AFI AWARDS 2003
AFI AWARDS celebrate the year’s most outstanding achievements in the art of the moving image — with 10 films and 10 television programs deemed culturally and artistically significant.
Honoring a year of excellence.
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
Wesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
Critic
The New Yorker
Critic
American Film Institute
Scholar
Critic
The Washington Post
Producer
Scholar
University of Southern California
Scholar
Critic
Actor
Actress
Critic
Rolling Stone
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
AFI Board of Trustees
American Film Institute
Director/Writer/Producer
Critic
NPR
Critic
The New Yorker
Scholar
University of California, Santa Cruz
AFI Board of Trustees
Critic
Salon
Critic
The Los Angeles Times
Critic
TV Guide
Actress
Scholar
Syracuse University
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
Wesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
Editor
Critic
American Film Institute
Scholar
Critic
The Washington Post
Critic
Scholar
University of Southern California
Scholar
Critic
Writer/Director
Critic
Rolling Stone
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Director/Producer
Scholar
The University of Texas at Austin
Writer/Director/Producer
American Film Institute
Critic
The New Yorker
AFI Board of Trustees
Writer/Producer
Critic
The Los Angeles Times
Critic
TV Guide
AFI Board of Trustees
Scholar
Syracuse University
Writer/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
Wesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
Actor/Writer/Director
Critic
American Film Institute
Writer/Director/Producer
Critic
The Washington Post
Critic
Historian
University of Southern California
Historian
Critic
AFI Board of Trustees
Critic
Rolling Stone
Actor/Writer/Director/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Writer/Director/Producer
American Film Institute
Writer/Producer
Critic
The New Yorker
Historian
University of California, Santa Cruz
AFI Board of Trustees
Critic
Salon
Critic
The Los Angeles Times
Writer/Director/Producer
Critic
TV Guide
AFI Board of Trustees
Historian
Syracuse University
Jury Co-Chair
Wesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
Jury Co-Chair
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Critic
National Public Radio
Writer/Director
Critic
African American Film Critics Association
American Film Institute
Writer/Producer
Critic
The Washington Post
Actress/Director/Producer
Historian
Critic
Historian
University of California, Santa Cruz
AFI Board of Trustees
Historian
University of Southern California
Historian
Critic
Critic
The Los Angeles Times
Critic
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Critic
TV Guide
Critic
Historian
University of Southern California
Historian
Syracuse University
Critic
Rolling Stone
Writer/Director/Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Jury Co-ChairWesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
Jury Co-ChairProducer
AFI Board of Trustees
Actor/Director/Producer/Choreographer/ Dancer/Singer/Songwriter
African American Film Critics Association
Actress/Singer/Songwriter
American Film Institute
Historian
Historian
The Washington Post
Director/Producer/Writer
Critic/Journalist
AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Writer
Actress/Producer
Historian
The Los Angeles Times
University of Southern California
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
TV Guide
Critic/Journalist
Director/Producer/Writer
Actor/Producer
Syracuse University
Rolling Stone
Director/Producer/Writer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Actor
Northwestern University
American Film Institute
Director/Producer
University of California, Santa Cruz
AFI Board of Trustees
The Los Angeles Times
TV Guide
Critic/Journalist
University of Southern California
Actor/Director/Producer
Syracuse University
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
Producer
AFI Board of Trustees
Wesleyan University
AFI Board of Trustees
American Film Institute
The Boston Globe
Historian
The Washington Post
Historian
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Actor/Producer
University of Southern California
Historian
NPR
Rolling Stone
Actor/Producer
Syracuse University
Vanity Fair
Critic/Journalist
TV Guide
The Los Angeles Times
AFI Board of Trustees
University of California, Santa Cruz
Director/Cinematographer
American Film Institute
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Director/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Actor/Producer
Rolling Stone
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
NPR
Historian
University of Southern California
The Denver Post
The Washington Post
Historian
American Film Institute
Actor/Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Syracuse University
University of Texas, Austin
Variety
TV Guide
The Los Angeles Times
BET Networks AFI Board of Trustees
University of California, Santa Cruz
Director
American Film Institute
SAG-AFTRA AFI Board of Trustees
NPR
Director/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone
NPR
Historian
The Denver Post
The Washington Post
American Film Institute
Actor/Director/Producer
Editor
Actor/Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Director/Screenwriter/Producer
Syracuse University
Variety
TV Guide
The Los Angeles Times
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
BET Networks AFI Board of Trustees
Screenwriter/Producer
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Los Angeles
Actor/Director/Producer
American Film Institute
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone
Director
MTV News
Cinematographer
Historian
University of Southern California
The Denver Post
Historian
American Film Institute
Director/Screenwriter
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Actor/Director/Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
DreamWorks Studios AFI Board of Trustees
Screenwriter/Producer
Syracuse University
Director/Producer University of California, Los Angeles
University of Southern California
Variety
TV Guide
The Los Angeles Times
Director/Producer
American Film Institute
Harvard University
Screenwriter/Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone
Producer
Director/Screenwriter
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Director
Historian
The Denver Post
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Historian
Historian
American Film Institute
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Michael Wright AFI Board of Trustees
Syracuse University
ICM Partners AFI Board of Trustees
University of Southern California
The Huffington Post
TV Guide
Actor
TIME
University of California, Santa Cruz
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
American Film Institute
Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone Magazine
USA Today
Historian
University of Southern California
Cinematographer
Director/Actor
Denver Post
Director/Screenwriter
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Historian
American Film Institute
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Actor
Syracuse University
ICM Partners AFI Board of Trustees
University of Southern California
The Huffington Post
TV Guide Magazine
AFI Board of Trustees
Princeton University
Entertainment Weekly
American Film Institute
Screenwriter Senior Lecturer, AFI Conservatory
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone Magazine
USA Today
University of Southern California
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Historian
The Denver Post
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Entertainment Weekly
American Film Institute
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Editor
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Syracuse University
University of Texas at Austin
International Creative Management AFI Board of Trustees
The Huffington Post
TV Guide Magazine
Time Magazine
Los Angeles Times
University of California, Los Angeles
Producer/Screenwriter
American Film Institute
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone Magazine
Actor
USA Today
University of Southern California
"Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide"
The Denver Post
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Entertainment Weekly
American Film Institute
Director/Screenwriter
Actor
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Entertainment Weekly
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
International Creative Management AFI Board of Trustees
TV Guide Magazine
Time Magazine
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Georgia Institute of Technology
Producer/Screenwriter
University of California, Los Angeles
The Hollywood Reporter
American Film Institute
University of California, Santa Barbara
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Rolling Stone Magazine
Producer
USA Today
Producer/Screenwriter
"Leonard Maltln's Movie Guide"
University of Southern California
Jim Hosney
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Entertainment Weekly
Actor
American Film Institute
Wesleyan University AFI Board of Trustees
Tom Pollock Producer Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
University of Texas at Austin
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Production Designer AFI Board of Trustees
AOL
TV Guide Magazine
Time Magazine
Los Angeles Times
New York University
Henry Jenkins
Producer/Actor
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
American Film Institute
Producer/Screenwriter
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Princeton University
Entertainment Weekly
USA Today
THE TREATMENT
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide"
University of Southern California
American Film Institute
Columbia University
Producer/Director
Producer/Screenwriter
Editor
Wesleyan University
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Syracuse University
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
University of Southern California
Chicago Tribune
TV Guide Magazine
Actor
University of California, Santa Barbara
Producer/Screenwriter
Variety
University of California, Santa Cruz
Arizona State University
Producer
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Producer/Screenwriter
Entertainment Weekly
Historian/Author/Documentary Filmmaker
USA Today
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
University of California, Los Angeles
THE TREATMENT
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Producer/Director
Entertainment Weekly/New York Magazine Author
University of Southern California
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Actor
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer/Director
Producer/Director
University of Arizona
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
University of Southern California
TV Guide
AFI Conservatory Screenwriter
Time Magazine
Actor
Los Angeles Times
AFI President Emerita
University of California, Los Angeles
Producer/Screenwriter
Chair, AFI Jury for Television AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Variety
AFI Trustee Emerita University of California, Los Angeles
Time Magazine
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
THE TREATMENT
University of Southern California
American Film Institute
Entertainment Weekly Author
University of California, Los Angeles
Wesleyan University
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Chair, AFI Jury for Television AFI Board of Trustees
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Screenwriter
University of California, Santa Barbara
The New Yorker
The Hollywood Reporter
Producer/Director/Actor AFI Trustee Emerita
University of Georgia
AFI Conservatory Screenwriter
TV Guide
Chicago Tribune
Syracuse University
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Hosftra University
Producer/Director
Time Magazine
AFI Board of Trustees
Producer AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer/Screenwriter/Novelist
University of Southern California
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Trustee Emeritus
University of California, Los Angeles
AFI Conservatory Director/Editor
Newsweek
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures AFI Conservatory Director/Screenwriter
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences AFI Board of Trustees
Chair, AFI Jury for Television AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Screenwriter
Producer/Director
Los Angeles Times
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
The Hollywood Reporter
University of Michigan
Variety
University of Southern California
TV Guide
University of California, Los Angeles AFI Board of Trustees
Columbia University
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Directors Guild of America Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Spyglass Entertainment AFI Board of Trustees
University of Southern California
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
University of California, Los Angeles
Duke University
National Public Radio
Producer/Screenwriter
Producer AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Los Angeles Times
The Hollywood Reporter
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Chair, AFI Jury for Television AFI Board of Trustees
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Tribune Entertainment Company AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Screenwriter
University of California, Los Angeles
Producer
Producer
Seattle Post Intelligencer
University of Southern California
Time Magazine
Producer
TV Guide
AFI Conservatory
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Director
The New Yorker
University of California, Santa Barbara
Producer/Director
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Director
Entertainment Weekly
University of California, Los Angeles AFI Board of Trustees
Film Historian
San Francisco State University
Los Angeles Times
Laura Ziskin
Chair, AFI Jury for Television The Firm AFI Board of Trustees
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Tribune Entertainment Company AFI Board of Trustees
Producer/Screenwriter
The Daily News
Television Week
Producer/Screenwriter
University of California, Los Angeles
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
University of Southern California
Georgia Institute of Technology AFI Board of Trustees
University of Georgia George Foster Peabody Awards
Producer
TV Guide
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Chicago Sun-Times EBERT & ROEPER
Newsweek
Wesleyan University AFI Trustee Emerita
University of Southern California
Actor
Producer/Screenwriter
Director/Screenwriter
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Time Magazine Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Entertainment Weekly
Princeton University
Producer
Newsday
Former President & CEO, UPN
Director
TV Guide
Producer
University of Georgia George Foster Peabody Awards
Variety
University of Southern California
Producer
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Richmond
Chair, AFI Jury for Television Integrated Entertainment Partners AFI Board of Trustees
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Editor
University of California, Los Angeles AFI Board of Trustees
AFI Conservatory Director/Screenwriter
Time Magazine Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Middlebury College AFI Trustee Emeritus
University of Southern California
Premiere Magazine
The Hollywood Reporter
Orlando Sentinel
Wesleyan University AFI Trustee Emerita
Director
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Chair, AFI Jury for Television
Director
Producer
Producer/Director
The Seattle Times
University of Georgia George Foster Peabody Awards AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer/Director/Screenwrite AFI Board of Trustees
Writers Guild of America Screenwriter
TV Guide
Syracuse University
Former President, ABC Entertainment Media Arts Group, Inc. AFI Trustee Emeritus
Entertainment Weekly
Director AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Newsweek
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures Wesleyan University AFI Trustee Emerita
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Producer
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Film Historian/Scholar
Middlebury College AFI Trustee Emeritus
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
The Philadelphia Inquirer
University of Texas, Austin
Producer
Loeks-Star Theatres
Actor
Los Angeles Times
Director
Actor
Director
Variety
The Seattle Times
Salon.com
Digital Effects Artist
University of California, Los Angeles
California Institute of the Arts
Middlebury College
Producer/Production Designer
N.C. School of the Arts
The Wall Street Journal
New York Magazine
Digital Effects Artist
Cinematographer
Los Angeles Times
Composer
Actor
People Magazine
Actor
Producer
Entertainment Weekly
Production Designer
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
New York University
American Cinematheque
Director
Producer/Director/Screenwriter AFI Board of Trustees
Actor
Philadelphia Inquirer
Producer/Screenwriter/Editor
Premiere Magazine
Syracuse University
Production Designer
Producer
Los Angeles Times Cinematographer
Cinematographer
Director
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Chicago Tribune
Producer
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Production Designer
Baltimore Sun
Composer
Producer
Producer/Director/Actor AFI Board of Trustees
Editor
Newsweek
Director/Screenwriter
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Director
Producer/Screenwriter
Director/Screenwriter
Production Designer
Producer
Production Designer
Independent Features Project
Producer
NYU's Tisch School
Editor
Time Magazine
Production Designer
Digital Effects Artist
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Movieline
Director
Screenwriter
Director
Composer
Producer/Screenwriter
San Francisco Examiner
National Assoc. of Theatre Owners
Director/Screenwriter/Actor
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Producer
Scholar/Historian
Editor
Producer/Screenwriter
The Hollywood Reporter
Independent Feature Project West
Producer/Director
Columbia University
Producer
Director/Actor
Actor
Producer/Director
Cinematographer
Preservationist
The Washington Post
Producer AFI Board of Trustees
Screenwriter
AFI Board of Trustees
Producer
Producer
Actor
Chair, AFI 2000 Jury AFI Board of Trustees
Film Journalist/Critic
Film Scholar
AFI Board of Trustees
Film Preservationist/Historian
Film Journalist/Critic
AFI Board of Trustees
Film Scholar
AFI Board of Trustees
Film Journalist/Critic
Filmmaker
Filmmaker
AFI AWARDS celebrate the year’s most outstanding achievements in the art of the moving image — with 10 films and 10 television programs deemed culturally and artistically significant.
…is a celebration of the painful dance between life and art. This wry and original comedy of depression tells its story through fiction, documentary, animation and archival footage as if it were turning the pages of a comic book. Harvey Pekar and Paul Giamatti, in a brilliantly bruised performance as the fictional Harvey Pekar, capture the theme of the film best when they say, “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.” Read the AFI Catalog entry
…swam its way into America’s heart by combining a razor sharp script that harkens back to the comedy of Preston Sturges and a stunning animated world that entrances with each shift in the light. Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres bring a funny, but always touching human element to the film that will make it an animation classic for generations to come. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…is a moving exploration of three American obsessions — sex, race and class. The bold casting of Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman addresses the fundamental issue of the film — the silent pain of passing for something you’re not. Their brilliant performances and Robert Benton’s nuanced direction create a complex, emotional core for this skillful adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…is a spellbinding fable that captures the modern day immigrant experience and retells it through the eyes of a child. Jim Sheridan’s heartfelt tale struggles between the thrill of a new life and the longing to escape the ghosts that follow us there. Real-life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger bring a sense of wonder and excitement to a film that overflows with joy for the adventure of tomorrow. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…presents a timeless story of honor in the cinematic tradition of Akira Kurosawa. This beautifully crafted star vehicle serves one of America’s modern screen icons, and Tom Cruise not only rises to the challenge, but carries the film into the history books with great dignity. The recreation of 19th Century Japan is a feast for the eyes, and Ed Zwick’s masterful direction not only presents spectacular battle scenes, but never loses sight of what the individual warriors stood for. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…punctuates the greatest trilogy in American film with an exclamation point. Peter Jackson proves himself to be the true magician of this masterpiece, for only a wizard could summon all the forces of American film three times and utilize them to such astounding success. Against all odds, Jackson met the challenge of visualizing J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved classics for a demanding, global audience. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…is only the second feature film by Sofia Coppola, yet it presents a unique voice in American film. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson bring great humor and credibility to characters adrift inside the neon and steel of today’s Tokyo. The film creates and sustains a bold, but delicate mood where they share days of isolation and celebrity and marriage and loneliness — two foreigners who need each other in an alien landscape. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…transports its audience to a 19th Century ship and shows what it would be like to live among its crew. The film unfolds in the tradition of sea-going movie classics, but with a modern attention to detail and camerawork that fully enlists the viewer in the journey. Russell Crowe proves once again that he is the leading man for human tales in epic form. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…tells the gruesome story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos and manages to find a human being amidst the horror. Writer and director Patty Jenkins brings light to this dark tale of a woman whose tragic story is never condoned but deftly brought to life in all its complexity. Charlize Theron gives a breathtaking performance that ranks among the best of the year. Read the AFI Catalog entry
…is a masterful portrait of fate and friendship across generations. Director Clint Eastwood draws brilliant performances from an outstanding ensemble cast in which Sean Penn’s searing portrayal of a father in pain calls to mind a young Marlon Brando. The use of locations in working class Boston presents an authentic background for a story of people whose lives are woven together in a world that they cannot escape. Read the AFI Catalog entry
is a Molotov cocktail of conflict, tension and surprise. Hour by hour, this groundbreaking exercise in sustained suspense never ceases to amaze. Most importantly, what may appear to be a sheer guilty pleasure is also a rumination on how far people will go for their country and demands viewers to ask this question of themselves.
is a weekly thrill ride that races through mind-bending plot twists and drops viewers in a maze of identity and motive. There is a rare, emotional core to this spy saga, however, as family and friends find themselves loving and loyal, but never trusting. With production values worthy of a James Bond film, ALIAS also boasts one of the finest acting ensembles on television.
was born a masterpiece of the theater and lives on as a masterpiece of television. The imaginations of Tony Kushner and Mike Nichols explode and embrace as their collaboration expands the boundaries of the art form. This heroic achievement carries a message for the ages that is delivered by some of the greatest actors of our day.
is a quirky comic voice in the grand tradition of MISTER ED and GREEN ACRES. Entertaining and distinctive in its documentary style, this eccentric look at the extremes of American family life delivers the all-too-rare belly laugh and instills new hope for growth and maturity in today’s stunted comedy environment.
continues to tilt America’s laugh meter as it enters its eighth season. The show’s writers never fail to find timeless comedy in the simplest details of everyday life. Each member of this peerless comic cast makes the effort appear effortless, and together, they have become part of the nation’s extended family.
is proof of divine intervention. Just when it appeared that original family dramas were dead, the airwaves brought America this fresh and funny story of a girl who talks to God. Spiritual without being self-righteous, Joan’s struggle to live with the inconvenience of a moral life raises issues the entire family can watch, discuss and enjoy.
takes a glamorous look at the ugly reality of plastic surgery. The series is propelled by an addictive storytelling style that graphically cuts under the skin of America’s obsession with appearance and, ultimately, will change the way audiences look into the mirror.
takes viewers into the locker room for an unsparing look at the lives of professional football players, coaches, fans and fanatics. This courageous programming for an evolving sports network not only shatters assumptions about the world of football, but it also humanizes these modern day gladiators by dramatizing the pressures they endure both professionally and personally.
carries the flag for thoughtful television movies that address extraordinarily complex and emotional matters through the strength of character. Inspired by the true story of a soldier who falls in love with a transgendered woman, the film skillfully finds a voice for two people who grapple with emotions they can’t explain, all without exploiting the haunting tragedy of their destiny.
portrays mundane police work with tragic grandeur and, in doing so, captures the seemingly intractable problem of drugs in American society in a daring and unique way. Complex and subtle, the series offers a look at police procedure more realistic than any show on television.
The crucial moment has arrived for motion picture makers as the threat of piracy has begun to affect decision-making at every level of the process-production, distribution, exhibition and marketing.
How the industry will combat the global threat of illegal copying and swapping of movies is yet to be seen, but with the troubled music business as a model, film studios have made this issue a priority.
At stake is the future of the motion picture as we know it.
Bravo’s QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY captured the nation’s fancy each week as five gay men known as the “The Fab Five” provided a make-over to a straight man in each of their respective expertise: fashion, food, interior design, grooming and culture.
QUEER EYE brought gay culture to the national fore by spoofing and celebrating stereotypes, and unlike other reality shows, it did so in a winning and genuine manner that developed a bond between the gay and straight men.
Its impact proved far-reaching, effectively changing the meaning of the word “queer” by bringing it into the vernacular in a positive light.
It also broke broadcast barriers as the show’s popularity encouraged NBC, Bravo’s parent company, to air the show for its more mainstream audience.
2003 marked the emergence of a new trend in exhibition in which people who go to the multiplex for entertainment have the opportunity to choose documentaries.
Old barriers between non-fiction and fiction films have fallen in part because of the narrative intensity and unique subject matters of such films as WINGED MIGRATION, SPELLBOUND and CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS.
Television reporters who wish to cover the war in Iraq must now comply by rules provided by the United States Government.
This double edged sword provides the American public a real-time view of the war, but also threatens the purity of a news voice by requiring reporters to shape their view of the war as the government mandates they experience it.
In 2003, America said goodbye to several movie legends: Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Elia Kazan, Art Carney, Stan Brackage, Donald
O’Connor. The cumulative effect of these dimming stars is a forceful reminder that a generation has passed. It is AFI’s mission to preserve and protect their film legacies, but the institute also looks to the future to see who in time, if anyone, will take their place.
Reality programming continues to capture the fascination of viewers across America. From the rise and fall of JOE MILLIONAIRE to TRISTA AND RYAN’S WEDDING, viewers are attracted to the idea of unscripted television, even though the number of writers and story editors on “reality shows” continues to increase. Interestingly, this type of programming is among the least recorded by VCRs and TiVo, suggesting that an added value to the viewer is the ability to share the experience the next day with family and friends.
The availability and relative affordability of the tools to make movies has more filmmakers doing so in their homes and away from Hollywood.
In 2003, this trend is personified by multi-hyphenate Robert Rodriguez, who created two mainstream films from the comfort of his personal studio in Texas. The success of both ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO and SPY KIDS 3-D will provide more power to people who own their tools and hopefully open the door for other voices.
Known to generations of people around the world as “Mr. Rogers,” Fred McFeely Rogers passed away in 2003. Rogers’ death is emblematic of the end of an era, one where children’s television was a new tool for learning.
Mr. Rogers was a unique figure who had a one-on-one relationship with his audience, teaching children tolerance and understanding for people not like them. Rogers was also notable for the measured and mannered way he presented information to children.
Rogers served as star, writer, composer, puppeteer and producer of MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD since its initial broadcast in 1968, making it the longest-running program on public television. The show’s library of nearly 900 episodes continues to be seen around the country.
Television provides a window on a world where an increased lack of civility in political discourse and commentary are threatening to undermine creative freedoms. People with opposing views no longer discuss and debate, but instead, destroy.
This is notable in news talk shows where commentators shout over each other to prove their point; in television programming, where a movie about former President Ronald Reagan found unfavor among a vocal group who demanded it not be aired on network television; and in the movie world, where Mel Gibson’s film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST is being damned by many groups who have not yet seen it.
Differences of opinion should be embraced in this nation and discussion should be encouraged to explore all sides of an issue, for only then will our nation truly be able to find its voice and, ultimately, its cultural legacy.
AFI AWARDS was created in 2000 to recognize the films and television programs which contribute to our collective cultural legacy. When placed in an historical context, these stories provide a complex, rich, visual record of our modern world. Since then, AFI AWARDS has honored 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding TV programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.
Unique in its celebration of the art form’s collaborative nature, AFI AWARDS is the only national program that honors creative teams as a whole – recognizing those in front of and behind the camera.
Honorees are selected based on works which:
AFI AWARDS selections are made through AFI’s unique jury process – in which scholars, artists, critics and AFI Trustees determine the most outstanding achievements of the year.
For additional information about AFI AWARDS, contact Josh Kushins at [email protected].
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