Sun, Nov 22, 2009
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Name:
MOTHERSHIP
Comment: You go, y'all!!
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Name:
sultry
Comment: Congrats Jennifer I just heard and I am so proud of you and Eddie. Bring it home girl I am rooting for you. And I am telling you you're going to win cause you are the best thing that happened to that movie and yo and you and you you're gonna WINNNNNNNNN!Yeah , Yah you're gonna winnnnnnn!!!!!
CONCRATULATIONS!!!!!!
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Name:
bigchassie
Comment: why i'm not surprised this movie did not get best picture nod. never in the history of the academy has a black movie ever won an academy award. they still don't want to cross over and make history. dayum shame. but i'm glad Jen-Jen and Eddie got nominated as well as Will and Forrest.
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Name:
MidtownATL
Comment: DreamGirls! Congratulations!
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Name:
sultry
Comment: Sorry, I was so into giving Jen her props and forgot to do the same to the fellas, so here goes Eddie, Forest and Will big ups to you guys I hope you all bring home something you all deserve it .
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Name:
Snicker
Comment: --->bigchassie and they have no intentions of giving a black film best picture nominations or anything else for that matter.....but congratulations to everyone anyway!
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: overall, was the "Movie" really a contender for "Best Picutre"? It was shot like a long nusic video. Nothing really great about it aside from the songs.
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Name:
CoCoCaramel
Comment: Congrats to Jennifer, Forrest, Will and Eddie (who would have thought you had it in you)on your nominations, looks like this year's Oscar's is worth the watch, with all the black stars shining bright this year, this is a must see...I wish them all the best of luck...But Forrest, and Jennifer better get their acceptance speeches ready cause they have those Oscars on lock!!!
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: singing aside, I dont think JHudsons "acting" was all that. What was so good about it? She played the typical hollywood "black woman" role- fat, black, sassy.
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Name:
MorrisOKelly
Comment: Yunvme...
You obviously didn't see the same movie as the rest of us...but we're all welcome to our opinions.
If you thought it shot like a long music video, then I wonder how many musicals you've actually seen, both stage and screen...because the comment is completely incorrect.
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Name:
Stophatin129
Comment: yunvme: You and I must be separated at birth!!!! I was thinking the exact same thing!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean , ok, we are happy for a sista! But i can do that! The roll your neck, attitude having, chasin a brother.....shall i go on, it was very typical. But that is how they like us. Fat, black, and sassy....All the way back to Gone with the Wind....The mammy roll. Now if it wa the grammy's, I get it! She sang the hell out of her part, but on that note...so did Beyonce! The movie was filmed beautifully, the costumes and singing were fabulous...the hoopla over jenifers acting? I must have seen a different movie! NOT IMPRESSED! But since she was acknowledged, i do hope htat she wins.....
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: Morris I saw the same movie you did. SINGING aside, what kind of acting did she really do? She was no Angela B%*$ett as TINA. Now that is acting- do you see the difference? Think outside the box and jump off the train for a minute. I'm talking about acting. While I'm at it, I may as well throw this in. If this were Halle playing a typical loud, sassy, black woman there would be so much outrage and controversy regarding her "acting" and the fact that yet again hollywood is rewarding a role that is stereotypical.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: ...but I do hope she wins.
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Name:
ChocolateBrownGal
Comment: Morning Y'all...A good day, a good day! I'm too happy about the nominations. No offense to Will but Forest has got to take this award home. It's his time and it would be nice to see him recognized for his hard and extraordinary range of work. The man is awesome! GO Eddie, J-Hud, Djmon!
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Name:
2BTRACY
Comment: Congratulations to Jen, Eddie, Will and Forest. I finally seen Dreamsgirls this weekend and it was really a good movie. Jennifer played that part to the T. She deserves it, they all do. I will be watching the Oscars.
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Name:
PRDC
Comment: Good for all. who nominates and give out these awards...enough said...it will be a long time before a black film will be awarded the best picture. OK so stop fooling yourself. I rather watch the BET Award, NACCP and others that really represents us...thats when we will get our do...just because they say its not. doesn't mean that its that.....
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Name:
WordUp
Comment: I highly doubt anyone here can do what Jennifer did. She will win an Oscar for her remarkable performance in a first film role. She performed like a pro, which everyone can't do. And whhhuuuuuud? Poor Beyonce didn't get nominated for leading actress? I agree that Forest Whittaker should win over Will Smith. Forest can act his azz off. That brotha real eats and breathes his roles. He is truly a superb actor.
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Name:
PgDn
Comment: Thought the movie was ok, JHud was great and Eddie was good.
Hope they all take the awards.
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Name:
Snicker
Comment: --->MorrisOKelly, i wouldn't even comment on yunvme because it's obvious they are just trying to start something so they can make their day go by faster by going back and forth on eur all day.....dreamgirls was about as good as any other movie that was in that best picture category i'm sure.
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Name:
alexander1906
Comment: Congrats to all the nominatees. Each of them are favored to win in their respective categories. The biggest challenger to Forest is Peter O'Toole. O'Toole has been nominated 8 times and recieve an honorary award a couple of years ago. The academy loves to give out pity awards to those long-overdue actors. This might be O'toole's last chance and the academy might just award him that statue. BTW, if Jennifers wins, she will be the fourth African-American woman to win (Hattie McDaniel, Whoppi, Hallie).
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Name:
tester70
Comment: I concur, black film NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. They feel they've done duty by nominating the actors. That is enough justification, and now with TWO black coaches in the SuperBowl, Barack putting his hat in for president in '08...HA! Ya'll negros are thinking too much of yourselves!
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: Wake up everybody. This is not a "black movie".
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Name:
MzTee
Comment: This report is incomplete because EUR left off Djimon Hounsou who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "Blood Diamonds." Let's make sure all our brothers and sisters receive their just due. Congratulations to Jennifer, Eddie, Will, Forest, and Djimon.
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Name:
nycGYRL888
Comment: I am actually on the same page as some others here this morning. I enjoyed the movie a lot but, I am not sure if ANY of the acting is Oscar worthy! Jen did a good job first time out the gate, but an Oscar...come on now, I can't see that happening. I would like her to win for all of our people who didn't and should have, but, I was not sitting in the theatre like this chile should win an Oscar...nope, wasn't on my mind at all! Good luck to them all respectively though.
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Name:
chocolattechile
Comment: Don't mean to p!ss on anyone's parade, but let's not forget "Color Purple" with 11 nominations and 1 win, which I think was for best screenplay. So, I guess I'm saying for myself, I'm being cautiously optimistic!
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Morris..I saw the same movie and mos definately agree w/what YUNV said. Jennifer was NOT a great ACTRESS in this movie...and I've seen more than a few musicals. Hats off to JH and Eddie but neither should receive an Oscar and certainly the movie shouldn't.
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Name:
ChocolateBrownGal
Comment: >>>>Snicker..right on point. Let's have positive day, my people! This is great news!
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: And I don't think that this has nething to do w/racist hollywood. It wasn't a good enough movie to be considered oscar material if you ask me...even w/its all-star cast.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: if she wins it will be because of the scene with THAT SONG. Thats what she has to her advantage.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: Three of "Dreamgirls" eight nominations are for one category "Original Song". That should be a great moment at the oscars. They can do a 15 minute block singing songs from Dreamgirls. I wonder why the Dreamgirls have not performed live together anywhere. When the play was out- they were out promoting, and featured guest on talk shows like they were an actual group.
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Name:
Stephanie
Comment: Isn't it strange how she didn't win American Idol because people couldn't call in and vote and now look at her. You just never know what God has in store for you. She has always held to her faith and God has truly rewarded her for it. I agree, the movie wasn't really all that, but she is worthy because people like Simon Fowl could have destroyed her dreams and ambitions, but God always has the final say and the results are in. Now what Simon, now what???? I actually thought Beyonce's acting in the movie was better than Jen's. I'm wondering if Beyonce will attend the AA and support Jennifer. I enjoyed the Pursuit of Happyness much better but white America doesn't want to see a black man doing what they do everyday.
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: To the folks who said Jen shouldn't win I challenge you to try and act. I saw Fantasia in her TV movie for about 2 minutes and the acting was so bad it was painful to watch - I love her though...but back to Jen - she can act. She can and she did a really good job. So did Eddie. Acting is more than rolling your neck or dialogue. They both said a lot just with their expressions, just a look said volumes. That is acting. Y'all need to try it yourself and then comment.
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: And I will say also that I think Will Smith did a good job in his movie but I think his boy stole the show from him just about every time he was in a scene. That lil boy almost made me cry towards the end when he was in the diner and he was watching the black family eat and laugh together. He just smiled and I about cried! That lil boy is good. That is acting. It's not just saying lines.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: no one is denying that she was good/ok. But if that was Halle would you be saying how "great" it was? First time/last time out of the equation- was the acting all that? No. However, I must commend her on her appearance. A stylist has done that child wonders.
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Name:
soulmusic101
Comment: Somebody mentioned that no mostly black movie had ever received a Best picture nomination from the Oscar's.... drumroll please, I believe that honor goes to the great "The Color Purple" which lost to the boring "Out Of Africa". If somebody already pointed this out, my bad. Jennifer and Eddie I hear have a lock on winning in their respective field's but we will see.......
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Name:
soulmusic101
Comment: I almost forgot. Mad respect to Forest and Will for putting it down.
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Name:
Shortey71
Comment: Congratulations to our beautiful people. Personally, I didn't enjoy Dreamgirls as much as I did The Pursuit of Happyness. I really enjoyed Will Smith's acting in that movie and it should have gotten just as much, if not more publicity than Dreamgirls.
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Name:
ImJustAsking
Comment: I like this picture of Jennifer.
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Name:
Stephanie
Comment: I think they should have Jennifer Holliday sing the song at the Oscars. I just saw the clip on youtube and sorry, Jennifer Hudson did well, but she couldn't hold a candle to Jennifer Holliday's version, AT ALL. Watching that clip just gave me chills because her range was perfect, I mean she sang the hell out of it.
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Name:
reflection
Comment: Congrats to Eddie, Forest, Will and Jennifer! I will try not to be salty that once again no black actress nominees ! yet foreign born actresses get much love. I usually boycott the Oscars because of this reason but i will tune in to see if we win
Too bad Dreamgirls was not nominated for best pic but that would have been truly surprising
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Name:
nycGYRL888
Comment: Pursuit of Happyness had more promotion and more theatres and made more money than Dreamgirls. The acting was much better in POH but Dreamgirls was just more "entertaining"!
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Name:
Fragrance
Comment: Congrats to my peeps getting all these award nomination! I loved Eddie Murphy, haven't seen Forest's movie yet, nor Wills, and I feel sorry for Beyonce because of that interview she gave (remember eur readers) where she stated that she was already a superstar....I think Beyonce will work her soul out in her next role and we will be seeing her next year or two as a nominee....
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: 1. I'm very happy for Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson. Their performances are two of my favorities this year! I hate Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon weren't nominated alongside Eddie for The Departed. Because I loved their work this year as well. .............................2. I accept that Dreamgirls wasn't nominated for best pic. The narrative could have been executed better. You just can't weakly string a bunch of musical performances together. For example, Effie's big song "And I am Telling YOu" wasn't even set up properly. Are we supposed to believe Jamie's character is "the best man I've ever known" ..and so great Effie won't leave him. They didn't show us that part of him. They didn't make Jamie's role likeable and never showed an intimate scene between him and Effie ...yet I'm supposed to believe she would humiliate herself and physically stop HIM from leave in. Set it up better, writers and director. That's just one example of the poorly executed story line. Where they went with Beyonce's character trying to make her sympathetic and act like she didn't know she was betraying her friend was ridiculous. Don't rewrite the story with Listen and try to make Deena a hero. Please. ....................3. Yes, Jennifer did deserve her nomination. It wasn't just a fat, black , sassy role. She masterfully conveyed the emotion necessary to move each scene. And I did cry during And I AM Telling You and not just because it was a great song. I felt her sense of injustice at having the industry (and her man) lock her out. She was fully believable and charismatic....Eddie was even more so. The film would have fallen like a house of cards were it not for these two. ..............3. In other news, Will Smith should not have been nominated. I love him, but his skills in Pursuit weren't well executed and the movie was poorly written/crafted as well. Forest show win this one, Although I'm pulling for Leo DiCaprio (like him better in Departed though). ..................4. So Glad Beyonce got no nominations. She and her father are delusional. She is a spectacular music and stage performer but she is a vapid actress. Make that non-actress. And I truly hope "Love YOu I Do" wins over Listen. Listen tries too hard and it's over the top with no substance. ............OK, in the words of The Devil in Prada "That's all."
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Synthia..uhm...most great gospel singers masterfully convey emotions...and people do cry. Sooo.....
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Name:
Tiedie
Comment: I'm glad for Eddie & Jennifer Hudson, as well as Forrest & Will. Nice to have some real talent recognition for a change. God knows we've been looking at the same pasty, dull, & plain-old boring white actors for years. Some of these people are just nominated for the hell of it.
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Name:
RealSmiles
Comment: Since I'm not comprehending the putdown of Jennifer's nomination by some posters on here, I do have to ask this question-can you help me to recall an African-American actress who never been in any movies nor shows but got an Oscar nod the first time up on her first movie? Since I can't recall any (maybe Oprah but my memory is short so help me), perhaps you can help me out. Meanwhile I will give my props to Jennifer just for being able to garner that honor.
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Name:
Tiedie
Comment: Yunvme has a problem with Black women in general so you can expect him to be full of criticism.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: This is more of the ABC- Anti Beyonce Coalition. You cant praise Jennifer without knocking Beyonce. Pitiful. Instead of wasting everyone's time with you ramblings- committ. Just say I cant stand that Beyonce B*tch. Thats all it really boils down do. You dont want Jennifer to win per say- you want Beyonce to lose.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: Tiedie stop trippin. You dont even know me chick.
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: RealSmiles- Diana Ross, Oprah, and Whoopie.
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Name:
Tiedie
Comment: kisses!
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Name:
GHank
Comment: Somebody tell me... if Jennifer Hudson is this good to get an Oscar nomination, how come she didn't win American Idol? For her to come out of nowhere to get this is absolutely phenominal. What else did she do other than Dreamgirls?
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Name:
yunvme
Comment: she's been performing all her life according to what I remember on AI.
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Name:
bigchassie
Comment: and speaking of The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep definitly deserves best actress. she played that role ice cold. loved it.
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Name:
5thSymphony
Comment: Congrats to Jen, Eddie, Will, Djimon, and Forrest. I was hoping against hope that Jaden, Will's son, would have been a surprise Supporting Actor nominee for Happyness. I think he did well for his first time out and at such a young age!
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Name:
Tiedie
Comment: bigchassie> Devil Wears Prada was an excellent movie! I have always been a fan of Meryl Streep (Silkwood). She will walk with the Oscar handsdown.
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: >>> musbdherbs, you said "Synthia..uhm...most great gospel singers masterfully convey emotions...and people do cry. Sooo....."
Mud, I don't preach to convert ...but I will take this time to elaborate. I'm not talking about singing emotionally. I not talking about one-dimensional emotion. I'm talking about reflect story themes by concentrating certain emotions, often several at a time, layered, in one moment. When I spoke of Hudson ..I spoke about feeling her sense of injustice...that's a deeper emotion that someone just showing out on Sunday morning ...you also feel her desperation, sense of entitlement, etc. I thought she gave a very layered performing. There's a difference in the quality of emoting ... sometimes you can make it a fine art performance.
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Name:
RealSmiles
Comment: Thanks Yunvme. So it appears that Jennifer isn't the first and hopefully will not be the last to be nominated for an Oscar in her FIRST movie appearance. IMO, Jen's nomination is definitely isn't something to discredit, especially for a former A.I. contestant.
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: I'm in a rush ... I trust you can figure out the errors in my earlier post. LOL.
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Name:
regina
Comment: Firstly congrats to all the minority nominees.
To all the folks questioning Jennifers acting skills, I will just say this. Over the years, their have been white actors and actresses that have Oscars and other awards sitting on their mantles as we speak who didn't do that great job in their roles either, especially painful is win they beat black actors that did better in their roles. My point is, every now and then blacks should get some "gimmies" too. White celebrities get plenty.
That being said, I think Will gets credit whenever he doesn't chase aliens and robots. I love Will and I loved POH but their is always something a little missing with Will's dramatic performances. He isn't up there with Denzil or Forest and others. When Will is out of what Hollywood perceives as his element, he gets rewarded whereas such performances as ALI and POH would have been old hat for Denzil, Forest, etc.
That being said, Will did a good job and I am very happy for him. I think if Will keeps doing roles of substance, he is going to get a body of work Oscar one day if not for an actual role.
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Name:
MediaAgent
Comment: I tell you...people are arguing over this "dreamgirls" Best Picture situation. I saw it. And while I will be rooting for all my brothers and sista (Will, Jennifer, Eddie, Djimon, Forrest) DREAMGIRLS is not the best picture. It's not even a good musical. Okay, but not worthy of best picture. But then again, what does the academy know? I just found out that Rocky beat out Taxi Driver.
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Name:
NYCSis
Comment: it wasn't a good musical due to the awful, awful, awful choreography. they should have brought someone in with wider scope of movement than hip hop stuff. the dancing killed it. but otherwise a lovely production.
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Name:
sdedee
Comment: Congrats to all noms.
I'm pulling for Forrest, Jennifer and Djimon. Love ya Will but come on, Forrest got that fire. Love ya Eddie but Djimon got that fire. I am tired of these two excellent actors not getting awarded. Will and Eddie are talented also but as far as dramatic acting, Forrest and Djmon wins hands down!!!!!
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Name:
DOne
Comment: Just an fyi, no movies with predominate blk casts have won for best picture, but at least 3 have been nominated before, the Color Purple, A Soldier's Story, and Sounder, I'm not sure if there have been any others.
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Name:
Stephanie
Comment: GHank, thats the same question I asked too. Just absolutely AMAZING...I am so proud of her. She just seems like a very humble spirit, not vain, and I saw that when she dedicated her Golden Globe to Florence Ballard. Losing on American Idol was the best thing that could have happened to her!!!!
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Name:
utopia
Comment: For you old mofo's out there...Siedah garrett can you believe my girl got a co-writing nod for my favorite song in Dreamgirls' "Love You I do" Now this girl has paid her dues, ya'll remember her on Dennis Edwards cut "Don't Look Any Further"....OK back to the nominations, everything about this Oscars nominations I agree with, as much as I enjoyed Dreamgirls there is a huge hole from the pis poor editing to the Mahogany rip off...it is in no way a best picture contender, and Bill Condon, the director did not deserve best director (he should hope Berry Gordy his behind), I also enjoyed Will in Pursuit, he very likeable but he has no acting depth like a Forrest Whitaker (just like how he got upstaged in Ali by Jamie's performance), but overall I am pleased as punch with the nom's Will,Djimond, Forrest, Eddie, and Jen (this chile is only 25 years old!!)and by the way Beyonce got no recognition, because she has no depth as an actor and in Hollywood she has paid her dues...I will never say B has no talent, cause not only is that unfair but untrue....she just at this point at least isn't an actree...I'm checking for Alica k in Smokin Aces though
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Name:
utopia
Comment: I mean has NOT paid her dues...and Berry Gordy don't sue his behind, Gordy directed Mahogany and all the White crtics panned universally, now in my mind Mahogany is a classic...but clear this White director Condon stole from him..
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Name:
Dovelyone
Comment: Happy for all the Dreamgirls nominations and they all deserve to WIN! Not too disappointed that Dreamgirls didn't get a Best Picture nom. There were a few movies to pick from. I'm curious and urging us to be careful about what we refer to as a "Black" movie. Does a "Black" movie mean a Black cast, and/or Black producer(s), director(s), writers, etc. I don't know if I would claim Dreamgirls as a "Black" movie because how many Black folk were in (money) decision-making positions behind the scenes?
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Name:
SOILL
Comment: Congratulations to the nominees! I drove 2 hours to see Dreamgirls and while it was good, I'm not surprised it didn't receive a Best Pic nom. While the music was good(some songs were toooo long), the acting was just uneven. JH and Eddie made the movie and that was the unfortunate part because if Bill Condon could have pulled better performances out of the core actors-- Beyonce and Jamie, then the movie may have been justified to receive a nom. I wonder if anyone else other than Beyonce(perhaps a real actress with singing chops) was offered that role.Bouncy reminds me of Whitney Houston--can sing, but I can't act.
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Name:
WordUp
Comment: I hope everyone has read the "Other" column on this website. I can believe that two black journalists were dogged in Toronto, Canada. Here is what happened.Justice4TonyeAndAnn Hailing a cab seems to be a crime in Toronto. That's what Ann Brown and Tonye Allen were trying to do on Oct. 16 at approx. 1:45 pm, after checking out of the Econolodge Hotel in Downtown. Police from Toronto Division 51 detained the two without explaining why. When asked for an explanation, the police turned violent, beating up Tonye Allen, who never resisted and continued to ask why he was being arrested. At the station, Ann Brown was told by Det. Moyer that they hadn't decided what to charge Tonye Allen with. He eventually was charged with %*$ault of police officer two times and resisting arrest two times. Ann and Tonye remain in Toronto fighting the charges and trying to raise funds for legal fees. Both are African American journalists. In fact, Ann Brown had previously written glowing articles about travel to Toronto. Tonye Allen, who has no criminal record, is a professional photojournalist. They are also seeking to locate the person who video taped the incident from across the street that day. You have find out more about Ann and Tonye at http://www.tonyeallenandannbrown.blogspot.com . PLEASE CLICK ON "OTHER" ON THE HOME PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE AND SUPPORT THESE JOURNALISTS BY SIGNING THE PETITION. AND STAY OUTTA CANADA!
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Name:
nycGYRL888
Comment: I believe Jenn did a great job especially for her first time out and honestly I hope she wins but just like I didn't think the role Halle won for was Oscar worthy, I feel the same about Jenn's Effie roll. Nevertheless...I will be cheering her on from the sidelines.
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Name:
Babygurl
Comment: I saw Jennifer on the Today Show and she was absolutely speechless. I'm so happy for her post-Idol career success and I hope she continues on. I don't think it matters that they didn't get nominated for best pic because they have the overall props from other categories.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Synthia...I thought JH did a great job. But no, her acting didn't match her singing. As far as emoting, I could be a pastor who'd been caught cheating w/the secretary a church and give an emotionally charged sermon. I could be a woman who (after being hooked on drugs, homeless, and w/child) joined church and gave an emotionally charged performance. When people cry at church, usually they are either relating their own pain to the song/sermon or were just moved by the words. That is not to say that you can't deliver that on film cuz she did...I just don't think she was phenomenal at it. As far as roles and JH's "outstanding" performance, what type of role can we now c her in? If we're basing this on her performance..what role suits her. That's the million-dollar question. Better yet, what type of album will she do. Whitney, Kelly Price? Or Jill Scott, Faith?
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: >Synthia - I agree with you that the transition to "And I am telling you" was awful. I also think that you are right about Jennifer. She was fantastic. >Musb - I don't know what Jennifer will do but I HOPE she does something like Jill Scott. I don't like the direction they took with Fantasia - very immature and ghetto - but I guess she liked it and others do, too. I just hope her style is a little more mature while still fun. I hope the songs they choose honor her big voice.
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Name:
Peekiebear
Comment: I am surprised- not shocked that "Dreamgirls" didn't make it for Best Picture. Bill Condon didn't make for Best director either- and there's the clue. The original musical- "Dreamgirls" was only a so-so play (listen to the soundtrack) save "And I'm Not Telling You" number. Bill condon elevated the film to open it up and make it better than the play- but always look to the source material. "Chicago" on the other hand, was already a Broadway legend and was a superb show. "Chicago" was a much-heralded play- and it really was that good. The film was great, too. Now, musicals rarely make it to the Best Picture category, heaven help comedies. So, I was thrilled when "Little Miss Sunshine" made it- a film made for around $8 M- chicken feed in Hollywood. And -it was a great little film. However, look back to the director's category- Clint Eastwood. Once his name was included you have to remember that he is a titan in the business with TWO Oscars under his belt- "The Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby." Now, you can skip "Flags of our Fathers", but don't forget Clint's OTHER film- "Letters from Iwo Jima." "Iwo Jima" was the totally Japanese version and it got superlative reviews. In other words, Eastwood had TWO films up for consideration and he got one in. "Dreamgirls" was noted mainly for the acting- and that is the movie's strong suit. Have all of you been talking about the film or the performances? Wouldn't it be more egregious if Jennifer Hudson or particularly, Forest Whittaker weren't nominated for his titanic portrayal of Idi amin in "The Last king of Scotland"? Yes, I'm disappointed that the film didn't make it, but I expect some acting Oscars to come our way. Great films are always left out of the Oscar balloting every year because Oscars generally aren't about the BEST films, anyway. Remember how the Seminal "Goodfellas" wasn't even nominated- and Scorcese is one of the finest directors in film history. There's a lot of politicking going on here.
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: >Synthia - I forgot this one. I am so glad to see that someone else caught how they tried to make Beyonce look like a victim. She was sleeping with her friend's man. She stole him and they try to make it seem as if she is so downtrodden until she escapes his clutches and screeches out that song. Gimme a break. It really rubbed me wrong. I was like, good. That's what she gets. Be careful what you go after because it might not be as good as it seems. As a viewer, it seemed contrived and not believable. And, I will also say that Jamie's character was really so unlikable that I couldn't understand why either of them wanted him. He was cold and mean. He had no depth. Maybe that is what they told him to do but it seemed very one-dimensional. And, it was hard to believe they were fighting over someone so cold. The relationship between Eddie and his chick on the side had more depth and she was cute as a button and very good in all her scenes.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Queenie..I actually like Fantasia's "direction." Quite true to form if you ask me. She's the same in person and I don't think she's "ghetto." But, I understand how people wouldn't like the fact that she's not as "polished" as we think each other should be.
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Name:
lilmocc
Comment: I am not surprised Dreamgirls didn't get a best movie nod b/c it really didn't deservet that but I am hella proud of all of our nominees from all of the movies. Forest is waaayyy long overdue. He is truly one of a kind to me. Someone who doesn't always get the props he deserves. Dijmon always does his thing. Eddie did great, JH was good for her first time out and I agree with the poster who said that there have been "others" who have gotten nominations that folks felt weren't necessarily warranted either, so I'm fine with her nomination so early in the game. Beyonce is growing as an actress and was better in Dreamgirls but still no good actress by any stretch. Fantasia is a ghetto bird, LOL. She just can't help it. I too hope JH does something mature as well.
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Name:
JGGIRL
Comment: they tried to make Beyonce look like a victim>>>
You mean they tried to make "Deena" look like the victim? Wasn't this the way it was played in the Broadway play?
In order to be a best picture you must have a great story and great acting. Dreamgirls had a weak story, great SINGING and average acting so I am not surprised that it did not get best picture. All you hear about is how great Jennifer SANG THAT song. How great Beyonce SANG "Listen" and how great Eddie PERFORMED. Where was the great acting?
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Name:
whynotme
Comment: --->JGGIRL i guess they won't give beyonce a break huh....beyonce wasn't playing herself in the movie, she was playing deena so you're right.
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Name:
fanteeking
Comment: @ALL THE NAYSAYERS!: You're entitled to your opinion about JH, but just check out this analogy. Say, I ain't never played basketball in my life and some coach comes to me, gives me a pair of tennis shoes and shows me how to dribble and shoot a jump shot. He then inserts me into an All-Star game and I dazzle folks by dribbling 'tween my legs and taking Michael Jordan to the hoop and slam-dunkin' on 'em! This is J-Hud's FIRST movie and she was MAGNIFICENT. I wonder what yaw woulda done had yaw gotten the part. Now, crabs back into your baskets!!!
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: No Deena wasn't presented so sympatheticaly on Broadway. Just like Effie didn't live to make a comeback on Broadway. The film, being a different medium and all, exercised some license......
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Name:
barnone
Comment: sdedee> THANK U!!! bout time somebody said it. Djimon has mad, mad skills. i haven't seen DG, but Eddie can't hold a candle to Djimon. did u c him in Amistad? Eddie---Djimon, no comparison. it's like gabrielle union and angela b%*$et. yeah we like gab, she's pretty, but she just doesn't have the skills that AB has. and....Djimon is fine as heaven!!!
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: Mud -- You raise a good question about whether Jennifer's acting here could work in other roles. I'm not sure. Certainly, acting in a musical is helped if you're a strong singer. She won't have the crutch in a straight drama role. She'd still have to prove herself in that genre. But if she chooses to go Broadway or do other music-oriented movies, I think she has a strong future as an actress.
And BTW, you and I aren't understanding each other when I talk emoting in acting. It's different that street acting like at the pulpit. But I'm tired of that discussion. :-)
And QUEENIE!! We are right here! (in my best Martin Lawrence voice. LOL.)
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Name:
soulsis
Comment: Jeez, must everything be so spelled out literally. Of course, Jamie Foxx's character isn't the "best man (Effie's) ever known." He's a dirty snake, but if you pay attention to all of the clues in the film, you will see that she has a very low self-esteem, which is a symptom of her cranky attitude. She has a mother who's not there, and she's self conscious about not being "beautiful" like Deena. She just wants "someone to love." Curtis is that person for her because she's probably never had it before. That's why she has to be so defensive all the time. Of course, later, Magic is the love of her life that helps her get her life back in order and starts trusting others. So when you see Effie/JHud singing that song, you see all sorts of emotions coming through - unrequited love, confusion, anger, distrust, desperation. Jennifer Hudson's acting was superb. Do you know how HARD it is to act via your singing and while you are singing?? Bravo, JHud!!!!!
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Name:
soulsis
Comment: To the people asking why Effie and Deena's characters liked Curtis, the dirty snake, so much - you have to look into the context clues. See my message above for the Effie explanation. As far as Deena, well, she's kind of a puppet. She'll do anything for success, but not too smart. Remember, she ran away from home to "make it." She went so far as to wear a wig backwards to "have a look." At the Christmas party where they played "Patience" for Curtis, she ran like a puppy dog behind him after he told her he wanted her to meet his friend, despite the fact that he shot "Patience" down so cruelly. So the love that Effie and Deena have for Curtis is not Valentine's Day healthy love. It's desparate love for Effie and convenience love for Deena. See it again and enjoy. I love Dreamgirls, an intelligent Black film musical thing for those who understand.
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: >soulsis - I hear ya talking but I still say that Jamie played the role very one-dimensionally. I still think that it would have been more believable had he shown some good qualities. To me, the best "villain" characters aren't all bad. Example - Robert Deniro in "Heat"...he was a murdering bank robber and yet I still wanted him to get away with the girl = excellent acting. He was bad but not 100% evil. Even Tony Montana in Scarface had a soft spot for Elvie and wouldn't kill a child despite how ruthless he was in the drug business. That's all I'm saying...
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Name:
queeniebunz
Comment: JGGIRL - I actually said Beyonce because I forgot the name Deena...I should have said "Beyonce's character"...I'm not a hater..lol
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Name:
nycGYRL888
Comment: >>>Fanteeking...she was good (grant it)...but not phenomenol (sp?) until she sang that song...then she went back to being good again! Bottom line.
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Name:
JGGIRL
Comment: I get you Queenie. It's just that I read a lot of posts where people seem to be getting the actors mixed up with the characters. The movie is based on the Broadway play and someone correct me if I am wrong but I read that it was Jennifer Holliday who changed the storyline and had Effie not die in the play. Am I wrong?
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Name:
DOne
Comment: >Peekiebear, I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't comment. However, i did see the play and it was a vert nycg-heralded play that won best musical and several other Tonys. Jennifer holiday was the toast of broadway for a couple of years.
Effie character does not die in the play.
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Name:
Angel
Comment: soulsis - And don't forget that Effie just found out she was pregnant by that Mofo, so she had all kinds of emotions going on.
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Name:
Angel
Comment: Tiedie - I think Helen Mirren may just snatch that Oscar instead of Meryl Streep. That's the word on the street.......
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: Soulsis -- this is not about being literal. It's about proper artistic execution of a storyline. Everyone understands the characters and theoretically why Effie would be attracted to Curtis. But this is a dramatized story and it needs to be symbolized with more than the flirting in I Love You I Do" which was the most significant exchange betweeen them.
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Name:
Sexee
Comment: I must admit that Dreamgirls was a good movie, but I thought the acting was okay. I am not a fan of J Hud's voice but I do want her to win. I believe the right person won American Idol and that's that. Congrats J Hud I or no one else can take away your thunder, this is your time to shine so BLING baby!
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Name:
CrzyLdy16
Comment: I think with this being JHud first attempt, she has shown so much promise!!! Compare her acting with veteren actresses (compare her with Halle's monster ball performance) and you will see that her performance was indeed oscar worthy.
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Name:
JGGIRL
Comment: But this is a dramatized story and it needs to be symbolized with more than the flirting in I Love You I Do" which was the most significant exchange betweeen them.>>>
But I think we also have to remember that in a musical much of the story is told in the songs, not so much in actual speaking words. As for Streep, a lot of critics are saying she really was a supporting actress in Devil. I agree. I thought Ann Hathaway was the lead.
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Name:
Synthia
Comment: It's not about the speaking words. Even if you watch Chicago and Moulin Rouge, the establishment of characters and their bonds is much more thorough-- through action, situation, behavior, scenes.
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Name:
soulsis
Comment: >queeniebunz - point taken re: Jamie Foxx's acting in this film. I love me some Jamie, but I thought he could have taken it to another level too. However, look at his face when he "discovers" Magic in the final song. It cracks me up every time!!!
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Name:
dreamgirls4ever
Comment: Congrats to Eddie and Jennifer on their nominations! I'm so thrilled for both of them. I'm pleased about the other nominations Dreamgirls got too! If you would like to talk about Dreamgirls please check out the official movie boards at http://www.dreamgirlsmovie.com/boards
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