“Benjamin Button" Nominated for 13 Oscars
New Orleans-based Film Among the Best of 2008
Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some people, but to those involved in the production of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, that number is a lucky one that is likely to produce some Oscar winners at the Academy Awards on February 22. And a lucky one, also, for the City of New Orleans which, for nearly a century has been a favorite shooting location but has never before hosted a film with this many Oscar nominations.
The film, which was set and shot primarily in New Orleans between September 2006 and September 2007, starring Brad Pitt in the title role, opened to critical acclaim on Christmas Day 2008. It grossed nearly $12 million on its opening day in close to 3,000 theaters nationwide, and nearly $27 million on its first weekend. As of January 13, including foreign box office, it had grossed over $104 million.
The thirteen categories in which The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received Academy Award nominations are:
- Best Actor: Brad Pitt
- Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson
- Best Director: David Fincher
- Best Picture
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
- Best Art Direction
- Best Cinematography
- Best Sound Mixing
- Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Costumes
- Best Film Editing
- Best Makeup
- Best Visual Effects
Based on an early 1920s short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of a man who “ages backward,” from his “birth” in his 80s to infancy, undergoing some strange changes in his life as those around him age normally – in the opposite direction. The story takes place between the end of World War I in 1918 and the 21st century and was shot almost entirely in and around New Orleans.
A “Boom” For Local Production
Promoters for the state’s film industry are optimistic that this film, with its glowing reviews, all-star cast and near-record-number of Oscar nominations, may trigger a boom for local film production. They are also confident that Benjamin Button will firmly establish New Orleans and Louisiana as a prime location for movie shoots. Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the state was hosting a record number of productions, but filming activity slowed to almost nothing in the wake of the devastation. Thanks to a generous package of tax incentives offered by the state, film production has again mushroomed into one of the state’s leading industries. Films shot in New Orleans have also provided a wide variety of jobs for local actors, writers and others involved in the logistics of motion picture production.
Pitt and his celebrated actress-wife, Angelina Jolie, have taken up part-time residence in the French Quarter and have made generous contributions to the city’s recovery efforts. His “Make It Right” Foundation, established in 2006, began planning, financing and construction of 150 new homes in the most heavily flooded section of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. Emphasizing sustainability, affordability and environmental concerns, these houses will be initially offered to those Lower Ninth Ward residents who lost their homes during Katrina.
“Best Feature Documentary” Nominee
Another locally produced film, Trouble the Water, has been nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Feature Documentary” category. The film follows the story of Lower Ninth Ward residents Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband Scott who were displaced by Katrina and have struggled heroically to rebuild their lives.
Co-producers and directors of Trouble the Water are Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, both of whom also produced Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine. The film was released in August 2008 to glowing reviews.
The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast over the ABC Network (local affiliate WGNO Channel 26) starting at 7 p.m. February 22, two days before Mardi Gras.
By Dean M. Shapiro |
