As Gold as It Gets

'Titanic' awaits its night to remember at 70th Annual Academy Awards

PREVIEW
	70th Annual Academy Awards Tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC

One week after surpassing "Star Wars" as the highest-grossing movie of all time, director James Cameron's film "Titanic" heads into tonight's Academy Awards ceremony poised to collect something its blockbuster predecessor never received - an Oscar for the year's best picture.

And the race to become the 1997 movie most lauded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in its 70th annual presentation shouldn't even be close.

"There never has been a doubt in my mind since I walked out of the picture in December that 'Titanic' and James Cameron would win," said Entertainment Weekly movie critic and University alumnus Owen Gleiberman.

He attributes the epic romance's critical, popular and expected Oscar successes to its pivotal role in making this a "feel-good year in movies. It is the kind of movie that dignifies crying."

That overwhelming happiness is expected to make Academy voters - more than 5,000 actors, directors, producers, cinematographers and others responsible for making movies - honor "Titanic" in most of the record-tying 14 categories in which it is nomin

Courtesy of Paramount Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are on the lookout for as many as 14 Oscar wins for a little film called "Titanic."

ated.

Eighty-seven-year-old best supporting actress hopeful Gloria Stuart, a Hollywood veteran who achieved little of note in recent decades until her role as "Titanic"'s aged female protagonist brought her a Screen Actors Guild award two weeks ago, is one person hoping to cash in on her film's popularity. "She is this old woman who has been around forever, who gives a really good, solid performance," Gleiberman said.

Stuart's main competition should come from "L.A. Confidential"'s Kim Basinger, a winner of several critical accolades, who gave a performance that Gleiberman called "way, way overrated."

Kate Winslet, "Titanic"'s best actress category entrant, however, may be one of the film's few losses tonight. Instead, TV veteran Helen Hunt, star of the comedy hit "As Good as it Gets" and the lone American best actress nominee, should be all smiles when the envelope for her category is opened.

Hunt's "As Good as it Gets" costar Jack Nicholson, whose best actor nomination made him the most-recognized male performer in Oscar history, is also a favorite to win what Gleiberman said is "basically a three-way race between ('The Apostle''s Robert) Duvall, ('Ulee's Gold''s Peter) Fonda and Nicholson."

He notes that Academy voters usually look to award both artistic and - especially this year - feel-good performances. Peter Fonda, son of the late Henry and brother of Jane, both past Oscar winners and Hollywood legends, thus should edge out the competition for his solid and moving portrayal of a Florida beekeeper.

Also up for best actor is relative newcomer and of-the-moment Hollywood heartthrob Matt Damon, who is a heavy favorite to win an Oscar as the original screenplay writer of the independent smash "Good Will Hunting," which he penned with costar, best friend and fellow hunk Ben Affleck. Voters would be loathe to ignore them, Gleiberman said. "Those guys have become hot young stars ... their literary capabilities give them street cred."

The word on the street is that best picture hopeful "L.A. Confidential," which received near-universal acclaim from organizations like the New York and Los Angeles film critics' circles, will be one of the many movies swept under "Titanic"'s mighty bow tonight. Still, writers Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson - who is also nominated for an Oscar as the film's director - should be easy winners for their sleek, gripping adaptation of the dense James Ellroy novel on which "L.A. Confidential" is based. "It is the quintessential adapted screenplay," Gleiberman said.

Early best supporting actor favorite Burt Reynolds, who had a career renaissance of sorts with his portrayal of a pornography patriarch in "Boogie Nights," could be one of the night's many industry backlash victims. Although Reynolds is a critical favorite, his Oscar stock went down after he shunned publicity tours for "Boogie Nights," and then fired his agents for getting him a role that eventually won him numerous accolades and could get him his first Academy Award.

"It was looking for a while like it would be Reynolds (as the winner of the best supporting actor award), but now I think it will be Robin Williams," Gleiberman predicted. "People seem to love his film ... there is a real groundswell for 'Good Will Hunting' now."

Gleiberman suggested that films like "Good Will Hunting," as well as fellow best picture nominees "Titanic," "As Good as it Gets" and British import "The Full Monty," are representative of the trend that popular and profitable movies generally fare well at the Oscars. "Hollywood, throughout its history, has been suspicious of movies that are not big hits," he said. "Hollywood knows that there is such a thing as entertainment, and it knows that there is such a thing as art. 'Titanic' is celebrated as both."

So what of "Titanic"'s light-hearted competition, especially surprise nominee "The Full Monty," which has tended to achieve more kudos from the public than from critics? "'The Full Monty' has become undeniably popular, so that's probably the best reason for it being nominated," Gleiberman said.

Seeing as how popular preferences often differentiate the few winners from the masses who claim "it was an honor just to be nominated," many have been surprised that "Titanic"'s Leonardo DiCaprio was among the numerous performers who the Academy did not recognize this year. But Gleiberman doubts the annual claims that "snubs" are prevalent at the Oscars, especially since there is no possibility of conspiracy when hundreds or thousands of people vote for most awards.

"If someone doesn't get nominated, there is always someone else to fill their place," Gleiberman asserted. That is probably why DiCaprio was not recognized, especially since the 23-year-old is currently one of the most loved and admired actors in the world, he said. "There is no anti-Leonardo sentiment."

It doesn't seem as if anyone wants "Titanic" to lose, either. So look for the big ship to stay afloat tonight, for a change. Expect it to soar.

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