Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 14

B6 Friday, February 1, 2CS8 ENTERTAINMENT www.g-tccora AEGUT FEOFLE 'Ratatouille may have been squeezed out of best pic because it animated Film received five Academy Award nominations NEW YORK (AP) Among the tales of depravity and violence that dominate this year's Academy Awards race sits the bright and shining "Ratatouille." A rat never seemed so sanitized. J' Associated Press This photo provided by Disney shows the character Remy, voiced by Patton Oswalt, In The Pixar film landed five Oscar nominations and was ranked by many critics as one of the year's best, yet was never a serious contender for best picture. The Pixar film landed five Oscar nominations and was ranked by many critics as one of the year's best, yet was never a serious contender for best picture. Instead, it was relegated to the relatively new category of best animat ed feature, which the acade my began dolling out in 2002. Directed by Brad Bird, "Ratatouille" has garnered an aggregate score of 96 on Metacritic.com, ranking it above "Pulp Fiction," let alone this year's best picture candidates: "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Juno," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton." And its other nominations across three different disciplines best original screenplay, best score, best sound mixing and best sound editing suggests the kind of broad consensus that often results in bigger awards like best director or best picture.

Its five nominations rank as the most ever for a computer animated film, and rate second among all animated films, only surpassed by the six received by Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." That picture, done in the traditional Disney style in 1991, stands as the only animated film to ever be nominated for best picture. If not for the best animated feature category, it's safe to say "Ratatouille" would have been strongly considered for best picture. Brad Lewis, the film's producer, is quick to point out that he has no sour "The type of filmmaking that's taking place in the animation category is very broad," said Lewis. "And it's perhaps traveling beyond what people felt the parentheses of the industry were before." And considering the increasing role that digital animation and computer-generated imagery play in the making of nearly all movies today, it's becoming difficult to firmly say what is and isn't animated. Just as "Ratatouille" reflects live-action filmmaking, live-action films like "King Kong" and "Transformers" often reflect animated works.

"It's folly to have a separate animated category because it hurts the chances of a movie like 'Ratatouille' for being in the best picture race," said O'Neil. "But considering the academy history and the fact that only once did they have the guts to do it, at least the little rat is getting the chance to be a big cheese in one category." grapes with the academy and that he's ecstatic about the five widespread nominations. Still, he has to wonder. "Ultimately, it makes it perhaps too convenient for people to look at an animated film from an isolated perspective," said Lewis. "Somebody can say, 'You know what? We have a place for that, so we don't necessarily have to give it broader Tom O'Neil, a columnist specializing in awards coverage for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site, has pondered whether "Ratatouille" which he calls the best reviewed movie of the year is the equivalent of "Beauty and the Beast," only it had to deal with the specialized category.

"Is this a case where it's penalized and ghettoized because there's a separate category for animated fare?" O'Neil said. "It seems to have the same respect in the industry and among film critics as 'Beauty and the Spears Spears taken from her home in ambulance Thursday to 'get help' LOS ANGELES (AP)-Britney Spears was taken from her home by ambulance early Thursday and escorted to the hospital by more than a dozen police officers in cars, on motorcycles and in helicopters. The 26-year-old pop star was being taken to "get help," said a Los Angeles police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter. The Los Angeles Times cited unidentified authorities who said Spears was being placed on a "mental evaluation hold;" Spears was taken to UCLA Medical Center, where her mother, Lynne, was seen leaving its psychiatric hospital at about 5:30 a.m. When asked by a throng of paparazzi and reporters whether Britney was doing all right, Lynne Spears replied, "Yeah," before leaving in a Range Rover.

Hours earlier, shortly after 1 a.m., a motorcade nearly the length of a football field pulled away from Spears' residence. Along with the ambulance, it included police on nearly a dozen motorcycles, in two cruisers, and two helicopters following overhead. McCartney puts to rest rumor he had a heart procedure last year NEW YORK (AP) Paul McCartney says recent media reports that he had a heart procedure last year are "entirely untrue." "People are ringing and tex-ting me saying, 'Are you he writes in a posting on his newly redesigned Web site. "I hadn't seen the report so I was puzzled by so many enquiries about my health. So I think it's a good time to put this rumour to rest." The 65-year-old ex-Beatle says that during a routine medical examination over a year ago, "there was a minor irregularity which I needed to have tests for and which I have now been assured is completely fine." VlDEODV 'Right at Your Door (2006) West of the JGT-C pervasive language and some disturbing the domestic box office, "Ratatouille" made $410 million internationally.

Those totals are much greater than any of the best picture nominees, which combined haven't grossed as much domestically as "Ratatouille." New York Times film critic A.O. Scott listed "Ratatouille" as one of the five films that deserved to be nominated for best picture. He earlier called it "a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film." That judgment is notable in part because it doesn't make use of the word "animated." Lewis, who's working on directing a film for Pixar, cited fellow nominee "Perse-polis" an animated French language film about a girl coming of age during the Islamic Revolution as proof of the breadth to animation today. (The third Oscar nominee is the more standard family fare of "Surf's 'Entertainment won't run video of NEW YORK Tonight" says it won't air a video it has acquired that shows the late Heath Ledger at a Hollywood party where drugs were apparently being taken. The syndicated magazine's sister show, "The Insider," aired a "preview" of the video Wednesday that showed an unidentified man apparently snorting cocaine.

The show said, however, that the video does not show Ledger doing drugs. "Out of respect for Heath Ledger's family, 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'The Insider' have decided not to run the Heath Ledger video that has been circulating in the world media," said a posting on the Web sites Thursday. Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22. CORRECTION The Effingham Home Builders Association Horde Show will be from 10 a.m.

to 8 p.m. Feb. 9 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb.

10 at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham. The dates of the event were incorrect in the Entertainment Calendar published in Thursday's newspaper. HI 2 '5 ALL SHOWS BEFORE 6 PM I4-0 ALL EVENING SHOWS SHOWTIMES FOR FEB 1 FEB 7 NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS IPO) DAILY 6:45 FRI SAT 9 35 SAT SUN MAT 2:00 ALVIN a THE CHIPMUNKS (PO) DAILY 7 00 FRI SAT 9.15 SAT SUN MAT 2:15 BARGAIN MAUNEES-aU Stows befOK 6pm STUDENT DISCOUNT SlWWS tft 6p SHOWTIMES FOR FEB 1 FEB 7 OVER HER DEAD BODY (P0 13) DAILY 5:30 7:50 10:05 SAT SUN MAT 2:30 THERE WILL BE BLOOD (R) DAILY 4:40 8:00 SAT SUN MAT 1:10 ATONEMENT (R) DAILY 3:50 7:10 10:00 SAT SUN MAT 12:50 RAMBO(PQ13) DAILY 5:15 7:40 10:10 SAT SUN MAT 2:45 UNTRACEABLE (R) DAILY 5:00 7:30 9 50 SAT SUN MAT 2:10 MEET THE SPARTANS (PQ 13) DAILY 4:15 6:50 9:00 SAT SUN MAT 1:20 MAO MONEY (PQ 13) 4:30 PM ONLY 27 DRESSES (PQ 13) DAILY 3:40 6:30 9:20 SAT SUN MAT 1:00 CLOVERFIELD (PQ 13) DAILY 7:00 9:30 SAT SUN MAT 2:20 THE BUCKET UST (PQ 13) DAILY 4:50 7:20 9:40 mmAf Mm hum, "Ratatouille," made by Walt Disney Company and its Pixar Animations Studios, is also not a conventional animated movie. Its framing is largely based on the techniques of classic filmmaking, and the story of a rat who dreams to be a chef has been called a Joycean "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Rat." "I don't think people when they walk out of 'Ratatouille' the first thing that they're thinking about is 'I went and saw an animated film said Lewis. "It's partly because we're telling more sophisticated stories and I think it's because we have a more sophisticated filmmaking tool." "Ratatouille" also has the support of that great international critical body: the French.

The film, which is set in Paris and imbued with French culture, was No. 1 at France's box office for six weeks in a row surpassing a record set by "Titanic." After making $206 million at violent content achieved, but you'll have to take a circuitous route to get them. Instead of striving individually for the things you desire, you'll have to bring human relationships into the picture. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.

22) Sometimes it is smart to leave your credit cards at home when you go out running errands, but this is one of those times it'll be an exception. You could spot a needed large-ticket item at a bargain price. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) This is a better time than usual to make a verbal pitch for something important to you.

You'll be much faster on your feet than usual and be able to express yourself in eloquent terms. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Those dark skies clouding your financial picture are starting to clear up. In fact, new conditions mark the beginning of some bright rays of hope finally moving in and breaking through.

Reviewer: Rated: Plot Players: Nathaniel Some Highlights: for Mary series of "dirty Cochrane, media and outside. the streets the might as well "Right at and acting is and there McCormack and Rory Cochrane Scanner are your run-of-the-mill young married couple living modestly in Los Angeles when a bombs" are detonated across the city, releasing a toxic fallout. who was home alone at the time of the blasts, heeds the advice of the seals up his home with duct tape and plastic wrap, exiling McCormack As National Guard and armed medical teams institute marshal law on of L.A. and investigators struggle to define the nature of the contamination, thin, opaque sheet of plastic separating McCormack and Cochrane be a brick wall. Your Door" is textbook filmmaking on a budget: The handheld cameras documentary style are utilized perfectly; the dialogue is spot-on; the flawless; the well-placed special effects are by no means gratuitous; may even be a subtle message to be found somewhere.

So what's the problem? Two words: Ho hum. it it it Tonight' says it Ledger at a party The cause of his death will likely be known within days, after medical examiners complete toxicology tests. Authorities suspect a possible drug overdose, but nothing conclusive has been determined. Several prescription drugs were found in the Manhattan apartment where the "Brokeback Mountain" actor's body was found. "The Insider" ran a fairly extensive "preview" of the video Wednesday.

It showed Ledger in the doorway of a room in the Chateau Mar-mont hotel where a party was taking place. The video shows a man, his face blurred, seeming to snort cocaine from a table. Ledger said that he was "going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend" for being at the party. "StatOtf. it'i iettet Ua tiwi1' FRIDAY NIGHT 6:30 PM -10 PM ADMISSION $5 SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1 PM 4 PM ADMISSION $3 SATURDAY NIGHT 6:30 PM -10 PM ADMISSION $4 SUNDAY AFTERNOON 1 PM 4 PM ADMISSION S3 234-6667 N.

R. 45, MattOMi soTheTarble Arts Center G) MltMlTIIM E3WKJJ li The DVD jacket leads you to believe this is an action-packed, disaster-type thriller. And for about the first 30 minutes, it Is. Everything is viewed almost from Cochrane's first-person perspective, and plot details are time-released by radio news broadcasts, all of which serves to dial up the in-the-moment intensity (a scene" early on is particularly breathtaking). But once McCormack makes back home, "Right at Your Door" loses its grip, transforming from nail-biter yawn-inducer.

The remaining tense scenes including the not-so-welcome ending are so sparse they can't overcome the negative inertia of a leaps out of the gate but then comes almost to a complete stop. This is most of us shun indie films. Recent media reports "completely distorted the story, call ing it ah angioplasty, which is entirely untrue, and this is why so many friends have been concerned about my health," he writes. Today's birthdays Actor Stuart Whitman is 80. Actor-comedian Garrett Morris is 71 Singer Don Everly of The Everly Brothers is 71 Singer Ray Sawyer of Dr.

Hook and the Medicine Show is 71. Actor Sherman Hems-ley is 70. Jazz pianist Joe Sample is 69. Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 69. Actor-writer-director Terry Jones (Monty Python) is 66.

Guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heart-breakers is 54. Country keyboardist Dwayne Dupuy of Ricochet is 43. Actress Sheri-lyn Fenn is 43. Singer Lisa Marie Presley is 40. Comedian Pauly Shore is 40.

Drummer Patrick Wilson of Weezer is 39. Actor Michael C. Hall "Six Feet is 37. Rapper Big Boi of Outkast is 33. Like it? HOROSCOPES AQUARIUS (Jan.

20-Feb. 19) Your paths could cross either unintentionally or deliberately with persons who are in positions to do much for you. Just be your pleasant self, and you will be treated with respect and consideration. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -When you find yourself confronted with challenging developments, your stronger qualities will be quickly aroused.

All it takes is your will to win to be awakened, and you will be a tough cookie to beat. ARIES (March 21 -April 19) Your observations and what you have to say about them will carry a great deal of weight with your peers, so don't hesitate to speak up, especially when it comes to group involvements. They will like what they hear. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) If you give vent to your imagination, Instead of making you fearful, it'll give you the necessary courage to deal with whatever it is that's causing your apprehension. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) "chase her way to twist film that exactly why Balance and order can be restored In an arrangement that has been a bit unsettling lately.

You'll find that you're not the only one who wants things resolved. All involved are amenable to improvement. CANCER (June 21 -July 22) -Make your moves now because something on which you've been earnestly working can be brought to a successful conclusion at this time. When you see the opening, take advantage of it. LEO (July 23-Aug.

22) -Your mate or special friend will be appreciative if you give his or her concerns priority over all other issues. You don't have to do anything special; all it takes is your time and attention. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Everything you've been working on could come together now to provide both the material and mental rewards you're seeking.

You should experience much gratification, as well as gain. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Important objectives can be SAT SUN MAT 2:00 JUNO (PQ 13) DAILY 4:00 6:40 9:10 SAT SUN MAT 1:30.