The list of nominees for the 2008 ACTRA Awards was released this past week. Among the Best Male Performance nominees is David Fox, for his role in the Citytv miniseries Across the River to Motor City.
A six-part series that spans four decades, it is set along the US/Canada border in Detroit and Windsor. Ben Ford (played as an old man by David Fox) is turning 30 on November 22, 1963 — the same day John F. Kennedy would be assassinated on the streets of Dallas. Also on that day, his stewardess girlfriend Katie’s flight is diverted to that city. She is not seen again. 40 years later, he is 70 years old with a daughter, Kathleen, who he barely knows. The police show up with some grim news: Katie’s body has been found in the Detroit River; and Ben is the prime suspect of her murder. However, he takes everything he knows to the grave.
The ACTRA Awards will be handed out, untelevised, on February 29 in Toronto.
2008 ACTRA Award nominees
Across the River to Motor City
Actress Julie Christie is receiving more acclaim from her role in Sarah Polley’s Away from Her — this time from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. She is among the nominees for Best Actress at this year’s BAFTA Awards.
So far she’s won the Golden Globe, as well as a slew of others from various critics associations.
The BAFTAs will be handed out on February 10 and will air in the US on BBC America.
CBC Arts
Complete list of BAFTA nominees
Congratulations to Julie Christie, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture for her performance in Sarah Polley’s Away from Her.
The next major award she is nominated for is the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. The SAG Awards will be handed out on January 27, and will be simulcast on TBS and TNT in the US.
Golden Globe Awards
The website annesdiary.com, aimed at girls aged six to 14, is being investigated by the PEI government for trademark infringement.
“Anne of Green Gables” and Anne’s likeness are trademarked by the Government of Prince Edward Island in conjunction with the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery in order to keep Anne’s image “wholesome”. According to them, the website was not granted a license to use Anne’s name or likeness.
On the other hand, Emily Want — a representative for annesdiary.com — has said she did contact them about getting permission to use Anne’s likeness; but they had denied her request. She is waiting to hear from the Anne Authority before doing anything more.
CBC Arts
Wild Mouth — directed by RH Thomson and featuring David Fox and Ian D. Clark (Simon Tremayne) — has not been much of a hit with many Toronto theatre critics.
Set in 1917 in the fictional town of Standfast, Saskatchewan, the play centres around Anna (played by actress Sarah Orenstein) who has just lost a son in WW1, and Bodhan (Oliver Becker) who has just returned from the War. Anna moves in with her brother Logan (Ian) and his wife Roberta (Brenda Robins) — both of whom have had a son killed in action, and have another one who is itching to see some of the action himself. David Fox’s character is Aloysius, Logan and Roberta’s hired hand.
Both eye.net and the Toronto Star have dubbed the latest offering from Saskatchewan playwright Maureen Hunter “boring”.
On the other hand, the Toronto Sun/Canoe.ca has given it four out of five stars, declaring it “an impressive piece of work”. In the January 17 issue of NOW Toronto, it received a 4/5 ranking as well. Part of the review reads, “Rarely does a dramatic ensemble include so many fully engaged actors, and this whole cast stands out. R.H. Thomson’s meticulous direction includes subtle details…that make every action and reaction seem genuine.”
This is not the first time RH Thomson has handled the subject of World War I on stage. In 2002, he wrote and starred in a one-man play entitled The Lost Boys, based on letters saved by his aunt from five uncles who fought in it.
Wild Mouth is playing at the Tarragon Theatre’s mainspace until February 10.
Globe and Mail
Eye.net review
Toronto Star review
Toronto Sun/Canoe.ca
NOW Toronto
National Post
