Film notes: Golden Globe nominations and AFI Dallas millionaire benefactress

by John P. Meyer

No Country is up for more awards, but Atonement gets the most nods from Hollywood's Foreign Press.

This past Thursday (Dec. 13), nominations were announced for the coming 2008 Golden Globe Awards (selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association). The award presentations ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 13.

Up for Best Picture (Drama) are: No Country for Old Men; There Will Be Blood; Michael Clayton; The Great Debaters; Eastern Promises; Atonement; and American Gangster.

The Globe folks have a separate category for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), and the nominated films in that category are Across the Universe; Charlie Wilson's War; Hairspray; Juno; and Sweeney Todd.

Up for Best Director are Joel and Ethan Coen (for No Country); Tim Burton (Sweeney); Joe Wright (Atonement); Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly); and Ridley Scott (American Gangster).

Atonement takes the critical cake for most nominations across the board, having received a total of seven. Charlie Wilson's War garnered five, while Michale Clayton, No Country and Sweeney each received four nods.

In local movie news, Dallas philanthropist Nancy Hamon just up and donated a cool $1 million to AFI Dallas, which constitutes the largest gift in the festival's history (so far); the money has been earmarked for AFI Dallas' education and outreach projects. Nancy actually appeared in several films in the '40s as a dancer, and thus movies are dear to her donating heart. According to AFI CEO Michael Cain, "Mrs. Hamon's support will allow us to focus on many of our objectives including year-round screenings (and) intensive educational programs in Dallas schools and universities."

Speaking of year-round screenings, for those stout enough to brave the chill, Victory Park's outdoor big screen will show a number of classic holiday films in the coming weeks, including A Christmas Story Sunday evening (Dec. 16) at 6 p.m.; on Thursday Dec. 20, drop by to see that all-time Christmas favorite, It's a Wonderful Life; on Dec. 22 it's A Christmas Carol; on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) check out Elf; for a change of pace, how about Gremlins (on Dec. 28); and on Dec. 30, there's Holiday Inn, where a White Christmas (in musical form) is guaranteed.