Newsletierof theAvn RondInstituie Volume9, Number3, Morch l99B Ayn Rand: A Senseof Life Nominqted F6r Acqdemy Aword un.\rarcn rr ar v p.\r..Easrern .rne..rn estimatedone billion peopleworldwide wili watch the AcademyArvards telecast. In ad- dition to the annual paradeof movie starsand featurefilm clips,viervers will seea clip from Ayn Rand: A Senseof Life. For the first tin.re,the Academy is including clips from nominated documentaries,a spectacularboon for publicizing Objectivism. 'i-helatesi chapter iii tl-restory of iv,lichaelPaxion's docunrentary began at 5:30a.ivr. on February 10 in Los Angeles,where Paxton was watching televisionwaiting for an announcementof the AcademyAward nominations. Awarefor a f'ewdays that his film had made the "short list,"Paxton anxiously awaited rvhat was likely to be bad nervs.But the program ended without any mention of the nominations fbr Best Documentary Feature.Then he receiveda call from the fllm's publicist,rvho beganthe conversation An oudiencelines up ot theQuod Cinemoin New Yorkfo: < by apologizing.. .for calling so early. Then the news:Sense of Life had receivedan Os- sold-outshowino of Avn Rond:A Senseof Life rirr nomination. Prxton reportshis reaction:"1felt fitteennrirrutes of pure, unadulter- Senseof LifeProduction Supporr ated happiness,and then I began fielding ;r barrageof congratulatoryphone calls." Aware that the fihn r.vasuniikely to be releasedcornmercially until early 1998, ARI made contributionsto the fllm Strand Releasinghad arrangeda one-lveekrun i1ta major documentaryfestival in Pas- man,ystages of development, including: adeneiin October 1997,thus qualifying the filrn fora 1997Acaderny Award. Selling the movie: it was at an ARl-spor.rsoredbeneflt Nominations were determined by specialcommittees, which viewed the 70 en- Paramount studios on November 2, 1996, that the head tered documentariesat specialscreenings in Los Angeles,Ner'v York and San Francisco. Strand Releasingsaw the film and subsequentlydecided to pu The rvinnerswill be determinedby an eiectionin which all of the approximately5,000 chasethe distribution rights. Acadernymembers are eligibleto vote. In order to vote,horvever, members must attest Location shooting: interviervswith Michael Berliner, Cvnth to having seenall five nominated films. Arlong the other nomineesis a documentary Peikoff,A-l Ramrus (writer for Mike \Vallace),and John Ridpa by Spike Lee,who attendedNYU film school r,vithPaxton. were shot at the Institute, as were other scenes,including a *'all Ayn Rand photos and bookshelf of foreign editions of her rvorks Materials:ARI helped to discover rvhi, Sense of Life Production Teom Peikoff Nomed o Top Host variety of photos and documents appearedon screenthroughout the frlr Both Filmmaker Michael Paxton and LeonardPeikoff has been named one Research:Michael Paxton utrliz, associirteproducer/con.rposer Jeff Britting have close ties to ARI. of the 100 "most important radio talk ARI personnelfamiliar with Ayn Ranc In 1987,Michael Paxton moved from NewYork City to Los show hosts in AmericJ' by Talkersmaga- life and the archivesto suppll' b.rc Angeles,a move facilitatedby the promiseof a fuIl-timejob at zine.Billed as"The Bible of Talk Radio," ground information and to check tl ARI. Previously,he hadworked part time for both PeterSchwartz the magazinecited Peikoff as "a powerfirl accuracyof various detailste.g.. d:tt at TheIntellecttnl Activist and Harry Binswangerat TheObjectivist new radio presence."According to the namesof people in photos). Forum,rvhile completing his M.A. in film at NewYork University. magazine,there are 4,300 talk showhosts Awareof the difficultiesin breakinginto the fi1mindustry, Paxton acrossthe country,appearing on 1,350 Box Office Updote plannedto takethe ARI job while trying to makesome connec- talk show stationsand networks.That "The film perforn.redphenorn, -i tionsin Hollpvood. Althoughit took tlvo and a half yearswhile puts Dr. Peikoffin the top 2.3 percentin rrdrr)nallrr rnrellt\!rr in thp firqt '..^^lwggK-(JPc!ld- ^"'.o -: workingas ARI's mail-room clerk and project assistant, the strate- the magazine'sratings. comparedto other documentaries.ii gy succeeded.He landeda job in the featureanimation depart- The winning hostswere selected by the a hit." reported Strand Releasingc. ment at Disneyand thenwent on to otherindustry positions be- magazine'seditors and "twenty highly re- presidentJon Cerrans. foreundertaking the SenseofLife project in 1994. spectedconsultants, managers, and pro- Scheduledfor a one-weekperto ]elf Britting'sARI "career"began in 1985,when he was the In- grammers."The basisfor selectionwas mance in New York, the film n'as e: stitute'sfirst volunteer worker, helping rvith various clerical chores. "any combination Continuedon poge2 tended due to sold-out shorvsdurir He hadjust movedto LosAngeles to pursueopportunities in the- its first rveekend. In Los Angeles. aterand film aftercompleting his B.A.in philosophyat U.C.Berke- Rand archivematerials led to further inter- weekdaymatinee was added along rr ith Iey. Involvedin the Senseof Lifeprojectand makingcreative contri- est in both A1.nRand's life and the process one week extension of its original nr't butionsfrom the beginning,Britting not only wrote the original of preservation.He now worksnearly fuil week booking. "The attendancerr-ill he. musicalscore for the film, but wasin chargeof research,including time asARI's archivist while developing his future bookings acrossthe countr\'." the gatheringof visualmaterials. His involvementwith the Ayn orvncreative projects. Contrnuedon poge Peikoff-Continued from poge I of the following aspectsof the candidate's Ayn Rand: A Senseof Life professional status": ratings, Iongevity, Openings uniqueness,potential, social impact, ser- vice, industry recognition,recognition by other media, courage,and talent. Other Atlonto:Morch l3 winners,anncounced in the Februaryis- LefontScreening Room sue,included RushLimbaugh, Don Imus, 258.l Piedmon'iRood ffi;,ut-r and Michael Reagan. Laura Schlesinger, OrongeCounty, CA: Morch 20-26 PortTheotre PaulLyle Film Componion Book Avqiloble 2905 EostCoot Highwoy In May, ,|yn Rand: A Senseof Lrfe,a Coronodel Mor companion book to the film, will be re- Xm*r leasedto bookstores.The book features Chicogo:Morch 20 Theoter An excerptfrom Tolkersmogozine, feoturing Leonord Peikoff os the entire script from the film, more than FineArts oneof thenotion's too l0O tolkrodio hosts. 418 S. Michigon 300 photographsfrom the movie along SenseoJ Life Reviews: some personol observq' with an introduction by Leonard Peikoff. rions by Michqel Berliner Dollos: Morch 27 The script includesthe narration,written UA Cinemo2 Rand:A Senseof Life was the subjectof major reviews '\yn by Michael Paxton, plus the interview 5540 YoleBlvd. in New York and LosAngeles publications. However, the content segments with Ayn Rand, Leonard of those reviewsmade it clear that the media has a long way to MA: April 3 Peikoff,Harry Binswanger,fohn Ridpath, Combridge, go before reachingthe opennessand objectivity shown by the KendollSquore Cinemo Michael Berliner,and others. The vol- AcademyAwards nominating committee. One KendollSquore Bldg., #1900 ume, publishedby Gibbs-Smith,can be New York reviewsincluded: the Times,the Daily News,the ordered in advanceat many bookstores. Seottle:April24 (one week only) Post,Newsday, Time Out (an entertainmentmagazine), and The More information may be found at Gibbs- VorsityTheotre Village Voice. Los Angelesreviews included: the Times,HoIIy- Smith'sWebsite, wwwgibbs-smith.com or 4329 UniversityWoy, N.E. Reporter,and L.A. Weeklyand New Times. A review also wood by callingtheir order line at 800-748-5439. appearedin Daily Variety. Son Froncisco:Moy 8 paper was a rave or evengenerally Opero PlozoCinemq No review from a major Conlroversy in Missoulo positive, but most provided considerabledescriptive material 6012 Von NessAve. ond and found somethingpositive to say. For example,Daily Variety ARI's op-ed "The GreenUnabomb- Moy 8 (3 doys only) found the film to be "a solid and appreciativeprecis of her life," eri'written by RobertTracinski, caused a UC Theohe and the Hollywood Reporterwrote that it "details a fascinating month of continuous controversyafter its 2036 UniversityAve. life, and it does so with skill and intelligence."Writing in the publication in the Montana Missoulian UC Berkeley New YorkPost, PBS reviewerMichael Medved called Ayn Rand on fanuary2. Missoulais home to many 8 "one of the intellectualheroines of this century" and said the environmentalistsand is locatedabout 70 Philodelphio:Moy RitzTheoter film "succeedsin bringing her to life." Giving the movie three miles from the site of the Unabomber's CenterCity stars,Medved dubbed it "officially unrated, with no 'adult con- capture. tent' exceptfor challenging,important ideas."Even some in- Identifring the fact that "The Un- Son Diego:June I 9-23 tendedcriticisms were actuallypraise: the LosAngeles Times said abomber embracesthe central tenet of Ken Cinemo that "Rand herselfwould havebeen delightedwith this fiIm," environmentalism-the tenet that the 4061 AdomsAve. and Newsdaysaid that it was told "in words that might have man-madeis abhorrent,that the'natural' beenwritten by Randherself." is noble,and thus that man must be sac- Not surprisingly, the reviewers showed themselvesto be rificed to nature," the piece sparked an thoroughly modern in their intellectual'premises.A recurring unprecedented,number of letters.to-the- Op-Ed Updore objection to the movie was its "lack of