January comes to a close, and that means that the Oscar Nominations are just around the corner! Yes indeed, we're only 12 days away now (counting today) from the much anticipated announcement of the 75th Annual Academy Award nominations. Now that we're at the close of the second month of the film awards season, it's time to look at who our frontrunners are, and who is falling off the radar.
I reported to you last time that the Academy had announced that they would be giving an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement to actor Peter O'Toole. Well, this week, O'Toole responded, and basically rebuffed the honor, saying he is unwilling to accept such an honor now, when he thinks he still might have a possibility to win a competitive Oscar before he turns 80, when he feels he might be truly ready for the honor.
In response, Academy President Frank Piersen said that they would be giving the honor anyway, regardless of whether O'Toole shows up or not, and says they will hold on to it as long as they need to until he's ready to accept him. While I find it highly unlikely that O'Toole will actually be a no-show, I must say it's a little ridiculous. This is clearly the first time that an individual has rejected an Honorary Oscar by the Academy, and as someone who is struggling to make it into that film business myself, I am continually annoyed by actors who act above their profession, or above awards like these, by rejecting them. I mean, these are the Academy Awards, the highest honor one can receive, and an Honorary Oscar especially is coming from your peers who recognize that what you have done in your film career has been incredibly meaningful, and how can you turn down such an honor or make a mockery of it?
