DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: Great To Be Nominated
May 25th, 2006 by Andre Soares
When bigger isn’t better: Doctor Zhivago is no masterpiece. Bloated and overlong, it fails as both historical epic and love story. And this is a film directed by the man - David Lean - who handled one of the best romantic movies ever, Brief Encounter.
Anyhow, Doctor Zhivago is at best a middling epic, BUT. . . it looks great, and Omar Sharif does surprisingly well in the title role. The film’s other big surprise is Julie Christie - one of the best actress of her generation - doing quite poorly in this period piece. Others in the prestigious cast are Geraldine Chaplin, Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger, Tom Courtenay, and Rita Tushingham.
Press Release:
Beverly Hills, CA — The 1965 Best Picture nominee, Doctor Zhivago, will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences‘ “Great To Be Nominated” series on Monday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The film will be preceded by a brief discussion with its Oscar®-winning art director Terry Marsh.
Based on the novel by Boris Pasternak, the epic love story, set during the Bolshevik Revolution, centers around Yuri Zhivago, portrayed in the film by Omar Sharif. Doctor Zhivago earned 10 Academy Award® nominations and received five Oscars for Color Art Direction (Art Direction: John Box, Terry Marsh; Set Decoration: Dario Simoni), Color Cinematography (Freddie Young), Color Costume Design (Phyllis Dalton), Music Score — substantially original (Maurice Jarre) and Writing — Screenplay based on material from another medium (Robert Bolt). Other nominations for the film include Best Picture (Carlo Ponti, producer), Actor in a Supporting Role (Tom Courtenay), Directing (David Lean), Film Editing (Norman Savage) and Sound (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studio Sound Department, A. W. Watkins, sound director; and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Franklin E. Milton, sound director).
A newly restored print from the Academy Film Archive of the Oscar-nominated live action short Time Piece (1965), produced by Jim Henson, will be shown prior to the feature.
Passes for “Great To Be Nominated” are still available at a cost of $30 for film buffs wishing to see the rest of the series. A $5 discount is available for those who wish to renew their passes from Parts One and/or Two of the series. Inclusive of Doctor Zhivago there are 13 screening dates remaining in Part Three.
Tickets for each individual screening may be purchased at a cost of $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Tickets may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.
See also Julie Christie Observed
Barefoot in the Park in New York City
Da Vinci Code Outrages Kenyan Parliament Member
"Lost and Found" Series: Mary Pickford
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