Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
Entertainment
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Film
Music
People
Television
Arts
Industry
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Environment
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Oscar voters wrestle with best actor choice
Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:03am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After 15 years in the movie wilderness, Mickey Rourke could crown his comeback with a coveted best actor Oscar on Sunday.
But the star of "The Wrestler" will first have to knock out Sean Penn, seen as Rourke's main rival for Academy Award glory thanks to his performance as slain San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the movie "Milk."
"It's a real heavyweight bout between the wrestler and the gay rights slugger. It's been a back-and-forth slugfest," said Tom O'Neil, columnist for awards website www.TheEnvelope.com.
Frank Langella, nominated for playing disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon," is seen having an outside chance.
The two other nominees are Brad Pitt for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Richard Jenkins for the little-seen movie "The Visitor." Both are considered long shots.
Rourke, 56, and Penn, 48, split the early movie awards with Rourke taking a Golden Globe and BAFTA and Penn winning the Screen Actors Guild trophy and a slew of critics prizes.
Movie pundits say Penn may have the edge because he is respected -- if not loved -- in the industry. He already won one best actor Oscar for playing a grieving father in the 2003 movie "Mystic River."
"Milk" also has a best picture and best director Oscar nomination, reflecting widespread support among Academy Award voters for the movie at a time when the battle over same-sex marriage is a hot topic in California.
But Rourke is far from down and out.
"This may be a case where Academy voters love the story of a comeback," said Pete Hammond, movie critic with Hollywood.com. "This movie has been sold as the resurrection of Mickey Rourke and I think that has taken hold."
Rourke's performance as a washed-up professional athlete trying to make a comeback closely mirrors his own career. A talented young actor of small 1980s gems like "Diner" and the steamy blockbuster "9 1/2 Weeks," he later acquired such a volatile reputation on set that acting jobs dried up.
Yet, in this awards season, Rourke has seemed contrite for his past behavior and his widely hailed performance has helped him regain some of his former glory.
OSCAR'S BAD BOY?
Still, Rourke, who took up boxing in the 1990s, has not quite shaken off his bad boy ways.
His recent award acceptance speeches have been littered with curse words, he raised eyebrows by thanking his dogs for his Golden Globe, smoked on the BAFTA red carpet in London and slugged champagne from the bottle backstage. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
"American Idol" to take on "Lost"
Also on Reuters
Slideshow
Slideshow: Fall 2009 collections are revealed in NY
Recession takes little sheen off Oscar gold
Video
Video: Party pets' fancy dress parade
More Entertainment News
Justin Timberlake named most stylish man in America
"American Idol" to take on "Lost"
Coldplay and Duffy lead field on eve of BRITs
Nine Inch Nails to tour with Jane's Addiction
Recession takes little sheen off Oscar gold
More Entertainment News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Trump Entertainment files for bankruptcy
With no budget, California to cut 20,000 state jobs
Michelle Obama -- fashion's non-icon
Justin Timberlake named most stylish man in America
Elderly New Yorkers angry as crisis hits poorest
U.S. Muslim TV network founder charged with beheading wife
Eastern Europe triggers new bank fears
U.S. Muslim TV network founder charged with beheading wife
White House dampens stimulus expectations | Video
Japan finance minister resigns in blow to PM Aso | Video
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Nuclear submarines collide
Japan finmin quits over drunk claim
Migrants die as boat capsizes
Homeless Gazans live in tents
U.S. abuse suspect held in Taiwan
Art imitating atom blast
"Milk of Sorrow" wins Berlin
G7 crisis talks
Piggy-back ride for your Valentine
Australian kids return after fires
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Pictures
Slideshow
Grammy glam
The Grammys raised the curtain on fashions that included Kanye West's sparkling tuxedo and M.I.A.'s bold maternity wear. Slideshow
Slideshow
Grammy performances
Artists perform under the bright lights at the Grammy Awards, showcasing a wide selection of music. Slideshow
Reuters Deals
The global destination for corporate leaders, deal-makers and innovators
Knowledge to Act
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Reuters in Second Life |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.