Screenings for June 2008
Actor Focus:
Jack Nicholson
 Abandoned
by his father in his childhood, he was raised
believing his grandmother was his mother and his
mother was his older sister. The truth was revealed
to him years later when a Time magazine researcher
uncovered the truth while preparing a story on the
star.
When Nicholson first came to Hollywood, he worked as
a go-fer for animation legends
Hanna-Barbera. Seeing his talent as an
artist, they offered Nicholson a starting level
position as an animation artist. However, citing his
desire to become an actor, he declined. Nicholson
started his career as an actor, writer, and
producer, working for and with
Roger Corman, among others. Nicholson has
been nominated for an acting (lead or supporting)
Academy Award in five different decades:
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The only
other actors who can say the same are
Michael Caine and
Paul Newman. With 12 nominations thus far
(8 for Best Actor and 4 for Best Supporting Actor),
Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male actor in
Academy Awards history. With three Oscar wins, he
also ties with
Walter Brennan for the 2nd highest number
of Oscar wins in acting categories (all of Brennan's
wins were for Best Supporting Actor). At the
79th Academy Awards, Nicholson had fully
shaved his hair for his role in
The Bucket List. Those ceremonies
represented the seventh time he has presented the
Academy Award for Best Picture (1972,
1977,
1978,
1990,
1993,
2006, and 2007). Nicholson is an active
and voting member of the Academy. He has attended
every ceremony, nominated or not since 1990.
Wednesday 2, 2008
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Dir:
Milos
Forman /
1975
/ 133min
McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) thinks he can get
out of doing work while in prison by pretending to
be mad. His plan backfires when he is sent to a
mental asylum. He tries to liven the place up a bit
by playing card games and basketball with his fellow
inmates, but the head nurse is after him at every
turn.
Award, Best Actor:
Oscar 1976, BAFTA 1977, David Di 1976, Golden Globe
1976, NBR 1975, NSFC 1975, NYFCC 1975, Sant Jordi
1977.
Wednesday 9, 2008
The Shining
Dir:
Stanley
Kubrick /
1980
/ 146min
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the caretaker
of the Overlook Hotel up in the secluded mountains
of Colorado. Jack, being a family man, takes his
wife and son to the hotel to keep him company
throughout the long and isolated nights. During
their stay strange things occur when Jack's son
Danny sees gruesome images powered by a force called
"The Shining" and Jack is heavily affected by this.
Along with writer's block and the demons of the
hotel haunting him Jack has a complete mental
breakdown and the situation takes a sinister turn
for the worse.
Wednesday 16, 2008
As Good As It Gets
Dir:
James L Brooks /
1997
/ 139min
NewYork
City. Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a cranky,
bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer, finds his life
turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon
is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to Melvin.
In addition, Carol, the only waitress who will
tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick
son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat
breakfast.
Award, Best Actor:
Oscar 1998, American Comedy 1998, Film Critics 1998,
Golden Globe 1998, ALFS 1999, NBR 1997, OFCS 1998,
Golden Satellite 1998, Screen Actors Guild 1998
Wednesday 23, 2008
About Schmidt
Dir:
Alexander Payne /
2002
/ 125min
Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is forced to
deal with an ambiguous future as he enters
retirement. Soon after, his wife passes away and he
must come to terms with his daughter's marriage to a
man he does not care for and the failure that his
life has become.
Award, Best Actor:
Broadcast Film Critics 2003, DFWFCA 2003, Golden
Globe 2003, LAFCA 2002, WAFCA 2002
Nomination, Best Actor:
Oscar 2003, BAFTA 2003, CFCA 2003, OFCS 2003, PFCS
2003, Golden Satellite 2003
Wednesday 30, 2008
The Bucket List
Dir:
Rob Reiner /
2007
/ 97min
Corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack
Nicholson) and working class mechanic Carter
Chambers have nothing in common except for their
terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room
together, they decide to leave it and do all the
things they have ever wanted to do before they die
according to their bucket list. In the process, both
of them heal each other, become unlikely friends,
and ultimately find the joy in life.
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