Alternative Film Guide

Sydney Pollack’s 1982 Best Picture nominee Tootsie, one of the funniest comedies of the 1980s, is the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences‘ "Great To Be Nominated" series. The comedy about an unemployed actor who goes to gender-bending lengths to land a role, will screen on Monday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Actor Dabney Coleman, Oscar-nominated cinematographer Owen Roizman, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, and costume supervisor Bernie Pollack will participate in a post-screening discussion.

Tootsie stars Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey, an unemployed actor with a reputation for being difficult who disguises himself as a (staggeringly ugly) woman to land an acting job. Not in a feature film, mind you — then as now, good female roles in Hollywood productions were about as rare as good Hollywood movies. Michael, dressed in the snazziest Woolworth’s garbs money can buy, nabs a role in a soap opera.

Jessica Lange won her first Oscar for her (officially) supporting performance — she’s actually the female lead — as Julie Nichols. (Had Lange been pushed in the best actress category, she’d have had to compete against herself for her much showier star turn in Frances, for which she did get a nomination.)

Tootsie received a total of ten nominations, for Best Picture (Sydney Pollack and Dick Richards, producers); Actor in a Leading Role (Hoffman); Actress in a Supporting Role (Lange, Teri Garr); Cinematography (Roizman); Directing (Pollack); Film Editing (Fredric Steinkamp, William Steinkamp); Original Song – "It Might Be You" (Music by Dave Grusin; Lyric by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman); Sound (Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Les Lazarowitz); and Writing – Screenplay written directly for the screen (Screenplay by Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal; Story by Don McGuire, Gelbart).

Also in the cast are Bill Murray — for once, he’s quite funny — and, in a small role, a very young Geena Davis.

The Oscar-nominated animated short The Great Cognito will be screened prior to the feature. Filmmaker Will Vinton will be present for a short Q and A before the feature.

Passes for the remaining screenings in part four of "Great To Be Nominated" are $30 for the general public and $25 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. A $5 discount is available for those who wish to renew their passes from parts one, two or three of the series. Individual tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Passes and 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.

Beginning June 1st, tickets may also be purchased online at www.oscars.org/events. There are no minimum order requirements and no transaction or processing fees. Tickets may be purchased online until noon PST on the day of the event.

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.

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