Michael Keaton – This Had Oscar Buzz

This week, we got one of the most requested episodes finally on the feed. In 2016, Michael Keaton had already had two comeback seasons on the Oscar trail with both Birdman and Spotlight. Neither earned him Oscar gold but our sights were on The Founder, a retelling of the story of McDonalds and the man the made it into American ubiquity. But released in the end days of the Weinstein Company, the film lingered in a purgatory of a qualifying release and never found a spot in a season dominated by Moonlight and La La Land.

This episode, we talk about the return of Keaton after a time away from major movies and his streak in the 1990s. We also talk about Laura Dern in an underserved wife role, another film by John Lee Hancock that better balances its biographical subject, and Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch playing brothers.

Topics also include the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, qualifying release strategies, and Hot Ice Cream.

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We’re tackling our first Shakespeare adaptation this week with Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing. After launching immediately into Oscar’s good graces with his directorial debut Henry V, Branagh returned to the Bard with this lighter and more star-studded adaptation – but couldn’t match that previous film’s favor. With a cast featuring Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton, this film instead remains as a delightful and sexy good time.

This week, we look at Branagh’s long and category spanning history with Oscar and his evolution towards a studio director of franchise films. We also dive into his affair with Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson’s double nominations in 1993, and the 1993 Golden Globe Musical/Comedy nominees.

Topics also include the recent film history of Shakespeare adaptations, Thompson’s “reveal” on the Ellen sitcom, and Imelda Staunton as beer wench.

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Tag: Michael Keaton

371 – The Founder

111 – Much Ado About Nothing