J.D. Salinger and the Movies

Upon learning of author J.D. Salinger’s death at the age of 91, I immediately thought of Phil Alden Robinson’s Academy Award-nominated 1989 drama Field of Dreams, in which Kevin Costner’s character sets out to find a reclusive writer played by James Earl Jones.

In W.P Kinsella’s novel Shoeless Joe, the character is Salinger himself, but not surprisingly, the reclusive real-life Salinger refused to allow the use of his name in the film. Hence, Robinson and Universal were able to cast a black actor in the role of "Terence Mann."
According to the IMDb, the only feature based on a work by Salinger — in this case the short story "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" — is Mark Robson’s 1949 melodrama My Foolish [...]

Kevin Costner in FIELD OF DREAMS Screening

Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner in the days when he could do no wrong, is turning 20. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the occasion by presenting a new print from the Academy Film Archive and Universal on Wednesday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Hosted by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan — one of those rare film reviewers worth paying attention to — the evening will also feature a cast-and-crew reunion that is scheduled to include actors Costner and Timothy Busfield; Oscar-nominated screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson, who also directed the movie; Oscar-nominated producers [...]

SAG Awards 2009: Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, James Earl Jones

Meryl Streep

Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor

Forest Whitaker, James Earl Jones

Kate Winslet holding the Actor
Photos: Michael Buckner
Click on the photos to enlarge them.

SAG Awards 2009: David Duchovny, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Piven

James Earl Jones

Jeremy Piven

Christina Applegate, David Duchovny
Photos: Kevin Mazur (Piven, Applegate/Duchovny), Lester Cohen (Jones)
Click on the photos to enlarge them.

SAG Awards 2009

2009 Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG) Awards
2009 SAG Award nominations: December 18, 2008
2009 SAG Award winners: January 25, 2009
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
SAG Awards 2009 photos
 
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale – THE VISITOR (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon – FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
* SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk – MILK (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy – THE WRESTLER (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym – RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE [...]

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