The SNL Quest for an Oscar

They got close this year with Eddie Murphy's nomination for "Dreamgirls." And, in the past, we had Bill Murray's nomination for "Lost in Translation," as well as Dan Aykroyd's Best Supporting nod for "Driving Miss Daisy."


It's a matter of time before somebody from SNL wins an Oscar. But, as the older types mentioned above get fewer and fewer roles, the odds are dwindling. Come on, gang, does anybody really think there's an Oscar in Will Ferrell's future? Let's face it, the odds are in his favor---he puts out a new movie every week. But, my garbageman collects twice a week and he's got one up in the weekly trash department.


But, there are some possible candidates in the next crop of SNL film stars. Chris Rock is slowly starting to put together a modest film library for himself. On Saturday night, I saw his directorial and starring effort, "I Think I Love My Wife." It meandered. It was predictable. But it had some inventive moments and it appears that Chris is slowly trying to emulate Woody Allen. The pieces may fall together soon enough.


And then there's Adam Sandler. He appears to be dying for an Oscar. The last several roles have been virtual acting enemas. "Punch Drunk Love" was one that went screaming into the Oscar gold night. And, with "Spanglish," he actually started to show a range that Will Ferrell will not duplicate in a hundred years.


But, then came "Reign On Me." This is not a movie I expected to see. The trailer looked maudlin. And, I can easily find the tune from Quadrophenia on I-Tunes. However, as luck would have it, I was visiting in NY with my psuedo-nephew and his mom. And, after Sunday afternoon lunch, the timing was right.


Well, not really. Screenwriter/director Mike Binder has concocted a mess of another mess. The movie had one false note after another. There was one implausible situation after another. It was like trying to clean up Three Mile Island with an Oreck Air Purifier. There is somewhere a decent movie waiting to made about a 9/11 survivor. This ain't it.


But, beyond the script and direction, Binder committed one major fatal sin with regard to his star Adam Sandler. His actor chose to depict his character's mental anguish and possible insanity by using a Jerry Lewis-like voice. So, when the script called for a serious moment, Sandler's inflection sabotaged it all. Instead of quiet, the audience broke out into laughter. If this was Sandler's choice, Binder could have certainly solved it all by giving his actor a single note----lose the Jerry Lewis act.


So, what could have been a possible nom for Sandler now turns into an utter embarrassment. And it's the director's fault.


I guess the Academy is just going to have to wait for a really juicy performance from Horatio Sanz.


Dinner last night: a salami sandwich with a side salad. I cooked for myself.