honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 7, 2002

Outbursts may harm Crowe's Oscar chances

By Scott Bowles
USA Today

Russell Crowe was panned for his vulgarity.
His fire and emotion won him the Oscar in "Gladiator," but Russell Crowe's temper could cost him the gold statuette this time around.

An outburst last week at a film awards ceremony in Britain, coupled with criticism that academy voters ignore black actors, have many analysts calling the race for best actor a neck-and-neck contest with Denzel Washington.

Crowe and his film, "A Beautiful Mind," emerged as Oscar front-runners after the Golden Globes, where the film won best drama, best actor and best supporting actress for Jennifer Connelly.

"I would have said Crowe had it locked" for the Oscar, says Jeffrey Wells, film columnist for reel.com. But "his brutish behavior has probably lost him some support."

Such public conduct could be a critical misstep; academy members have until March 19 to vote.

Washington, up for his corrupt-cop role in "Training Day," faces his own challenge. Oscar hasn't recognized a bad guy since Anthony Hopkins won for "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1992.

The best-actor race has become a "nice actor (Washington) in a bad-boy role versus a bad boy in a nice academic role," says David Germain, Associated Press film writer.

The controversy began last week, when Crowe refused to accept a Silver Heart Award from the Variety Club, a British charity, after learning that Joan Collins had won the award the previous year. Collins has publicly said she doesn't find the actor "great-looking," and Crowe refused to take the stage after winning the award, telling club members to "stick your silver heart up your (expletive)."

Two days later, Crowe confronted the TV producer of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards show, after a chunk of his acceptance speech was cut out of the broadcast. Crowe lambasted Malcolm Gerrie for cutting the speech, which included a recital of a Patrick Kavanagh poem.

Crowe later defended his outburst and said it should not affect his chances for the Oscar. "The Oscars are supposed to be about the performance that you've given," Crowe told reporters at the "Mind" premiere in Sydney, Australia. "I don't think I'm nominated for a Worst Argument With an English TV Executive."

Meanwhile, Washington's performance has been gaining Oscar momentum. His nomination, along with nods for Will Smith in "Ali" and Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball," sparked a flurry of media coverage about the traditional lack of minority acting contenders.

This year's special Oscar salute to Sidney Poitier also will remind voters that Poitier is the only African American who has won a lead-acting award, observers say.

"The academy's record is a disgrace," says Tom O'Neil, author of "Movie Awards." "They are making a real effort this year to reach out."

Washington, however, says that progress isn't measured in the number of nominees — or winners. "I just hope, when the time comes, we will all be able to be judged fairly on our work and not let our color help us or hurt us," he said last week.

Such a graceful attitude can only enhance his already considerable appeal with voters.