November 1, 2005

I had a nice chat with Eileen Newman yesterday…

Who, you ask, is Eileen Newman? She is the new Executive Director of the National Board of Review. You know, the first awards given every season that forces studios to screen movies in order to be considered, even though many of the December titles that should be in contention are not really ready. They also got smacked hard last week by an investigation by the NY State Attorney General and the reportage of gossip Roger Friedman, who really has been the most consistent and aggressive crusader against the legitimacy afforded the group by the media each year.

Newman, on paper, brings a certain authority to an organization that is under attack for unprofessional behavior. She has a strong background in managing not-for-profits, including at IFP/NY and Film/Video Arts in NY. Unlike recent leadership, Newman is a professional and a professional manager, not the kind of person who is "slumming" for some mysterious benefit. This is her full-time work.

Off paper and on the phone, Ms. Newman - who I was told was "done for the day" by the organization's publicist as end of business NY time and who then called after hours without fanfare or any publicity support - seems to be solid and serious about her future with this organization. As I dibbed and dodged so as not to turn the heat up too much after she moved into her office the same day, she jumped right in and said, "It sounds like you are asking me why in God's name I would want this job!"

She was right.

Her answer was about the history of the organization, her sense that most of the membership are truly hard core film lovers, and that there is a history of both support and success for film that she wants to be a part of. It is also, obviously, a job. And NBR is, for her, more than just the awards show that has become such a lightening rod.

When she brought up the organization's charitable side, I quickly pointed out that there are accusations that those charitable announcements were never fulfilled with actual checks. Of course, there is no way for her to directly answer that charge on her first day on the job. There is a knowledge curve that she has to navigate. But the strong impression I got was that she has a very open mind about admitting the past troubles of the organization.

And while she does''t offer up a real Norma Rae/John Wayne "I'm here to clean up this town" sensibility about the future, she makes it clear that there will be no proclamations coming from her mouth that are likely to be legitimately countered with anyone's allegations. She knows the way a non-for-profit is meant to be run and she means to run it that way.

And she did say that she intends to increase NBR's involvement in the community, via programs in filmmaking and film culture.

We discussed the idea that organizations that promote themselves this way in the current media culture need to be transparent. And Ms. Newman laughed and casually called herself "Miss Transparent." Again, the need for this is part of running a not-for-profit and not ending up in jail (or in Roger Friedman's column.) But I also got the sense that this is how Newman defines herself. She does not a games player. She seems to be a management pro.

We also discussed issues like why NBR needs to be first in awards season every year. She is willing to concede the point and even that the issue of when NBR gives its awards can be discussed in greater depth in the future.

We discussed the notion that NBR could be taken more seriously if they would own up to their membership instead of hiding behind a tiny handful of publicly known members. Again, she offered that this was a point worth discussing as things progressed. And she emphasized that she herself was proud of the make-up of the group, repeating again that the majority of members have a passion for film that makes the group worthwhile.

We talked about the fact that events like their awards ceremony generate the majority of the group's operating budget… though this is true of most other major awards giving organizations as well.

Of course, all of this could fade. But Ms. Newman was not laughing when she stated flatly that it was not in her interest to jump into a job like this only to get them through a bad time and to move on. Given her resume', she must be well in to her 50s by now. I got the feeling that relaunching the positive history of NBR is a big part of what Eileen Newman is up to there.

I am a tough critic of all kinds of things, but I do believe in Eileen Newman's sincerity. I fear the Board she has to deal with. But I choose to believe in her. And I wish her great luck.

The truth of the matter is that the media is responsible for the rabid attention paid to NBR and thus, the studio indulgence shown the group. But more importantly, groups of people who love film should be encouraged. And if NBR returns to the sensibility of movie loving and a real passion for embracing the best, no one will be more pleased than me. And if, indeed, this is nothing but a band-aid on a troubled organization that intends to remain arrogant and operate in smoky rooms, few will be more disappointed.

But for now, I will accentuate the positive. I hope Ellen Newman's attitude rules the day. Because late last week, the media was ready, willing, and able to end the public existence of this 96-year-old organization. And today, there is one strong, female ray of hope.

(The press release on her hire)

E-ME.