It took
the Shuttle team some time to realise why one of our favourite thespians,
Jackie Weaver wasn't appearing at the local supermarket in Kings Cross where we would always retire to the local coffee shop for a natter after our shopping.
Jackie is in the USA on a promotional tour in which she was swept up after the film
Animal Kingdom won a few film festival awards. An email from LA informed us of the fact. With an always present minder, a publicist and a tour of US cities in the manner that only Hollywood knows how to do.
Weaver has been doing an endless round of TV chat shows, magazine and newspaper interviews and is loving every minute of it. Top Hollywood agents are lining up to take her on and everyday brings a pile of film scripts for Jackie to sift through.
Some of the offers, as Jackie says :"
have been really bizarre and the more bizarre the more money they offer. The latest is for more money than I have earned in a lifetime of film and theatres and that is for 10 days work !"
Yet Animal Kingdom hasn't done too well at the box office even here in Jackie's home country. All that changes today as Weaver is nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category, as the
Shuttle predicted she would be weeks ago and which we confidently predict she will win, or at least she deserves to for her superb performance as the matriach of a crime family.
Also nominated
, Helena Bonham Carter in
The King's Speech is a worthy rival. The only hic-cup could be-and the Oscars are pure Hollywood politics-is if those who vote are determined The King's Speech sweeps the board, which it may well do.
Geoffrey Rush is also up for Best Supporting Actor against
Christian Bales' superb performance in
The Fighter.
For the full list of nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards go to their website
here
Sydney born Clive James, author, poet and broadcaster has received a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) medal for services to
Literature and the Media in the Queen's New Years Honours List.
