soul,” hesays. “It’s try- pulled agunonhim. had once, duringaVietnam War flashback, us into silence. I’d father read thatLaBeouf’s holding aguninmy face, attempting to scare shirt andrelief —atnothaving awoken to him math ofmy rape. Iarose each day withadamp while investigating my father duringtheafter- to doexposure therapy.’” they said, ‘Hey, we thinkyou have PTSD, you have Then Iwent into thiscourt-ordered rehab, and is afull-blown [screwup], and that’s game over.’ agents were like, ‘You’ve doneitthistime, this In my writing, my father isthedominant “Through Otis’ eyes, Iwas ableto my see dad Understanding hisfather himunder- helped hadpreviouslyLaBeouf athisfather looked like “Exposure therapy islike anexorcism, where I’d alsosuffered from PTSD —particularly a manIhadnever really atinthatlight. looked around to develop therightpeople empathy for moments damaged andchanged him. enough. Iconsidered what motivated him, which validation, for control andproof hewas good he’dined likewise to looked theopposite sex for of thehorror stories we hadn’t heard. Iimag- abused andcastrated by a role model. Ithought actingmyself. somemethod since tried consider himanunhealthy influence. But I’ve my father accountable for and searing meopen gaveShia LaBeouf meisperspective. Istill hold father ever gave himwas pain. The greatest thing ing your voice.” singing your own songfor thefirst time, find- like allthree thingshitmeatonce. … It’s like breathe,” hesays. “Art, love —itfelt andGod “This was survival for me;thiswas how Icould informing my personhood.” here ispurposeful,’” hesays. “These thingsstarted take abreath … thefact there’s nopunctuation what Hedges taught him. “He’s like, ‘You don’t ourselves from feeling our words. Iasked LaBeouf thy Ididn’t have for me.” tive journalist. … He’s atmewithempa- looking out.picking pieces AndLucas islike aninvestiga- recorded conversations, andthenwe allstarted mysee father for thefirst timeinseven years and roles withthecast: “I hadgone to Costa Rica to underwritten,” hesays. Hedeveloped theother “Every character except my father was woefully Maybe Iwas just intherightsetting and I’ve wondered what itfelt like to violently be In “Honey Boy,” Otissays thegreatest thinghis This filmresulted from journaling histrauma. Trauma victimstend to quickly, speak to spare VARIETY 15 Untitled-1 1 12/27/19 11:29 AM Untitled-1 2 12/27/19 11:29 AM TOP BILLING

PICTURE PERFECT The promotion for “Real. Live. Girl.” included a digital picture frame that played the film.

For Your WHAT WOULD YOU DO if a heat-and-serve lasagna arrived at your door along with a screener for a short film? The people who sent it hope Consideration: you’ll pop the lasagna in the oven and watch the screener as it bakes. That memorable mailer was just one facet of Rogers & Cowan’s innovative “for your consider- Film Shorts ation” campaign for Carmella Casinelli’s short film “15 Minutes at 400 Degrees.” Short films can showcase filmmakers’ skills, INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGNS BRING ATTENTION TO look great on actors’ resumés and serve as proof- of-concept to lure investors for feature films. THE PICS AND THE TALENT BEHIND THE CAMERA But they’re also a legitimate art form — akin to short stories — growing in popularity, thanks in By Paula Hendrickson large part to streaming services. “With places like Quibi and even Snapchat’s original series all lending their hand towards short-film content, it shows there can be potential for ideas to be expanded upon in short form, and to have real chances of commercial viabil- ity,” Casinelli says. “It’s so exciting that they’re finding places to live alongside long-form content, and that the marketplace is accepting both BON AIRE PRODUCTIONS

18 VARIETY.COM BON AIRE PRODUCTIONS “For measthedirector ofit, itwas such acool whilepening thistimer isgoing,” McCalebsays. and in ‘15 Minutes’ allofthesethingsare hap- Hills campus andafree WiFi drop inHollywood. Motion Picture andTelevision Fund’s Woodland room takeover, ascreening andQ&Aatthe paigns. Marketing activations anescape- included was really good, too.” was awildidea, idea —andit anout-of-the-box When Iheard the[lasagna] about Ithought it and actionto raise awareness ofashort film. “It’s abreath offresh airto thislevel see ofcare McCaleb, director of “15 Minutes at400Degrees.” had any kindofpromotional push,” says Chris I’lldoor itintheoven.” pop all got to eat, delivers soifsomeone to food my and sitattheircomputer? It’s genius. Andwe’ve ally watch itrather thanhaving to pluginalink ing. What better way to get somebody to actu- a digital picture frame andthefilmstarts play- says. “Likewise, with ‘Real. Live. Girl.’ you up open a touchpoint between thecharacters,” Casinelli quet that’s featured inthe filmandwere such [sent inFYC mailers] was theexact same bou- dovetailed perfectly withelements ofeach film. the campaigns Rogers &Cowan/PMK engineered “Real. Live. Girl.” —were released in2019, says utes at400Degrees,” “Connie &Consuelo” and forever. How are we bringinganew twist to it?” time-worn tradition. Mailers have around been at ways to dosomethingnew, andalsodisrupta tobeholden therulesofpast?’ [and] looking selves. “It starts by asking ‘How dowe notbe have to asinnovative be asthefilmmakers them- authentic way, soyou’re going to watch it.” goal isto draw asmuch attention aswe can, inan tent andmarketing atRogers &Cowan/PMK. “Our says MarianKoltai-Levine, president offilm, con- if we can get you to watch it, you willvote for it,” andpromoteport short films. How dowe recognize it?,’” Greiwe says. amazing content, how dowe get theword out? for attention. alsogeneratesto seen be more competition offeringservices opportunities for short films formation officer, Rogers & Cowan/PMK. past,” says Craig Greiwe, chiefstrategy andtrans- their own, onamuch widerscalethaninthe of short asincredible films works ofartunto promotions. few years ago.” was amuch bigger divide between thetwo a as entertainment now, whereas itfelt like there “An room thetimer, beating isallabout escape The mailers were only part oftheoverall cam- “I’d never really worked onashort filmthat “With ‘Connie &Consuelo’ oflilies thebouquet Casinelli, whose trioofshort films— “15 Min- Greiwe says teams creating FYC campaigns “Our argument isalways, fundamentally, that It’s onagencies incumbent such ashisto sup- “The inevitable question is, ‘We have allthis However, thegrowing ofstreaming number “In thelast five years we’ve arenaissance seen Yet it’s still rare for short filmsto have FYC “In thelastfive believes allfilmmakers. benefits draw attention to theentire category, which he events heldatArcLight Hollywood helped counterintuitive, but says two Night ofShorts short filmsalongsideothershorts mightseem internet for connection, in “Real. Live. Girl.” with thethemeofconnection, andusingthe much on-brand withthatfilm.” love theartform. Itwas really andvery special whopeople dedicated theirlives to and film with usandasking questions. These are all came out andstayed solongafter, just talking somany because beautiful oftheresidents ture andTelevision Fund’s campus. “It was ing of “Connie &Conseulo” attheMotionPic- fun, communal environment.” They bar andfood. hadanopen Itwas areally ing themovie onscreens around thefacility. way to themovie see promoted. They were show- Craig Greiwe unto theirown.” works ofart films asincredible renaissance ofshort years we’ve seena Greiwe acknowledges screening aclient’s She addsthattheWiFi drop perfectly aligned Casinelli was especially moved by thescreen- care, why shouldn’t Icare?’” that makes adifference the to voter. ‘Well, ifthey according to Koltai-Levine. “It says we care. And ple willtake withthemandremember.” our limited resources to make events thatpeo- reception.a cocktail Ithinkit’s abetter useof “People would easily thatmuch holding spend over-the-top asfar go,” asexpenses Casinellisays. and usingitanew way. onabillboardthe budget spent thatmightbe wisely spending is allabout —perhaps taking attention to individual moments.” to bringmore agency, more direct contacts, more in aback-to-back monotonous rush. We’re trying festivals where it’s hundreds offilmsscreening sion inavery way, focused to film asopposed to watch andappreciate thiscontent.” it’s adirect payoffbecause we’re gettingpeople of Shorts screenings. But attheendofday, approaching usto partner anddomore Night already thatwithoutlets seen andentities vide greater opportunities inthefuture. We’ve screening programs innew ways thatwill pro- activations themselves. of thesecampaigns willextend far beyond the came out Dec. 17. pics didn’t landontheOscar shortlist, which makers theshorts, andtalent behind even ifthe in getting attention for theformat andthefilm- Customizing campaigns for each filmisvital, “None oftheseactivations were particularly Koltai-Levine says creating uniquecampaigns “We saw fantastic turnout androbust discus- “It will be theway“It willbe we put together different To thatend, Greiwe thinksthelasting impact Indeed, thecampaigns are step animportant VARIETY with thefilmas CULINARY CINEMA sent alasagna “15 Minutesat 400 Degrees” a promotion. 19 VARIETY VAULT

A BETTER LIFE August Diehl and Valerie Pachner star in Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.”

to keep his principles, despite the The Right to Not Bear Arms hardships on him and his family. John F. Kennedy wrote in a letter to a friend, “War will exist HOLLYWOOD’S WAR FILMS OFTEN IGNORE VIEWS THAT until that distant day when the ARE NOT CONSIDERED MAINSTREAM By Tim Gray conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” In his Variety review, Owen Gleiberman said Malick is “one A DOZEN WAR MOVIES have won conscientious objector, status. The One of the rare film depictions of the few film artists to engage the best-picture Oscar, from “Wings” public considered him a traitor, of conscientious objectors to earn seriously with religion, which so through “The English Patient.” but calmed down when he served kudos was the 1956 “Friendly often is ignored or dismissed by Despite an overabundance of World 3½ years in the Medical Corps. In Persuasion,” about a pacifist Quaker others despite its prominence in War II movies through the decades, 1948, Hollywood showed that all family during the Civil War. It was society. … ‘A Hidden Life’ feels Fox Searchlight has two that offer was “forgiven” when he was Oscar- nominated for six Oscars, including stunningly relevant.” original points of view: “Jojo Rabbit” nominated for “Johnny Belinda.” best pic, director (William Wyler) It’s a worthy addition to the and “A Hidden Life.” In the 1960s, Cassius Clay changed and supporting actor (Anthony catalog of Fox Searchlight, which The latter film, written and his name to Muhammad Ali when Perkins, his only nomination). is celebrating its 25th anniversary directed by Terrence Malick, is one he converted to Islam. Then, as now, “Friendly Persuasion” was also this year, its first awards season of the few movies to explore the the public had severe Islamophobia. nominated for screenplay, but under Disney. The new owners world of a conscientious objector, The world’s love-hate relationship writer Michael Wilson and the should be proud, as Searchlight based on real-life Austrian farmer intensified in 1966 when Ali refused screenplay were removed from the mixes awards (four best-picture Franz Jagerstatter. He refused to to enter the military, citing his Academy’s final ballot since he was wins, dozens of other nominations), cooperate with the Nazis, saying, religious beliefs and his opposition a blacklisted writer. with financial savvy. “We can’t remain silent in the face to the Vietnam War. By the time he The next biggie was Mel Gibson’s of evil. We have to confront it.” was vindicated in 1971, the public excellent “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016), A conscientious objector, or CO, had turned against the war. winner of two Oscars out of seven status has never been fashionable Ali and his CO stand have nominations in its dramatization in Hollywood, because it’s never been featured in countless of the true-life story of Seventh Day been fashionable with the general documentaries, including the 1996 Adventist Desmond Doss in WWII. population. Oscar-winning docu “When We Were Young American viewers never Example No. 1: Actor Lew Ayres, Kings.” (Ali also played himself in knew the draft, so never thought who worked regularly in 1930s the 1977 “The Greatest,” while Will much about conscientious objectors. Hollywood. His career nearly ended Smith earned a lead-actor bid for But “A Hidden Life” offers the in 1942, when he was given 4E, 2001’s “Ali.”) universal battle of a person working FOX SEARCHLIGHT FOX

20 VARIETY.COM SEPT. 6: KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES/TIFF; SEPT. 7: ANDREW H. WALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK; OCT 6: DAVID DETTMANN/SHUTTERSTOCK FASHION SEPTEMBER 6 “

like,’ andIfeel supposed tolook leading manis ‘This iswhata 20 years,[itwas], ate.’ Forthelast ‘actor-appropri- not bedeemed something thatmay time, pushingitto but atthesame true tohisstyle, approach isstaying Jason Rembert.“My ‘Just Mercy,’”says started pressfor months beforewe it wasonlyafew with MikeinMarch, started working WHEN IFIRST WITH REDEFINE ‘WHAT ALEADINGMANISSUPPOSED MERCILESSLY STYLISH MICHAEL B.JORDAN in person.” that jacketwas beautiful justice, how images diditno of thetalking.The the jacketdomost and minimal,let kept itreallyclean black trouser,and a whiteshirtand shirtless, soIput the runway.“Itwas Toronto debuton to thefilm’s jacket Jordanwore saw theGivenchy identity.” Rembert now abletohave like Michaelare like youngactors ’S ‘JUST MERCY’ LOOKS, STYLIST JASON REMBERT WANTED TO SEPTEMBER 7 Toronto’s photocall. by SiesMarjanfor wore amaroonsuit this film.”Jordan representing himin man proudofthe want tomakethat Mike —becauseyou ation withdressing that intoconsider- I definitelytake super inspiring,so done forsomanyis trays. “Whathehas tivist Jordanpor- Rembert oftheac- Stevenson,” says meet Mr.[Bryan] “I washonoredto

By Jasmin Rosemberg Jasmin come alive.” we canmakehislook options fromwhich “They havealotof a watchandring. sador Jordanadded ers.” Piagetambas- and-coming design- well assupportup- the bighousesas ant forMiketowear think it’simport- a women’sline.I tion; it’sknownas have amen’scollec- second seasonthey brand. Thisisthe a bigfanofthe “I’ve alwaysbeen TO LOOK LIKE’ ONTHEREDCARPET OCTOBER 6 then also come back then alsocomeback ion Burberry,but that high-high-fash- really cooltodo overcoat. Soitwas piece suitwithan a nude-ish,three- was morerunway: NAACP Awards.That wore Burberryatthe worked withMike,he “The firsttimeI bert’s favorites. tival isoneofRem- BFI LondonFilmFes- Jordan woretothe stripe Burberrysuit super clean”pin- This “superclassic, VARIETY and daring.” but alsoiscurrent a stylethatishis, ously. Wecultivated take thingssoseri- to havefunandnot pearances, welike pets andpressap- cool, butforcar- that morerelatable, day style,wekeep “With hisday-to- ly wearswasarisk. what hetypical- “a bitbulkier”than ing ashoethatwas show range.”Wear- Burberry, justto to domoreclassic 21 ‘ The whole movie is Jeff Groth the blockbuster drama starring Joaquin Phoenix. Todd Phillips on “The Hangover Part III” before landing Editor Jeff Groth worked with “Joker” director 22 the leash on Joker.’ TALK/SHOW kind of tightening the screws in, letting out

By Katherine Brodsky Katherine VARIETY.COM

chose amongtakes. ‘JOKER’ OPTIONS Editor JeffGroth out theleash onJoker. ening thescrews in, letting whole movie iskindoftight- were consistent across, the sure thatreactions andscenes quin was doing. Just making you could witnesswhat Joa- things just to make sure that remove cuts from certain even go back inandkindof ulate someofthatand would We notto tried overly manip- everyabout shot inthescene. injustformation happened form hisbody —thetrans- transform hisface andtrans- nix] hasanamazingability to things play. [Joaquin Phoe- we just would kindoflet It’s notsomuch atechnique; into Joker? Fleck’s transformation you usetocapture Arthur What techniquesdid given moment. and [gave feel agood] for any coming inoffofthosetracks, a certain rhythm that was as what Iwas doing. There’s shootinginfluenced aswell shooting andthosedefinitely came before we ever started were five orsixsongsthat It madeabigdifference. There to theeditingprocess? — didthat make adifference score rather thantemptrack the movie withsomeofthe You were alsoabletocut forming into] Joker. our timelineofArthur [trans- wherekind ofsee we were in another; we always and look ticular place andendsin to end. Itstarts inonepar- progression from beginning ward to that?It’s [about] the we getting andmoving for- end. Soitwas how about are you’re going to landatthe you know quite solidly where With amovie called “Joker,” talk alittlebitaboutthat? were stillediting.Canyou of thecharacter whileyou could seetheprogression utively aspossible soyou You cutthefilmasconsec- don’t doanymore. ing titles, which they just would get from optical print- thatyoubit ofcolor bleed they kindofhave thislittle don’t have adigital edge. And them back insothatthey them onfilm, andthenscan with thoseisto actually put that timeabit. What we did feels like itreaches back to yellowkind ofspecific that titles, they have got avery tle bitmore. Ifyou atthe look unfold inasingleshot alit- longer, you get to things see lot lessediting, shots are held the performance. There’s a to overly be manipulative of ting thingsplay, we didn’t try phy. Kindofgoing back to let- design andcinematogra- ence] withinproduction There’s certainly [thatinflu- to “Joker”? How was that styleapplied and early1980s movies. that was drawn from 1970s There’s alotofinfluence the cutting room. goes. We’re in experimenting to start how andthensee it for now. You just pickaplace between what’s appropriate uate. You’re modulating then you go back andreeval- taking your guessand best for any given thing. You’re was building about acontext We hadalotofoptions, soit ple ways, they were allgood. harder. Heplayed itinmulti- It probably madethings for you oreasier? Did itmake thingsharder giving you alotofchoices. dom toexperiment onset, Joaquin hadalotoffree- it play out from adistance. shots where you’re watching also have afew fairly long theemotionalpain.see We when you’re closeup, you can cal effects on[him]. Andthen things thatare having physi- perspective; we’re showing to himfrom see alarger There’s timeswhen you need engagedbody inthisthing. [Phoenix] hasgot hiswhole capturing theJoker? wider shotsintermsof between theclose-upsand How didyou alternate

NIKO TAVERNISE/WARNER BROS. NIGEL BLUCK/ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS Zack Gottsagen run out.” sions oftheeyes andthencommitting to the well withwas thedropping offacial expres- Then, thethingthatI thinkhedidreally Zack was pretty withallthatstuff. good and there was alotofchoreography. And the ﬁrst scene thatwe shot withBruce Dern, prepping for therole? What was theprocess like for you better.”ﬁfth orsixthtime and we actually upgetting ended itonthe more heknew because hecould doitbetter, big pad andIremember himwanting to go ical stuff. We spear-tackled himonto a really Zack’s strengths. He’s really withphys- good script, we really didour to best tailor itto a pro wrestler, andhiscaregiver (Dakota Johnson). with Down syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) who runsaway from aseniorcitizens hometo pursue hisdream ofbecoming opening scene? What was thatlike toshootthat SCHWARTZ: ZACK GOTTSAGEN: NILSON: TYLER MICHAEL SCHWARTZ: Dubbed byDubbed details thebudding relationship between agrifter withaheart of Tylergold named LaBeouf), aman (Shia “I give himmore credit than “When we were the writing

“Very easy. It’s me.” about “It was great. That was Variety criticPeter Debruge as “a sincere, buddy Southern-fried movie,” “The Peanut Butter Falcon” was like, ‘OK, Igot it.’” school, [to] bringthatto thisscene. Andhe to use]thefeeling ofwhen [hewas] inhigh instance, scene [we intheopening asked him have conversations motivation; about for didn’t get thesame opportunities. Sowe’d respect thathedeserved, andhefelt like he system;school didn’t people give himthe adjacent to. Like, hehadahard timeinthe loves him. But there were thingsthathewas has afamily thatloves him, amotherthat But Zack didn’t grow upinaninstitution. He we hadatalented cast who didthataswell. knows thestory andZack didthat. Luckily ing, somebody who reacts, somebody who who stays present, who’s someone listen- all you want from anactor issomebody is staying present. You know, asadirector he gives himself. Ithinkhisgiftasanactor hero withinthestory andnotacharity hero. characteras athree-dimensional andhisown us [Nilson, Gottsagen andme]to have Zack SCHWARTZ: “I thinkitwas really for important “THE

AND TYLER AND WRITTEN SCHWARTZ NILSON BY: MICHAEL DIRECTED FALCON” BUTTER PEANUT VARIETY scaring me. They’re actors.” good Yelawolf] were very, very, scary. They were porn’ andwe didn’t want to have that. ” have actors withdisabilities as ‘inspiration have to used certain describe ﬁlmsthat been There’s certain thingsandthere’s words that scene? What were you thinkingwhileshootingthat that’s why thatscene feels sogood.” entertain you more thananyone else.’ I think act. You get meonstage andI’mgoing to represents, ‘I can dothisonmy own. Ican mosome. Sothatshotgun scene kind of ten thoseshots ofhisextra because chro- and available, andhejust hadn’t really got- nal actor andhe’s capable present ofbeing of thosethingsisacting. He’s aphenome- who’s capable ofthingsthatI’mnot. One he’s aphenomenalhuman andsomebody GOTTSAGEN: NILSON:

By BreAnnaBell

“I say Zack: thisalotabout Iknow “Those guys [John Hawkes, CONTENDERS SCENE STEALER 23 Untitled-8 1 12/27/19 11:37 AM CONTENDERSCONTENDERS

ACADEMY AWARDS

Best Picture

Actors

Directors

Writers

VARIETY 25 Reel Life Examining CONTENDERS |BEST PICTURE 26 what you want from your protagonist.” ing for 74years, about which isnot, you know, forject aproper biopic. Hewas just pretty amaz- Harpster’s words, that “he wasn’t sub- thegood Hanks). But indoingtheirresearch found, in movie thelegendary Fred about Rogers (Tom Fitzerman-Blue knew they wanted to make a borhood” writers Noah Harpster andMicah ing. For years, “A Beautiful Day intheNeigh- approach ofthestorytell- isanessentialaspect as narrator andguideto what happened. time network host Megan Kelly, but alsoserving News withCharlize Theron notjust playing one- shell” tackles thevery recent sex scandals atFox story into musical. abrightandbold “Bomb- tragedies. “Rocketman” turns Elton John’s life ing acop, but itisrooted infar too many recent ayoungabout blackcouple ontherunafter kill- Jimmy Hoffa. &Slim”“Queen isaﬁctional story with its own asto theories what to happened of Sharon Tate, while “The Irishman” explored lished history, thistimesurrounding themurder Tarantino onceagain played around withestab- unique ways to approach theirsubjects. feature stories based onreal events, but find plete fiction. Many ofthisyear’s contenders “Black Panther” and “A Star IsBorn” were com- 2018 ﬁlmsthatwere nominated last year, only when itcomes to picture thebest race. Ofthe getting theattention oftheAcademy, especially TRUE STORIES HAVE ALWAYS INSPIRED BY TRUTH FILMS TELLTRUETALES, ORSTORIES MANY OFTHISYEAR’S CONTENDING

For allthesefilms, findinganunconventional In “Once aTimeinHollywood” Upon Quentin By LizShannonMiller VARIETY.COM hadaway of the author. Jo Marchand is inspiredby Saoirse Ronan DUAL ‘WOMEN’ story into thatofLloyd (Matthew Rhys), ajournalist working onastory Rogers. about man carrying amessageman carrying through noman’s land.” That thecore idea ofthe became to himby hisgrandfather, according to Krysty co-writer Wilson-Cairns, about “a war drama was planted indirector Sam Mendes’ mindby aWorld War Istory told Rogers. “It’s more truethanitisaccurate.” think Junod responded to how thefilmdepicted hisreal-life relationship with write Tom anarticleabout Hanks. AndTom Hankswon’t lethimdothat.” man-Blue says. “The ofthestory building are blocks Matthew Rhys to istrying less room andinterrogated himfor three days,” Fitzerman-Blue says. profiled thehost for Esquire Magazine in 1998. found ofletters abox between Rogers andjournalist Tom Junod, who famously had known Rogers, aprocess themto thatled theRogers archives. There they Also aimingfor truthover accuracy isUniversal’s “1917.” for The the initialseed While Lloyd ultimately isafictionalcreation, Fitzerman-Blue addsthat hedid “In away, we Fred position alittle bitastheantagonist inour story,” Fitzer- By theendofprocess thewriters, Junod’s per request, hadtransformed Tom’s “From there, we got Tom to fly out to Angeles, Los andwe himinanair- locked So they instead to explore decided theiroptionswhen who itcame to people

WILSON WEBB/COLUMBIA PICTURES 1917: WILSON WEBB/UNIVERSAL; QUEEN & SLIM: LELANIE FOSTER/UNIVERSAL PICTURES “[Fred Rogers] Micah Fitzerman-Blue for aproperbiopic. ” wasn’t thegoodsubject happened to thelittlehappened women?’” as hisdaughters —saying, ‘Wait asecond, what —which,took hisniece inthemovie, we portray tle Women’] andsaid hethought itwas dull. It changes hisdecision. wood, having originally rejected Jo’s manuscript, Thomas Niles, includingasceneinwhich Dash- Alcott’s real-life relationship withherpublisher (Tracywood Letts) thatwere drawn from ing through Jo’s conversations withMr. Dash- actually wanted.” the movie theendingthatLouisa May Alcott mercial andit would sell. But we wanted to give ending sothatitwould quote-unquote com- be want Jo to get married, but she changed the story theway thatshe wanted to —she didn’t whonot someone felt thatshe could endthe adaptation: “Louisa May Alcott, inherday, was mentioned,first thingsGerwig indiscussingthe inorder tothe originalendingofbook doso. onherown lifebook andfamily, playing with fact thatauthor Louisa May Alcott based the times, was thefirst Gerwig to into go the deeper adapted forthe 1800shasbeen thescreen many the classicnovel four about girls growing upin Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Woman.” While what itwas like to andsurvive try thathorror.” view ofwhat itwas like to fightinthatwar — of thatwein thehopes could serve to thepublic a son’s story. We amalgamated many truestories, and Mendesweren’t “bastardizing areal per- driven.” Andby creating thosecharacters, she the First World War, but incredibly character “1917” isableto “tell avery at honest look every minute ofthefilm, Wilson-Cairns says, nage anddespair.” brains can’t possibly fathom thatlevel ofcar- ofdeaths,number astatistic. itbecomes Our lion men. Idon’t thinkanyone can. that Because can make you care thedeaths about of10mil- ians are killed. Ican’t write ascriptinwhich I over four years, andmillionsofmencivil- says, because “the first World War takes place perspective madesenseto Wilson-Cairns, she was like to fightinWorld War Ifrom asoldier’s shot to asifitwas appear allonetake. but extremely dangerous mission, deliberately Chapman andGeorge MacKay) ontheiressential film, which follows two soldiers (Dean-Charles In real life, Pascal says, Niles “did reject [‘Lit- We get glimpsesofthebook’s “official” end- Producer Amy Pascal says itwas one ofthe Also playing withfictionandreality isGreta But by literally tracking thesecharacters for Telling astory thereality about ofwhat it stories, botharegroundedinreal-lifeevents. While neither“1917”nor“Queen&Slim”aredirectadaptationsof RINGING TRUE of gravitas. it’s Because theway thatwe understand our own history withthetruth.” us,” she says. “There truestories issomethingabout thatgives movies adifferent kind through stories, who andstories we people about admire are inspirations to allof ent story women about andmoney andindependence,” she says. know Louisa May about Alcott’s life, andplay witheverything to tell avery differ- in theworld hasabout ‘Little Women,’ from both thenovel andfrom what you tation ofAlcott’s book, but it’s alsonotexactly anAlcott biopic. tle bit, for ableto my mebeing see own selfonthescreen.” like, ‘Oh, thisisreal, you can go thisup’ look —somehow itgreases alit- thedoor to go to further findmyself init. Whereas ifit’s just that, theclueatbeginning in somecapacity, itgets mehalfway there. Ilove ‘Star Wars,’ Ilove sci-fi, but Ihave whenever Iknow going in, just intheback ofmy mind, thatthisreally happened the most desperate to feel isareflection orsee ofmyself onscreen. Andfor me, Pascal alotofvalue sees ofreal inbringingaspects life into fiction. “What we wanted to dowas take thecollective consciousness thateverybody Thus, Pascal believes thatthefinalfilmis, inthelongrun, notreally anadap- Fitzerman-Blue agrees. “I know when I’mwatching amovie, thethingthatI’m “The heroic real that andamazingthings pe ople do;we VARIETY.COM underst and ourlives 27 Moment of the Scenes FROM 2019 FILMS. (SOME ALLAT MOMENTS ONCE) TRAGIC, WEIRDANDWONDERFUL WE LOOK AT THEFUNNY, ALERT!SPOILER FROM AWARDS HOPEFULS. VARIETY CONTENDERS |BEST PICTURE 28 STAFF PICKS FAVORITES VREY VARIETY

“Thank you for thatperspective.” stop, absorbtheinformation andcalmlyreply, journalist Lloyd Vogel (MatthewRhys), he’ll When overtly criticizedby cynical magazine children’s televisionhost)willwait for areply. Mr. Rogers (or rather, Tom Hanks asthebeloved others rushintofillany gapinconversation, “A BeautifulDay intheNeighborhood.” Where Rogers suchaZen-like figure inMarielleHeller’s Oftentimes, it’s thesilencesthatmake Mr. “A BEAUTIFUL DAY but alsopointstohow tosurvive sorrow. resounding metaphorfor theGreat War itself, Not onlyisthegravitational pullofthescenea the truckandearningrespect ofthemen. his rage-fueleddesperationintoaction,freeing gets stuckinapatchofmud.Schofieldfunnels grief-induced catatoniabreaks whenthetruck Newman’s restrained symphonic score. His lingers onhistrauma,represented by Thomas other soldiersjoke around, Schofield’s mind being picked upby friendlytroops. Asthe MacKay) suffers atremendous lossrightbefore military truck:LanceCpl.Schofield(George hardest duringthesceneinbackofa director SamMendes’ picture, butithitsthe mission. Palpablepoignancypermeates the eyes oftwo young soldiersonanimpossible study aboutthehorrors ofwar asseenthrough action in“1917” liesacontemplative character Beneath thevisceraltensionofimmersive “1917” — IN THENEIGHBORHOOD” COURTNEY HOWARD as well. movie allows Rogers towork hismagiconus seconds. Butinthatminuteofsilence,Heller’s telecast —onlytheproducers limitedhimto10 speech for hisLifetime incorporated intothetelevisedacceptance often didamongsmallgroups, andwhichhe stoically, orparticipateintheexercise. invitation extends tousaswell. We cansitby plans tolettheentire minute unfold, Rogers’ scene stretches outandtheyrealize thatHeller waiting for somesignofcatharsis. Butasthe probably findthemselves studyingVogel, to otherdiners intherestaurant, audiences studio feature. take aminuteofsilence—daringchoicefor a us intobeing.” Andthenthefilmproceeds to silence to“think aboutallthepeoplewholoved his father, challengingVogel totake aminuteof journalist toreconsider hisresentment toward a quietone,asRogers asks thehardened teachings toVogel. an episodefor grown-ups, asRogers applieshis innovation ofHeller’s approach: Thefilmplays as seem tobespeakingthem—thatisthe too, but“MisterRogers’ Neighborhood”didn’t philosophy withyoung viewers. Adults watched, episodes, Rogers shared aspectsofhis The scenewas inspired by somethingRogers For thefirst few seconds,asthecamera cuts The movie’s mostpowerful momentis In real life, over thecourseofnearly900 — PETER DEBRUGE Achievement Emmy FEMINIST NIGHTMARE A hallucinationtrip in “Booksmart.”

UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING FOX Matt Damon. Tracy Lettsrideswith In “FordvFerrari” DRIVE self-image. of themovie’s themesaboutsisterhoodand the-top, butperfectly inkeeping withsomany friend from theabsurdist situation.It’s over- in your hole!”Mollyshouts,tryingtorescue her dresser atonepoint.“You have toputmy heel front ofthemirror, falling offtheedgeof proportions. Amy startstofeel herselfupin to theirimpractical,unrealistically top-heavy enough intheirown bodies—struggletoadapt motion, asthetwo teens—whosoundraunchy studio torender thesurreal sequenceinstop- a pairofBarbie-esquedolls. trip, transformed intoany feminist’s nightmare: the two spiraloffintoanunforgettable drug ayahuasca but Asian,” goestheexplanation), hallucinogenic offered afriend(“It’sby like funniest scene.Aftersamplinganambiguous male fantasies, whichfeeds intothefilm’s resist thepressure tobecomebimbo-bodied in themselves. their wisecracking two charactersare unmistakablymillennialin and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” except thatthese feel like afemale spinonmovies like “Superbad” seems familiar enough,making“Booksmart” letting thesetwo cutlooseatlast.Thatmuch Olivia Wilde’s directorial debutdelightsin parties andotherextracurricular distractions, the previous four years studiouslyavoiding and Molly(BeanieFeldstein), whosquandered no-fun highschoolseniors,Amy (KaitlynDever) Set onthenightbefore graduation for two “BOOKSMART Wilde tappedShadowMachine animation They’re self-affirming young women who

— PETER DEBRUGE ” attitude andwiser-still belief

anyone heisnegotiating with.ButtheJedimind like aJedifrom “Star Wars,” tendstooverpower instead heoozes confidence andcharm,which, histrionics togetwhathewants and needs,but Matt Damon’s Carroll Shelby doesn’t rely on “FORD VFERRARI” announcing herfeelings. admitting thatshewas notthetypetogoaround a momenttoacknowledge heremotionswhile as herparents pretended. For themother, itwas her eyes andknew thatallwas not aswonderful it was allgood,thegirlcould“see thefear” in foreign land.Andeven ashermotherpretended as theylefttheextended family andsettledina left Chinafor theUnitedStates.Shefelt bereft lets hermomknow how lostshefelt whenthey fall onthefloorsearching for anearring,Billi (Awkwafina) andhermother(DianaLin)asthey In aparticularlypoignantexchange between Billi “THE FAREWELL” attractive towomen. abusive manipulatoracknowledges thatheisnot the momentbothfunny andpoignantasthis pointing tohislegs.Lithgow managestomake difficulty andsays he was not “always” like this, and agingFox Newschiefgetstohisfeet with look athimincredulously. Theoverweight blame, Ailessays, aseven hisown lawyers who threw themselves athim.Heisnotto Britton) defend himsaying itwas thewomen Ailes (JohnLithgow) andhiswife (Connie strategy tocombatsexual-abuse allegations, As Roger Ailes’ teamgathers todiscusshis “BOMBSHELL” — SHALINI DORE — SHALINIDORE to him,buthewas comforted allalongby the alienated everyone whowas ever important who Jimmy Hoffa was. makes herrounds. Predictably, shedoesn’t know half-listening tohisrambling anecdotesasshe this time, we seehisaudience:ahospicenurse drives hisbeloved daughtertodisown him.And Hoffa, anactofsoul-crushingbetrayal that work for, intimatelybefriendandfinallymurder associates predecease him;andwe’ve seenhim history; we’ve seenallofhisoldfriendsand in countlessflashpointsofmafialore andworld of people;we’ve seenhimplay anintegral part again. Bythispoint,we’ve seenhimkilldozens Scorsese’s film,andFrank returns tothattheme who Jimmy Hoffa was.” he begins,“the young people,theydon’t know monologue toanunseenaudience. “Nowadays,” Frank Sheeran(Robert DeNiro) delivers abrief Early onin“TheIrishman,” anelderlymannamed “THE IRISHMAN” has secured itsfuture. laughing alittle, butthrilled.TheShelby team the cartoatheatricalstop, Ford’s crying,maybe and asavery calmanddeterminedShelby spins — Letts stealsthescenewithhisreactions — and pushingthecartoitslimits.Ford isterrified Shelby’s ideaofaspininvolves high-speedturns give himaspinaround thetesttrackinGT. working on,rather thanjustbetold,andoffers to needs toexperience whatheandhisteamare development team.Shelby decidesthatFord who wants toshutdown Shelby’s race-car tricks don’t work onHenryFord II(Tracy Letts), Frank may have lost,abandoned and Flash-forward nearlythree hoursintoMartin VARIETY — CAROLE HORST 29 satire, it’s oneoftheyear’s mostseriousfilms. that announceswhile“Jojo Rabbit”mightbe unforgettable moment, ahauntingone, andone his face withadull,devastating thud.It’s an was hismotherthathasbeenhangedlands on watch Jojo’s face astherealization thatthis then herstockings,dress and, ultimately, across thedanglingshoesofawoman, and Jojo bouncesthrough town, andthencomes been hangedinthetown square. We watch as dissident inthevein ofRighteousGentile, has discovers hismother, anti-Third Reich political drama —andthat’s thesceneinwhichJojo Rabbit” crystalizesitselfashe basement. Butthere’s amomentwhen“Jojo mother (ScarlettJohansson)ishidingintheir Jojo andElsa,theJewish girlhediscovers his including sweet andfunny scenesbetween and acomedy cartoonish Adolf Hitler, hasbeencalledasatire boy with animaginaryfriendintheway ofa Taika Waititi’s WWII-setfilmaboutJojo, aGerman “JOJO RABBIT” nurse around tohumorhim.Itiswhatitis. were worth it,andsoonthere won’t even bea accomplished matters. Noneofhissacrifices one even bothers tolookthemup. Nothinghe and furtherintothefootnotes ofhistoryuntilno was soproud toplay apartwillretreat further was not.Theearth-shakingevents ofwhichhe necessary. Inthisoneepiphany, herealizes he epochal, somethinglasting, intimation thatatleasthewas doingsomething “Marriage Story.” reflects onhis Adam Driver THE WAYWEWERE CONTENDERS |BEST PICTURE — MALINASAVAL — ANDREWBARKER 30 cull animilmagnihillantmoluptaecusantdolorevelitrem BLuptur sitaquosaudaporiorumquoearitinumdolesquamfac- CAPTION HEDHERE VREY VARIETY — and itis,incertainplaces,

avy, heartbreaking Fleck starts laughing their attention turns to him. Fleck startslaughingtheirattentionturnstohim. At first,theytauntafemale passenger, butwhen is ridingthesubway. Three menare onthesubway. creepier. ItallleadstothemomentinwhichFleck from ArthurFleck toJoker. JoaquinPhoenix’s This isjustthebeginning.Thetonal shift subway platform. Fleck follows himuntilheshootsonthe and thenanother. Thethird guyrunsoff, but a gungoesoff, Fleckfightsback.Hekills one men’s feet kickingFleckashelaughs.Suddenly, gets darker asJeffGroth’s editingcutsfrom the beating himup. HildurGuðnadóttir’s score whiz by. It’s notgoingtoendwell. Theystart screeching ofthesubway car, thetunnellights Sondheim’s “Send intheClowns.” The wrong for himatwork. To topitoff, heloseshisjobafterthingsgo of funds.It’s notgoingwell for Fleckatall. there isn’t muchtheycandofor himduetolack enough inhiseyes. Hissocialworker tellshim him tolaugh.He’s onmedication,butnot played by Robert DeNiro. standup comedian.Hishero isMurray Franklin up. Fleckgoeshome.Hejustwants tobea a group ofkidswhostealhissignandbeathim holding aClosingDown sale.He’s targeted by face, ready for work. Hestandsonthestreets, clown agency, ArthurFleckpaintshishappy cinematography captures thegritty. At the a grimworld outthere. Lawrence Sher’s Super ratsare takingover GothamCity. It’s “JOKER” This isthetransformation. Joker emerges. One mansingsaneerielinefrom Stephen We feel for him.Thesoundsslowly starttoget Except Fleckhasamentalillnessthatcauses Writer-director NoahBaumbach’s “Marriage fissures thatcanlead tocavernous fractures. under amicroscope, you’d spotthetiny If you were toputany scenefrom amarriage “MARRIAGE STORY” comedic touch. displaying Jo’s yearning ambitionandalight movie, butthatfirst scenereally standsout, 1868. JoandMr. Dashwood meet againinthe Alcott’s beloved novel, originallypublishedin among theyears andenergizing Louisa May of thebeloved novel, jumpingbackandforth the adaptation,upendedstorystructure off toakineticstart.Thedirector, whoalsowrote writer. Andwiththat,Gerwig’s “LittleWomen” is through thestreet, hairflowing, vindicatedasa in question.Afterward, Joexuberantly races on Jo’s fingers, clearlysizingherupasthefriend her story, Mr. Dashwood takes intheinkstains purchase itfor aprincelysumof$20. Asheedits of herprose, brighteningwhenheagrees to friend.” Shewiltsabitashecutlarge swathes all hercourage topitchastorywritten“by a Letts withexuberant facial hair),summoning to meetwithskeptical Mr. Dashwood (Tracy before steppingintotheWeekly Volcano office aspiring writerJo(Saoirse Ronan) hesitates this year’s “LittleWomen” withitsfirst scene: Greta Gerwigannouncesherboldintentfor “LITTLE WOMEN” performance oftheyear. performances andwithoutadoubt,thebest away. Hedelivers oneofthemostmemorable performance ismesmerizing;you can’t look — DIANE GARRETT

— JAZZ TANGCAY

NETFLIX PETER MOUNTAIN/NETFLIX Sistine Chapel. meet atthe “The TwoPopes”- TAKE ACHANCE cull animilmagnihillantmoluptaecusantdolorevelitrem BLuptur sitaquosaudaporiorumquoearitinumdolesquamfac- CAPTION HEDHERE Refusing tobeheld hostageby thecult, Booth and achillingscore) isPitt’s nonchalantstance. Reigning over thescene(aidedby sharphumor out ofaWestern orpost-apocalyptic zombiepic. three-pronged labyrinth oftensionthatcouldbe Quentin Tarantino meticulouslyorchestrates a excursion ledby themurderous Tex Watson, sneers andgazesahorsebackriding captive), itsgrounds infested withunfriendly “the hippies” hold ranchowner George Spahn a derelict farmhouse (where, Boothsuspects, the Mansonfamily. Inthesequenceinvolving remove totake agoodlookatthe membersof moccasins andtheshiny aviators he’d soon Spahn Movie Ranch,wearing apairofdusty Cliff Booth(BradPitt),whenhesets foot inthe Screen heroes rarely lookcoolerthanstuntman “ONCE UPONATIMEIN later weaponized by bickering attorneys. the awkward mood.It’s atendermomentthat’s making awisecrackaboutdrinkingtolighten pair thendescendthestaircase, shestumbles, the lost,idealizedversion oftheirunion.Asthe heartrending, romantic score plays, reflecting put theiryoung sontobed.RandyNewman’s waits for wife Nicole(ScarlettJohansson)to family photographsfrom days goneby ashe love: Charlie(Adam Driver) perusescheery innocuous scenethathighlightstheirlost emotional wallops, sotoodoesanalmost- the film’s finalact packs aseriesofpotent capturing theirrocky road todivorce. Though heartbreaking momentsinonecouple’s union, speaksStory” profoundly tomajorandminor — HOLLYWOOD” COURTNEY HOWARD

can’t helpbutroot for them. down theinnocenthousekeeper even asyou asyouhilarious andhorrifying watch themtake news, withoutoveracting. It’s therightblendof coaching hisfather onhow todeliver the with scenesofKi-taek’s son(ChoiWoo-shik) aggravating her peachallergy). Thisisintercut there becausetheKimfamily hasbeensecretly with active tuberculosis (whenshe’s actually doctor andclaimingshehasbeendiagnosed showing heraphotoofthehousekeeper atthe how hebeginstoplanttheseedsofdoubt — naïve ParkYeon-gyo (ChoYeo-jeong), we see (Song Kang-ho) runserrandswiththerichand can take theposition.Asfather, KimKi-taek rid ofthehousekeeper sothattheKimmatriarch jobs atthePark household.Allthat’s leftistoget having installedtheson,daughterandfather in begun toinfiltrate thewealthy Parkfamily, suspense andcomedy. TheKimfamily has wheels inmotion,balancingthetonebetween is asequencefairly earlyonthatreally sets the struggle it’s difficulttopickjustone. Butthere in BongJoonHo’s darkcomedyaboutclass There are somany delicious,shockingmoments “PARASITE” disarms thedevil. in thefinalewhenhecasuallydismissesand that astutelyforeshadows hissteadfast presence openly mocks andintimidatesthelot,anattitude (Paul Walter Hauser),thesecurityguard who the mostemotionalcomeswhenRichard Jewell In afilmfullofgut-wrenching moments,oneof “RICHARD JEWELL” — TOMRIS LAFFLY — JENELLERILEY is. “Abba,” Bergoglio says withasly smile. hearing Bergoglio humming,asks what hymn it perfectly asBenedictenterstheroom and, and theoutgoingBergoglio are summedup The differences between thehumorlessBenedict is abouttodotheunthinkableandstepdown. to retire butunbeknownst toanyone, Benedict Bergoglio thinks heisthere togetauthorization Francis to thepapalsummerestateinItaly. real meetingcomeswhenBenedictsummons competed for thetitleyears earlier, theirfirst Pryce). While thetwo know eachother, they Bergoglio, thefuture Pope Francis (Jonathan Hopkins) andthemore modern Cardinal the conservative Pope BenedictXVI (Anthony taken intothesecret conversations between based onhisplay “ThePope,” theaudienceis could besofunny? InAnthony McCarten’s script, discussing philosophy, theologyandpolitics Who knewafilmabouttwo menofGod “THE TWO POPES” was andfeeling guiltyfor pullingherintothis. stage, hersonthanks her, knowing how hard it love outweighs herfears. Asshestepsoffthe public speaking,butthepower ofamother’s is innocent.She’s clearly uncomfortable with tears, shetellsthegathered press thatherson Her voice quaking,hereyes brimmingwith Bobi (Kathy Bates),isforced intothespotlight. conference, inwhichhiskindandgentlemother, back. Oneofthefirst stepsinvolves apress the 1996 OlympicsinAtlanta, beginstofight went from hero tosuspectinthebombingat — JENELLERILEY — JENELLERILEY VARIETY 31 CONTENDERS: ACTOR

Going the WHETHER IT’S PLAYING a determined soldier in World War I, an enterprising hustler in a strip club, a polarizing television reporter, or the rep- resentative of Christ on Earth, authenticity was Extra Mile for a crucial component in the actor’s performance. Some of the performers at the forefront of this year’s awards conversation went to extraordinary lengths to prepare for their roles. By learn- Authenticity ing new languages, mastering new abilities, and perfecting portraits of real-life personas, these thespians epitomize dedication. ACTORS PRACTICE THROUGH THE Jennifer Lopez, whose showstopping intro- DRILLS TO MASTER THE SKILLS duction as a stripper in “Hustlers” is a character- defining moment, says her journey began By Courtney Howard with that ﬁrst scene in writer-director Lorene Scafaria’s script. “I thought of Ramona as a siren — seduc- ing not only the people in the club, but the home audience,” she says. “When you see that entrance, she’s literally inviting you, challenging you, luring you into her lair.” Jonathan Pryce felt his likeness to the real Pope Francis made his casting in “The Two Popes” an inevitability.

POLE POSITION Jennifer Lopez trained with Johanna Sapakie for six months in order to perform her role in “Hustlers.” STX ENTERTAINMENT STX

32 VARIETY.COM 1917: UNIVERSAL PICTURES; TWO POPES: PETER MOUNTAIN/NETFLIX he notes. “He was thatIfelt thefirst sympa pope take onthemantleofhimwas easy for meto do,” preconceptions playing hisreal-life figurehead. “To thetic andempathetic towards. Iliked him.” my closeconfidants intheprocess, includingJay.” cess thischaracter andstory, andconsulted alotof time when Igot thescriptto really andpro try director Jay Roach’s “Bombshell,” says, “I took my tive role asreal-life newswoman MegynKelly in get our fingers to andthumbs used everything.” onet drills. “The biggest thingfor mewas just to training includingsaluting, riflesafety and bay- team,”the armory says MacKay. production adviser military Paul Biddissand elements ofour costume andtraining withthe withgettingbegan into our webbing, and boots “Almost every day oftherehearsal process wardrobe was integral to hislearning curve. missionintheGreat War,on adeath-defying foried hours onend.” voice down to thehand movements —Istud- ple are familiar with. Soeverything —from the who hasvery distinct mannerismsalotofpeo- taken thisis a truepublic onbecause figure if notthemost, research-intensive roles I’ve also critical. “This isprobably oneofthemost, Theron says. Posture, andgestures bearing were mitment to helpingmeget thevoice right,” Carla Meyer. “Carla never wavered inhercom- ing, Theron relied heavily coach, onherdialect sial character inthemonthspriorto shoot- coach,good Sandra Frieze.” to learn Spanish, andItalian. Latin “I hadavery ian sound, which isvery specific.” Healsohad rhythmsthe speech rightandget theArgentin- Francis, put for thingsontape me, soIcould get English. Juan Minujín, who plays theyoung of genuine Argentinian accentwhile speaking says isinEnglish, Iwanted to doitwithakind themajority“Because ofwhat [Pope Francis] he was.” Healsoenlisted thehelpofaco-star. the sound ofhisvoice andhow softly spoken ofhim—thewayat alotofvideo hemoved, Pope Francis’ voice andcomportment. “I looked to theinternet inorder to perfectly capture into it, includingme.” preconceived opiniononthecharacter going natural rhythms oftheperson, everyone hasa licate thephysical andstay aspects trueto the well known, asidefrom because having to rep- previously, she was alittle intimidated. and Pope Francis hadwritten orsaid.” thatfromhad culled everything [Pope] Benedict me everything,” Pryce says. “Anthony McCarten He also underwent period-specific basicHe alsounderwent period-specific For George MacKay, who plays asoldiersent As she was together piecing hercontrover- To hismetamorphosis, begin Pryce turned Unlike Theron, Pryce didn’t have to resolve any “It’s tough to take onacharacter who isso Despite having played real-life people Charlize Theron, who takes on atransforma- “The starting was point thescript, which told - - felt was applicable. that camefrom marksmanship was somethingI through thewar focus itself; andthispinpoint the task athandthroughout, aswell asto get and emotionallevel. isfocusing on“Schofield hischaractercipline serviced onapractical particularly for me, when to istrying Schofield relevanton anexhale became for onescene, 10,000times.”ticing itabout is forever ingrained inmy from memory prac- with mythe beach husband andmy three kids!’ they talk sofreaking fast. she talked. Icould never anon-airreporter, be on thecadence, atwhich especially thespeed those recordings just to get aquickrefresher were timesonsetwhen Iwould whip out of Kelly’s broadcasts onhercellphone. “There forery my shoulder andback.” walked away withnew bruises. I’mstill inrecov- new group ofmuscles andevery sessionIdid, I “With dancing, pole Iwas usingacompletely I never asession.” missed was touring around theworld thissummer, so ineveryble strip pole city Iwent to while I the amazingJohanna Sapakie. Ihadaporta- lenge. “I trained for almost sixmonthswith ration for “Hustlers” was hergreatest chal- incredibly skilled, seasoned dancer, herprepa- “The way you listen to your breath andfire MacKay found thathisnew dis- military “The phrase ‘Just got back from aweekend at In order to center herself, Theron saved clips The training pushed herbody to its limit. Similarly, for Lopez, who isalready an soldier andapope. skills toplaya (left) learnednew and JonathanPryce George MacKay(above) CONCENTRATION plete enjoyment.” ent skills andtalents just to added my com- whole thingthat you’re taking onthesediffer- learn new tools for hiscraft andfor life. “The watching adirect imitation.” thing that’s more surprising thanjust to people withand developI could connect into some- helping medialinto components ofherthat truth ofthestory, andJay was really in helpful way to make itmy own while honoringthe comes first for me,” she says. “I hadto a find components atplay. “The character always behaviors instinctually was only oneofthe intheworld.” inequities the socioeconomic power ofwomen and, inpart, on areflection many chances. The isahomage film to the a world thatdoesn’t offer thoseonthefringe dents, oryoung moms, just to trying get by in shouldn’t —thatmost ofthesewomen are stu- think itwould surprise —although it people what itwas like to have acareer asadancer. I ladies dotheirroutines, Italked to themabout I went to strip clubs. Inotonly watched the quences,” she says. “In preparation for therole, life interms ofmoral motivations andconse- space thatwas very different from my own journey thatrequired meto get into ahead only aphysical challenge but alsoanexposing actual dancers. pole “Creating Ramona was not under control,” hesays. master hisbody andmindto get himselfback As for Pryce, herelished thechanceto For Theron, ableto being mimicKelly’s wasLopez inspired by interacting with VARIETY.COM

33 CONTENDERS: DIRECTOR Winnowing the Field

READING THE TEA LEAVES ON A WILD AND WOOLLY DIRECTOR RACE

By Andrew Barker

COMING INTO FOCUS but plenty of space in the margins for a sur- Quentin Tarantino, prise contender or two to emerge. seen here directing GOING INTO THE FINAL STRETCH before Oscar nominations, with the “Once Upon a Time in If predecessor awards mean anything, Directors Guild of America poised to provide some extra clarity before- Hollywood,” stands then Bong Joon Ho has to be considered hand, the field for director usually tends toward one scenario or the other. a decent chance of the favorite, having amassed festival tro- winning his first Some years, the suspense before the big announcement feels almost cere- directing Oscar. phies from Cannes to Sydney, critics prizes monial, with a clear favorite or two and a number of also-rans. Other years, from L.A. to Atlanta, as well as nomina- both the final five and the winner might as well be a toss-up, with a good tions for the Golden Globes and the Crit- dozen filmmakers seeming to stand an equal chance of making the cut. ics’ Choice Awards. The fact that his film, This year has thus far been a strange combination of both, with a trio “Parasite,” is in Korean might have his- of filmmakers vacuuming up virtually every major nomination in addi- torically seemed a major obstacle, but tion to clutches of festival and critics prizes and runners-up designations, last year saw two of the five directing SONY PICTURES

343 4 VVARIETY.COMARIETY.COM nominees come from non-English-lan- Late-race shake-ups Circle — as well as Spirit and Critics’ Choice guage films, with Alfonso Cuaron becom- noms — could make them unlikely contending the first to win that Academy Award. could still be incoming ers. Todd Phillips’ “Joker” was a love-it-or- Old Oscar habits die hard, of course, but with several hate-it smash, but he can count on a billion it’s difficult to find a film with more dollars in box-office grosses, a Golden Globe wide-ranging support, and “Parasite” par- end-of-year releases. nom and a Golden Lion from Venice to pos- tisans are an especially passionate bunch. sibly help him follow in two-time nominee Beyond Bong, the majority of momen- Adam McKay’s path from broad comedy to tum has long been with two very different Oscar recognition. veterans, both of whom turned out films Speaking of mass appeal, James Man- that can easily be read as career summa- gold has thus far only won a Satellite tions. Martin Scorsese has perpetually Award for his “Ford v. Ferrari,” but the been in contention for “The Irishman,” film’s old-school flair and healthy box- which could see him earn only his second office returns could well endear him to an Oscar for a film that revisits so many of industry voting body. Peele’s “Us,” largely the themes of his now-canonical gangster absent from early awards attention save movies that failed to win gold; and Quentin for a director ducat from the African- Tarantino, a two-time original screenplay American Film Critics Assn., could like- winner but longtime director bridesmaid, wise sneak in on the strength of glowing has also loomed large since the summer reviews and massive worldwide revenues. release of his “Once Upon a Time in Hol- Melina Matsoukas lamented that Globes lywood.” Needless to say, both have been voters seemed uninterested in sampling omnipresent in early nominations. her debut “Queen & Slim,” but the film Once you get away from those three, outperformed expectations at the box that’s where the going gets complicated. office, and the National Board of Review Whether it’s due to the realpolitik of awards named her its breakthrough filmmaker season campaigning, or voters’ unconscious of the year. “The Farewell’s” Lulu Wang inclinations to share the wealth, several has picked up a number of breakthrough writer-directors of widely acclaimed films awards as well, always a promising sign in have found their prospects increasingly an Oscar era in which three relative new- focused in the writing category: Noah comers have secured nominations in the Baumbach (“Marriage Story”), Rian Johnson past three years. And now that the Acad- (“Knives Out”), Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”) emy has shown itself willing to consider and Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”) have seen heady horror movies in the category — the lion’s share of their awards attention witness Peele’s nom for “Get Out” — “The confined to their screenplay work. They Lighthouse’s” Robert Eggers could stand an would hardly be the first to find their laurel outside shot, with his Fipresci Prize and potential winnowed to a single craft: Taran- Spirit nom boosting his odds. tino, Jordan Peele and Kenneth Lonergan And then there’s the matter of the rest are just some of the innovative filmmak- of the world. Though it was not selected ers (all of whom are in the mix this year) as France’s international film submission, who’ve triumphed in the original screen- Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on play category, but never outside it. Fire” has been amassing awards and nomi- Late-race shake-ups could still be incom- nations from Cannes to the BIFAs, the EFAs ing with some end-of-year releases. Though and the London Film Critics Circle, and it both films screened with plenty of time for would not be unprecedented for the Acad- critics groups and other awards voters, Greta emy to look outside the official interna- Gerwig’s “Little Women” and Sam Mendes’ tional submissions for other categories. “1917” didn’t open until Christmas, and thus Pedro Almodóvar was nommed for both found themselves with less time to build director and screenplay for “Talk to Her,” headway through word-of-mouth before the winning the latter. Speaking of the Spanish early voting. Both have nonetheless made master, Almodóvar earned his best notices some inroads already, with Gerwig nabbing a in years for “Pain and Glory,” which is very Critics’ Choice nom, and Mendes finding him- much in contention for international film self in the running with the Golden Globes as well as the acting categories. Elsewhere as well as a spattering of critics awards. on the international film short list, “Atlan- But doubtless the most interesting twist of tics’” debutante feature director Mati Diop the race will come from seeing which of the has been a resilient presence on the festival outsiders — passionately beloved by a few award circuit and with critics, and the like- key demographics, if not given much chance wise widespread awards attention for her by the oddsmakers — manage to find a way cinematographer Claire Mathon (who also in. Josh and Benny Safdie would certainly shot Sciamma’s “Portrait”) brings to mind seem long shots by traditional Oscar wisdom, CALLING THE SHOTS the surprise nominations for Poland’s “Cold Greta Gerwig directs “Little Women” (from top); Jordan with their abrasive, down-and-dirty style, but Peele consults with Lupita Nyong’o on the set of “Us”; War” in both the director and cinematogra- a key critical win from the New York Critics Martin Scorsese leans into the frame on “The Irishman.” phy categories last year. LITTLE WOMEN: WILSON WEBB/SONY PICTURES; US: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES; THE IRISHMAN: NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX THE IRISHMAN: NIKO PICTURES; BARIUS/UNIVERSAL US: CLAUDETTE PICTURES; LITTLE WOMEN: WILSON WEBB/SONY

VARIETY.COM 35 Wire Scorecard Down to the CONTENDERS: DIRECTOR 36 THE YEAR’S LEADINGCONTENDERS AND OUTSTANDING NOMINATIONS RECEIVED BY A ROUNDUP OFTHEMAJORDIRECTING PRIZES VREY VARIETY Glory” stars(top); with his“Painand “Marriage Story” Pedro Almodóvar on thesetof Noah Baumbach AT THEHELM EFA nom Career GoldenLionatVenice London CriticsCircle (nom) Goya Awards (nom) Kansas CityFilm CriticsAssn. Critics Assn. Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics’ Choice(nom) Golden Globe(nom) Critics Circle San Francisco Film Los AngelesFilm CriticsAssn. London CriticsCircle (nom) Chicago Film CriticsAssn. Critics’ Choice(nom) (Palme d’Or) FilmCannes Festival Blue DragonAwards Atlanta Film CriticsCircle Golden Globes(nomination) Nevada Film CriticsSociety (audience award) Gotham Awards (Robert AltmanAward) Film IndependentSpirit Critics’ Choice(nom) Journalists (nom) Alliance ofWomen Film Black Reel Awards (nom) (best directorial debut) National Board ofReview Circle Awards Women Film Critics Critics’ Choice(nom) Film Journalists(nom) Alliance ofWomen (nom) Film IndependentSpiritAwards (FipresciCannes Prize) “PARASITE” “MARRIAGE STORY” “PAIN ANDGLORY “QUEEN &SLIM” “LITTLE WOMEN” “THE LIGHTHOUSE” BONG JOONHO, NOAH BAUMBACH, PEDRO ALMODÓVAR, SAM MENDES, “1917 MELINA MATSOUKAS, GRETA GERWIG, ROBERT EGGERS, ” ” San DiegoFilm CriticsSociety New York Film CriticsCircle (nom) Film IndependentSpiritAwards Critics’ Choice(nom) Directing Award Variety Venice (GoldenLion) Golden Globe(nom) Black Reel Awards (nom) Film CriticsAssn. African-American (breakthrough) Detroit Film CriticsSociety (breakthrough filmmaker) Chicago Film CriticsAssn. (audience award) Atlanta Film Festival St. Louis Film CriticsAssn. Director oftheYear award Palm SpringsIntl.Film Festival Film Critics(nom) Online Assn.ofFemale National Board ofReview Las Vegas Film CriticsSociety Critics’ Choice(nom) Golden Globe(nom) London CriticsCircle (nom) Detroit Film CriticsAssn. Critics’ Choice(nomination) Golden Globe(nom) “THE IRISHMAN” “UNCUT GEMS” “JOKER” “THE FAREWELL” “ONCE UPONATIME MARTIN SCORSESE, JOSH &BENNYSAFDIE, TODD PHILLIPS, JORDAN “US” PEELE, LULU WANG,LULU IN HOLLYWOOD” QUENTIN TARANTINO, Creative Impactin

PAIN AND GLORY: MANOLO PAVON/SONY PICTURES; MARRIAGE STORY: WILSON WEBB/NETFLIX K

WATCH NOW ON VARIETY.COM #ACTORSONACTORS AND ON PBS STATIONS NATIONALLY — CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS CONTENDERS: WRITER

2019 HAS BEEN A RECKONING, overdue and arguably well-deserved, for men in power. The RACE RELATIONS ways in which this has played out in real life is, In the drama “Just sadly, too often unsatisfying: criminals escape Mercy,” based on a justice, the rich retain their wealth, and the cor- real court case, Jamie Foxx plays a rupt remain in power. But on film, screenwrit- wrongly condemened ers can not only deliver satisfying resolutions to prisoner sentenced the stories that inflame our sense of outrage, but to death row. also examine the mindset of the people within and without the power structures that are in desperate need of change, whether they’re fight- ing it or helping it along. Some of these jour- neys come down to a simple loss of authority or relevance in the face of a changing world, and others are driven by an urgent need to foreground the previously marginalized, and to tear down antiquated and unbalanced institutions that favor the historically privileged. A remark- ably diverse slate of films over the past year has addressed these ideas in thoughtful, eclectic, extraordinary stories. Kasi Lemmons’ “Harriet,” for example, depicts America’s “original sin” of slavery through the eyes and experiences of abolitionist Harriet Tub- man. Lemmons and her collaborator, Gregory Allen Howard, say they were astutely aware of the parallels between the antebellum South and what’s happening now when they crafted their fact-based historical drama. “There was this underlying sense of paranoia and anxiety, this low-level anxiety at the divi- sions in the country that I wanted to speak to that I think is going on right now,” Lemmons says. “I’m interested in the mental gymnastics involved in this system of evil. From an anthro- pological, sociological point of view, how did they f**king wrap their heads around this idea?” But even if contemporary audiences auto- matically know the destructive impact of chattel slavery, some characters facing more contemporary but no less dangerous threats struggle to recognize the truth for themselves. In “Dark Waters,” Todd Haynes’ legal thriller about a 20-year effort to hold DuPont accountable for creating chemicals that knowingly and irreversibly polluted the environment, and as a consequence animal and human populations, it takes real-life attorney Rob Bilott years to realize that his former corporate overlords won’t thank or even accept his earnest efforts to point out their malfeasance. Blame in “Rob believed that if he just showed DuPont what they were doing wrong, that they would correct it,” says co-screenwriter Mario Correa. “He believed in the system for quite a bit of this the Frame case early on. And we wanted to make sure that we understood the world that was propping up this system around Rob as he navigated it.” Similarly, Charles Randolph’s script for CINEMA RECKONS WITH THE SLOW TUMBLE “Bombshell” — about Fox News’ ousting of Roger OF THE POWERFUL AND THE PATRIARCHS Ailes after several female staffers came forward with sexual harassment claims — works on the By Todd Gilchrist audience’s resistance not only to Ailes but also JAKE NETTER/WARNER BROS. NETTER/WARNER JAKE

38 VARIETY.COM DOWNTON ABBEY: JAAP BUITENDIJK/FOCUS FEATURES; DARK WATERS: MARY CYBULSKI/FOCUS FEATURES ton says. “It was kindoflike theworld was just just what was inour studio,” happening Stan- and culturally inour and aswell country as the parallels thatwere insociety happening nity; itwas aresponsibility. of thefilmmakers was more thananopportu- mantle intheworld, essentially.” a momentwhere we are going to take upthat younger generation kindcominginto Pixar at any Fulsom. “And alsoitwas meandthe about to figure out where heis,” says Steph- co-writer the kidsare out ofthehouse andhe’s trying with thefact thatheisinaphaseoflife where agrandfather.become his own children grew upandheprepared to scenario Andrew Stanton related directly to as child he’s sworn to play withandprotect —a change inhisrelationship withBonnie, the 4,” Sheriff Woody must come to terms with the they create insidethecomputer. In “Toy Story those stories reflected can be inthecharacters ular, how theevolving lives telling ofthepeople thestorytellersintrigued atPixar, andinpartic- they’reas thepeople working for.” regard themjust asfully developed characters timesthatweAnd thatisasignofthemodern films where theservants were essentially extras. ters withintheworld hehascreated. to panoply focus onarichandeclectic ofcharac- nostalgic thepast.” about think it’s worth reminding notto too be people that were very repressive andvery cruel, andI he says. “[But] there were ofthatsociety aspects is themost hereditary society,” elementabout part ofthestory ofthearistocracy that because eral oftheensemble’s female characters. when to choosing foreground thestories ofsev- the writer hadhistorical precedent onhisside televisionacclaimed seriesofthesame name, lowes’ andcelebration coda big-screen ofhis thing.”done agood and menunderstand it, thenIfeel like we’ve some placewhere women feel like itresonates itthanyouabout do. SoifIcould just get to audience, thewomen, are going to know more whereject you know thatatleast 50%ofthe one. It’s terrifying to doamovie asub- about can sortofmove theball forward for every- get you to withthesepeople, identify thenwe was,” Randolph says. ifJay“Because andIcan that really underlined how bipartisan thisissue ple ontheplanetinterms ofstanding up, and story isthatitcamefrom theleast likely peo- confront andstop sexual abuse. chronicle apivotal momentinthemovement to his accusers, asRandolph anddirector Jay Roach “We would blindifwe be hadn’t noticed Stanton suggested thatdrawing onthelives ofthestory“The was seed Andrew wrestling Modernity isatopic thathasalways “Even inthe1950s, we were still making Still, Fellowes championsthefreedom hehas “The powerful woman hasalways a been In thecase of “Downton Abbey,” Julian Fel- “For me, what was sopowerful this about

Waters” (below). (top) and“Dark “Downton Abbey” feature films this year’s loom largein are themesthat class structure malfeasance and and corporate Power, patriarchy NO RETURN DUPONT OF reality thatthere isstill alotto do.” leaveAnd we people hope thetheater withamixture ofinspiration, but alsothe But it’s equally to important talk how about much andhow little haschanged. to doit,” says Cretton. “And incredibly hehasbeen effective over the past 40 years. would say feat isanimpossible to to try change, andjust thathewas going decided havethat alotofpeople minds thatare closed most likely going to remain closed.” minds,”closed says. Lanham “We alsowanted to to honest thefact about try be tal way thetruthofsituation, about thatcangive you theopportunity to open then andnow, mistreats ofcolor onaninstitutional people level. andthought-provokingerful thepursuit ﬁlmabout ofracial justice inaSouth that, who adapted defense attorney Bryan Stevenson’s memoir, “Just Mercy,” into apow- was oneofthebiggest challenges for Daniel Destin Cretton andAndrew Lanham, telling usto lean into thetruth.” “Bryan saw avery real problem atthetime, thatmost people oreven now, “We always wanted to show thatwhen are people educated inanonjudgmen- Juggling ideas thatinspire audiences while acknowledging inescapable realities

VARIETY.COM 39 CONTENDERS: WRITER

SHADES OF GRAY “The Lighthouse” is sparse with words but teeming with evocative visuals. Cold Open

SCENE ONE IN A SCRIPT SETS THE STAGE FOR THE IMPENDING DRAMATIC IMPACT

By Randee Dawn

GRETA GERWIG’S screenwriting style starts The dual-person cold intro is a common in the middle and fans out. way for many of this awards season’s most “I don’t write in a straight line,” admits lauded films to begin, whether it’s two light- the “Little Women” writer-director. “It’s like a house keepers heading into fog (“The Light- quilt I try to stitch together.” house”); a young woman meeting her editor But one piece was more important than (“Little Women”); the Tinder date (“Queen the others: the opening scene. & Slim”) or a young woman chatting on the “Getting the opening just right was so phone with her grandmother (“The Farewell”). important,” says Gerwig. “When I had it, I “A lot of older films take more time to thought, ‘There’s a movie here.’ I knew I could set up,” says “Farewell” director-writer Lulu make that movie.” Wang, who embedded a number of lit- Direction, performances and techni- tle white lies (and one giant one) visually cal details are all critical to a film, but it’s in her opening, even as Billi and Nai Nai the opening scene that sells the picture — have their affectionate conversation. “Mod- or sinks it. And every writer has a different ern audiences have become more sophisti- approach to start telling their stories. cated with visual language, and pick things Early on, “Queen & Slim” began with the up quickly. I wanted to establish the main execution of Queen’s client, recalls screen- relationship of the movie, the two differ- writer Lena Waithe. “I thought, ‘I have to ent worlds they live in, and have audi- show that, so when she shows up on her ences lean in and say, ‘This isn’t what we date you know this won’t go well.’” Instead, expected.’ I was able to do all those things Waithe took a note and jumped straight into while simultaneously building character.” the fateful date between Queen and Slim. A writer who directs her own script, as “I like being slammed in the face right Wang does, can ultimately choose that first away [with a film’s opening],” Waithe says. scene, but it helps having a sibling as the “After we made that change, in early screen- director, too. Max Eggers and director Rob- ings people would say, ‘You’re doing an ert Eggers shared “Lighthouse” writing duties, interesting thing, we’re getting to know the and agreed early on to stick with both light- characters as they get to know each other.’” house keepers amid the fog. Starting a few beats too early is a common “It’s such an arresting image,” says Max. “It speed bump for many screenwriters. “Hustlers” was hard to want to change.” writer-director Lorene Scafaria says she wasn’t So they didn’t. “Rob knows exactly what sure how much backstory to give the audience he wants,” says Max. “If we didn’t trust each about stripper Destiny, finally settling on fol- other, we couldn’t know that anything would lowing her through a night at her job. work on the film.” “I honestly had thrown the kitchen sink Helmer Marielle Heller’s “A Beautiful at [the opening],” she says. “But it was a les- Day in the Neighborhood” opens with sub- son in writing — you could get rid of the ject Fred Rogers walking through the clas- first 10 pages of the story, and that’s where sic opening of his PBS series, followed by a things really begin.” small but unexpected plot twist. Screenwrit- Similar to “Queen,” “Marriage Story” also ers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harp- begins with the audience meeting two oppo- ster say they got lucky: That was the way the sitional yet sympathetic characters: the script read from Draft One. divorcing couple Charlie and Nicole, who nar- “It’s super rare [to not have to change the rate a montage that reveals their shared lives. opening],” says Fitzerman-Blue. “Everything is But director-writer Noah Baumbach says usually so up for grabs. But we weren’t easing that scene initially served another pur- the audience in. It’s a microcosm of the movie, pose. “I wrote the sequences as much for and hopefully it asks a lot of questions.” myself as the script,” he says. “It was a way Which is every director’s hope: That in to engage in the characters and get inside those first moments, the audience doesn’t their marriage. But in doing that, I uncov- just plunge into the deep end — they sur- ered the beginning of my movie.” face wanting more. A24

VARIETY 41 MY FIRST TIME IN VARIETY

As a performer, you’re What did you find when you associated with the ’60s, arrived in Los Angeles? not the ’50s. But “I’ll Be I found myself surrounded True” in 1957 wasn’t even by musicians who brought your first record. the same influences. Don I was living in Illinois and Peake, Leon Russell, James while I was still in high Burton, Glen Campbell, Mike school, I signed with Gone Post. Many of the guys were Records. I did whatever I from the South, but those could to advance my career. guys could play ANYTHING. I was on a local radio show, I walked into the studio and I did “record hops,” someone day and heard Tommy times I’d perform on stage in Tedesco playing Andre Sego- a local movie theater before via. It was all a wonderful the movie played. blend and producers Dick Glasser and Jack Nitzsche What finally moved the were able to bring so much needle for you and got you of it together. on the road to becoming a national recording act? There were very few I was on a local record hop and female artists with control Eddie Cochran was performing over their careers at that in town. He heard me sing and time. A decade later it told me, “You need to come out was common, but not in to California. You’ll really make the early ’60s. Was that a your mark out there.” problem? The worst thing about that Rock and roll was really time was that I was not breaking out at the time. able to realize my vision. A Who were you listening to? woman at that time couldn’t I used to listen to WLAC radio go into the studio and be station out of Nashville. They in control of their sessions. had a midnight show where Even Carole King benefitted they played what were called from having a male song- “race” records. I loved Jimmy writing partner. Reed, the Chantels and I see MY FIRST TIME: that music as the founda- You toured with the Beatles tion of everything I’ve done. on their first tour. I’m sure It was all on the shoulders you were pretty clear on Jackie DeShannon of the blues artists on WLAC, where they were headed. the ones who did the original The first time I met Paul McCa- versions of the songs, not the rtney, he said, “We know who records by the white artists you are. We’ve heard all your By Steven Gaydos that covered them. song demos.”

LAST YEAR’S ANTHOLOGY ALBUM RELEASE of singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon’s early 1970s Capitol Records masters, “Stone Cold Soul,” was a potent reminder of her impres- sive vocal chops, which powered her 1965 anthemic early ﬂower power hit, “What The World Needs Now,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. After penning a string of ’60s hits such as Brenda Lee’s “Dum Dum,” “When You Walk in the Room” for the Searchers, “Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe” for the Byrds and “Come and Stay With Me” for Marianne Faithfull, DeShannon had her own 1969 mega-hit with her composition (with Randy Myers and Jimmy Holiday), “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” In 1982, DeShannon wrote (with Donna Weiss) the blockbuster hit “Bette Davis Eyes.” Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010, DeShannon’s ﬁrst mention in Variety was in 1957, when she was up-and-coming rock and roll vocalist “Jackie Dee,” and her Gone Records release, “I’ll Be True,” garnered an upbeat Variety review.

Variety, VOL. 346, NO. 17 (USPS 146-820, ISSN 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the fourth week of June, the first week in July, and the fourth and fifth weeks in December, with 40 special issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) and Dec (6) by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, a division of Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: Variety, P.O. Box 15759, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40043404. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International Box 697 STN A, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6N4. Sales agreement No. 0607525. Annual subscription rates: USA, $329; Canada, $359 (includes GST); Europe, $399; rest of world, $599. Single copies are available for $9; back issues $11 U.S., $15 International. A reasonable fee shall be assessed to cover handling costs in the event of a cancellation of a subscription. Subscription customer service is available by phone: (800) 552-3632 or email: [email protected]. For content licensing, editorial re-use requests or custom ePrints or reprints, please email us at [email protected]. Variety ©2020 by Variety Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V logo are trademarks of Penske Business Media. Printed in the U.S.A. SUE CAMERON/DESHANNON COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS SUE CAMERON/DESHANNON

42 VARIETY.COM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE - RUSSIA

“A DEVASTATING, BRILLIANTLY DIRECTED AND ACTED DRAMA.” – Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES “SUPERBLY CRAFTED AND... ALIVE WITH HUMAN SPIRIT.” – A.A. Dowd, THE A.V. CLUB “BOLD AND EXACTING. FEELS DAMN-NEAR RADICAL.” – Jordan Ruimy, THE PLAYLIST

“+++++ BRILLIANT. BALAGOV IS A FIERCELY INDIVIDUAL AND STAGGERINGLY ACCOMPLISHED TALENT.” – Peter Bradshaw, THE GUARDIAN “ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL.” – David Ehrlich, INDIEWIRE “FEROCIOUS AND EXTRAORDINARY. YOU OFTEN HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELF TO BREATHE.” – Jessica Kiang, VARIETY

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