The 19th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards featured a ratings spike, a record-setting 7 wins for the space saga “Gravity”, and now Academy Award Best Picture frontrunner “12 Years a Slave” taking home the top honor. Not all of the nominees I voted for ended-up winning, but I am proud of the results in all the categories. And it was great, once again, to be in attendance for what was an incredible, celeb. fest:
The evening got off to a great start at the pre-show party. Best Actor nominee Bruce Dern and Supporting Actress nominee June Squibb (“Nebraska”) posed for a photo together (Dern insisted). He loved working with director Alexander Payne, telling me, “He can make a movie”. Best Actress contender Judi Dench (“Philomena”) didn’t attend the ceremony, the real Philomena Lee was on hand. The very sweet 80-year-old was pleased with how the film turned out, and gave one of the best lines all night, “Oh to be young again”.
Inside the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, the stars were taking their seats, schmoozing with friends and critics. As I approached Amy Adams (who later won Best Actress in a Comedy for “American Hustle”), she immediately said “Have you grown a foot since the last time I saw you?” Tom Hanks, who was snubbed by the Academy earlier that day, nonetheless was in good spirits, and also remembered me from our backstage chat after his play “Lucky Guy” in NYC last June.
Two local connections: Bradley Cooper, who shot this year’s “The Place Beyond the Pines” in Schenectady, NY, (not far from where I live) said it meant a lot to him to film there. And “12 Years a Slave” star Chiwetel Ejiofor shared with me his excitement that Solomon Northup’s story (which begins with his capture in Saratoga, NY) is now getting out there to the world and is currently a NY Times Bestseller.
Lupita Nyong’o crossed her fingers on both at the end of our conversation, which happened to be right before we all heard her name called as Best Supporting Actress winner for “Slave”. Seth Rogen, on the other hand, was less optimistic about the film he co-directed and starred in that was nominated for Best Comedy – “This Is The End”. “I don’t think our chances are very good”, and then he gave the famous Seth Rogen laugh, which is why my smile is so wide in my photo with him.
Both Best Actress winner Cate Blanchett (who had her young son with her at her table performing tricks) and “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuaron told me they get anxious and nervous during Awards Season, with Cuaron admitting, “I have never-ending low self-esteem”. Best Actor recipient Matthew McConaughey just wants to make sure everyone pronounces his name correctly. Why did Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa call him Matthew McConaugh Hey! Hey! Hey! during each of his appearance on their show: “They said “He” once. It took some people 10 years to get my name right”.
Melissa McCarthy has been incredibly fortunate for her success over these past whirlwind years. She told me she’s eagerly looking forward to her next film (directed by husband Ben Falcone), “Tammy”, out July 2nd. Dermot Mulroney (“August: Osage County”) is also excited for his next project, the NBC TV series “Crisis” (premiering in March), which he says is going to “completely revolutionize television”.
Now to some of my own Awards from the night:
Best Story Told by a Celebrity: Will Forte, who revealed that he dated one of Regis’ friends’ daughters about 20 years ago.
Best Unexpected Celebrity Combo: I was asked by a fellow critic to take a photo of him and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Seconds later Kevin Spacey comes-up to me and says, “I photo-bombed the picture you just took”. And he did! So I then got a shot with both Oscar winning actors.
Quote of the Night: After I introduced myself to a hurried Harvey Weinstein, telling him I’m a member of the BFCA, he said, “You look to young” and dashed away. Runner-Up: “You’re Kickin-A, Man!”, from “The Way, Way Back” star Sam Rockwell.
Quote of the Show: When Host Aisha Tyler referred to the “8 people” who probably care about new episodes of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” coming in March of The CW, I cheered, since I do watch and enjoy the show. She spotted me from the stage, calling me the “12 year-old guy”. At the post-party we laughed about it, and she said, “Thanks for playing along”.
But my Favorite Celebrity Encounter of the night, without a doubt, was with Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks”). She, unfortunately, had been denied an Oscar nomination that morning for her Oscar-worthy work as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. But if there was any disappointment, she certainly didn’t show it. She was exactly what I hoped she be like and more. She truly appreciated how much I loved the movie and her performance and introduced me to her daughter (the two look almost identical).
Thompson was very interested in how I became a film critic and where I want to go with my career, citing “So you’re the next Leonard Maltin or Roger Ebert – you cover everything!”. We posed for this wonderful photo, and as I was walking away, she turned and said something I simply will never forget – “I’ll see you on the road”.