Roy Scheider – Posthumous Oscar Nomination? Hell Yeah!
The first thing I remember seeing Roy Scheider in wasn’t JAWS or THE FRENCH CONNECTION or BLUE THUNDER or ALL THAT JAZZ.
It was 2010 – THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT
There was the essence of my own father in his face. Scheider’s persona was often a tortured father-figure – no doubt about that. An aura he took full advantage of in THE MYTH OF FINGERPRINTS.
2010 has stuck with me throughout the years. It may not have the artistry and – at times very obscure and frustratingly vague – beauty of the original Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it has Arthur C. Clarke’s wonderful meditations of what our status and standing in the universe might be.
Alien contact as a reflection on the meaning of life and humanity. 2010 was more straightforward that its predecessor 2001 – a film I quickly fell in love with shortly after seeing the sequel – but – yes – 2010 was much more a straightforward telling of a rescue, recovery mission to Jupiter – the mystery of what became of the protagonist of the first film still lingering. Being straightforward is not a criticism. While Kubrick examined large issues of humanity – Clarke examined individuals and their intimate concerns.
Scheider’s performance is wonderful.
And then – of course – I saw JAWS!
Dear GOD!!! What a movie. Terrified! TERRIFIED I WAS. Couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.
My friend Seret and I shared a moment on the phone the day he passed away.
He’s an actor we would miss terribly.
I read this afternoon in the L.A. TIMES there’s talk of campaigning to get his last film an Oscar nomination for his performance.
And while I think the whole Oscar thing is a bit ridiculous – and I have pretty much joined the women and gay friends in my life by watching the Award show to basically just see what everyone ends up wearing – I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little part of me that would LOVE to see the man get a posthumous Oscar nomination.
And – sweeter than anything – get a posthumous Oscar nomination is the year 2010.
Fingers crossed.
Saturdays In The Dark 