November 5, 2003

Less than a week before her birthday, Melissa Leo gave audiences a gift.

Like Ginnifer Goodwin in Mona Lisa Smile or Frances McDormand in Something’s Gotta Give or Shohreh Aghdashloo in House of Sand & Fog, Leo came from nowhere to add an extra clap of thunder in a movie with some serious big name actors. As Benicio del Toro’s long-suffering, irrepressible, unrelenting wife in Alejandro Inarritu’s 21 Grams, Leo managed to blow away audiences with just minutes of screen time. (The premiere was just days before Leo’s September birthday.)

The funny thing is, I have distinct memories of Leo’s film debut, in an odd little 1984 movie called Streetwalkin’. The film turned up during a short period of “High School Honor Student by Day, Hollywood Hooker by Night” movies, like Angel. Streetwalkin’ used the tag, “She dropped out of high school this morning ... Tonight she's a Times Square hooker,” but in reality, it turned out to be aiming a little higher. It wasn’t really a “girl from ‘Hello Larry’ takes of her top” kind of flick. Honestly, I don’t remember whether Ms. Leo took off her clothes in the film or not. But I do remember being surprised when Leo turned up in Henry Jaglom’s Always and then again in Jaglom’s Venice/Venice… from the movie streets to Jaglom’s family of high-cheekboned women.

When she turned up as a tough female detective, who never quite needed to be “one of the boys,” on Homicide: Life on the Street, it felt like a natural step for the actress. The series became my favorite ever hour-long series. They didn’t give Melissa a lot to do. Teamed up with Daniel Baldwin’s Beau Felton, she was the rock to his raging river. (“You will believe a Baldwin can act!”) But over time, Detective Kay Howard became Sgt. Kay Howard and sure enough, she became the standard-bearer for the show, holding the solid ground in place as Andre Braugher set off his fireworks. Some of my favorite episodes featured Kay Howard going home or getting caught kissing someone by the team videographer, played by Max Perlich, or playing her own glamorous sister… a role she had to audition for.

NBC never stopped trying to figure out how to make Homicide as big a ratings draw as it was a critics fave and after five seasons, Kay Howard headed out – fortunately spared the fate of her first partner on the show – and Homicide jumped the shark. (The actual jump came the day Braugher’s Pembleton recovered from his stroke and Kyle Secor’s Tim Bayliss went bi-sexual… but don’t get me started on Homicide… I can go all day.)

Then, one morning in Toronto, I went to see 21 Grams. And by the time I walked out of the theater, one of the moments in the film that no one could stop talking about was Melissa Leo washing the grill of her husband’s truck.

I sat down with Ms. Leo, really not knowing what to expect. After all, I am used to seeing her as a pretty tough cookie. But her smile was easy, her words well chosen and her enthusiasm for good work unrelenting. She first realized that something special – something beyond the work – was happening based on her role in 21 Grams when Sean Penn rang up to congratulate her on her work in the film. Even with great performances by Penn, Benicio and Naomi Watts, people were talking about Melissa.

Much like the pre-Oscar Adrien Brody, Leo is ready to find real commercial acceptance in Hollywood. She lives a relatively quiet life in Upstate New York, traveling when work calls for it. She is in that awkward age, between young thing and grown movie woman, an age at which roles sometimes dry up. She’s just rarin’ to go.

Leo’s not one to be unclear about her thoughts. She is daring and open about her life and work, but she is loathe to speak ill of any of her colleagues, even if she has reason. Her frustration at being replaced on Homicide by girls in tight shirts is evident, but never feels petty. Her passion for the work and the fight to get cast in 21 Grams is clear. She flew herself to Los Angeles to meet with Alejandro Inarritu, just as she’s flown herself to L.A. now to be a part of the celebration of the film that’s taking place all week. She has come to this strange land to be with this movie family, where you get the feel that she always kind of knew she belonged.

Normally, movies get some heat and then they have to figure out the “Oscar Moments.” Melissa Leo created her own “Oscar Moment” in 21 Grams. It was a moment of her character’s absolute passion and commitment. Unlike so many of the characters in 21 Grams, her character knows what she wants… what she needs. What she is about to get is a lot of attention from a lot of awards voters. She wants it. She may even need it. Best of all, she deserves it. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.

PATRICK GOLDSTEIN’S OSCAR PREDICTIONS: I’ll let you all do your own analysis.

2002

Chicago 5-1
Road to Perdition 8-1
The Two Towers 10-1
Antwone Fisher 12-1
About Schmidt 14-1
Far From Heaven 15-1
The Hours 16-1
Gangs of New York 30-1
The Pianist 32-1
Minority Report 35-1
Insomnia 40-1
Signs 40-1
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 45-1

2003

Mystic River 6-1
Return of The King 8-1
Cold Mountain 10-1
Finding Nemo 14-1
House of Sand & Fog (no “The”) 15-1
Master & Commander 16 –1
Seabiscuit 18-1
The Last Samurai 20-1
The Missing 23-1
Lost in Translation 25-1
In America 27-1
Big Fish 30-1

Just a couple of comments… The only two titles from my MCN Best Picture list that were not included in Patrick’s piece were 21 Grams and Whale Rider. Though I agree that neither film is likely to get a nomination, I’m not sure what criteria has Patrick leaving them off his list completely. Whale Rider could only happen as a screener ban reaction and I’m not altogether convinced that some hay cannot still be made there. 21 Grams is a fine film, although it probably skews too unpleasant for aging Oscar voters.

There is something to be said for pushing an agenda in Oscar prognostication. Patrick has thrown his hat in the ring with Mystic River and Finding Nemo. And that’s okay. Mystic River is far from a lock and Finding Nemo will be nominated right after Ellen DeGeneres marries Albert Brooks.

And keep in mind, 32-1 marked The Pianist was probably marked as such since Goldstein was having a hard time getting himself interested enough to see the film, as he admitted last month in his screener ban column. Every monkey with a crayon, including this one, had Chicago locked in last year. But outside of that, Goldstein’s “odds” are, indeed, “far from infallible.” They do offer a pretty clear look at the field.

You might get the feeling that Patrick is “not going to let himself get burned again by the little films.” But the truth is, none of us really KNOW right now. Until the screenings for Academy members start happening, especially for the still unreleased films, we’re really guessing about the order of the lists. It’s interesting that only 2 of Patrick’s Top Six from last year made the cut. I think we all know that Rings and Cold Mountain will be there, one way or another. After that…. hmmm….

READER OF THE DAY: Thank you all for your post-Grokster clean up advice.

FOSTER FREEZE writes: “Master and Commander was screened in Chicago on Tuesday evening. It is definitely Oscar worthy. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany should be nominated along with Peter Weir. Russell Crowe will win (he should have won last year). Those of us who have read all 20 of the Aubrey Maturin books loved the movie. Even members of the Patrick O'Brian forums found it very true. You will see that the movie fans all over the world will find this story so much more charming than another digital Lord Of The Rings. I loved the trilogy but hated the second LOTR. Master and Commander has such depth in the friendship between the Captain and the physician. After you have seen them all, I am sure you will change your mind.”

E ME: I’m waiting for you to tell me what you think of Matrix Revolutions.