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Two Critics and a Producer Chat About the Oscars

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Many, Many Regrets

From: Lynda Obst
To: Virginia Heffernan and David Edelstein Posted Sunday, March 23, 2003, at 1:56 PM ET

Who are these people?

So far it still seems like the show will go on, but not with a lot of élan, if last night's annual kickoff parties were any indication. The no-shows were not only noticeable; they were the news. Harvey and some of his minions (the favorites, I guess) were out in force—forced smiles—pressing flesh, looking tired and a bit timid, as if maybe they knew they'd gone a bit too far. (Ahem.)

Of course the headline was that Nicole Kidman might not show, which if true, as I suspect, is a heartbreaker for all, industry and fans worldwide—old Europe and new alike. It was followed by the stunning rumor that her producer on The Hours, the remarkable Scott Rudin, was to hightail it to Hawaii in the morning, skipping the weekend's remaining festivities, a few of which were planned in his movie's honor. I really hope this is not true, but I fear that it is. This left the rest of us producers, who were sans nominations, with our jaws agape, unable to imagine a scenario in which we were nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and didn't show, war or no war, global or studio-wide, politics external or internal.

Watching the surviving nominees stagger in Friday night, I realized this must have been one exhausting campaign season. Like a war of attrition, some stars had literally fled the melee. Harbinger of Sunday's results, I fear. All I can say is, good work, Harvey and George W.

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Many, Many Regrets

From: Lynda Obst
To: Virginia Heffernan and David Edelstein Posted Sunday, March 23, 2003, at 1:56 PM ET
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David Edelstein is Slate's film critic. You can read his reviews in "Reel Time" and in "Movies." He can be contacted at . Virginia Heffernan is a television critic for The New York Times. Her book, The Underminer, which she wrote with Mike Albo, comes out in February. Lynda Obst is producer of How To Lose in a Guy in 10 Days and author of Hello, He Lied.
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