SOMETIMES it doesn’t pay to be too good.
Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman, Patricia Clarkson and Scarlett Johansson are among this year’s Oscar hopefuls whose toughest competition may well be themselves.
That’s because each of these super-talented stars has delivered not one, but two performances that are generating major Oscar buzz.
Penn has wowed critics with powerful leading-man turns in both “Mystic River” and “21 Grams” – which could have Oscar voters seeing double.
An Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences rule states that no actor can be nominated twice in any of the four acting categories in one year, although double nods are allowed in other categories. (Director Steven Soderbergh, for example, competed against himself in 2001, with “Erin Brockovich” and “Traffic” – he won for the latter.)
Penn has decided to let the chips fall where they may, but reps for other actors are afraid split votes might cancel the two performances out, and are busy trying to position their stars more favorably as the Oscar race heats up.
Miramax has altered its campaign battle plan for indie queen Clarkson.
She was originally going to be pushed in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in the studio’s slow-burning charmer “The Station Agent.”
Now she will be championed for Best Actress for that film, and as Best Supporting Actress for her role as a cancer-stricken mother in United Artists’ “Pieces of April.”
“Patricia is fully committed to supporting both of these films, so this move seemed to make the most sense for everybody involved,” said Miramax spokeswoman Cynthia Swartz. “While our initial inclination was for her to be considered in the supporting category, after discussing it with her, we agreed to include her as Best Actress.”
Two years ago, the prolific Kidman was a contender for Best Actress in “Moulin Rouge” and “The Others,” eventually scoring a nomination for the Baz Luhrmann musical.
This year, the statuesque Aussie again mounted a double offensive to nab Tinseltown’s top kudos.
As “Cold Mountain” and “The Human Stain” are both Miramax films, the studio made an internal decision to go with a Best Actress campaign for the former and Best Supporting Actress for the latter.
Frantic jockeying also surrounds “It Girl” Johansson, who pulled double duty this year in Sofia Coppola’s hit “Lost in Translation” and as the title character in the upcoming “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”
Despite the fact that the red-hot blonde shares virtually equal screen time in “Translation” with Bill Murray, who is running on a Best Actor ticket, Focus Features will push her in the Supporting Actress slot.
Lions Gate will campaign for her to be recognized in the Best Actress category for “Pearl Earring.”
“Clearly she’s always going to be the lead in ‘Pearl Earring,’ given that she’s the title character,” said Focus Features president of marketing David Brooks. “But we wanted to give her the chance to be recognized for our movie, too, because we think she’s amazing in it.”
Ultimately, it’s up to Oscar voters to decide in which category they will nominate which actor.
But history shows that all that pre-awards maneuvering often pays off.
Nine actors have scored double Oscar nominations in one year by earning lead and supporting nods, including Al Pacino in 1992 (for “Scent of a Woman” and “Glengarry Glen Ross”), Holly Hunter in 1993 (“The Piano” and “The Firm”) and Julianne Moore last year (“Far From Heaven” and “The Hours.”)
– with Post wire services
DYNAMIC DUOS
“Cold Mountain” Nicole Kidman “The Human Stain”
“Mystic River” Sean Penn “21 Grams”
“The Station Agent” Patricia Clarkson “Pieces of April”
“Lost in Translation” Scarlett Johansson “Girl with a Pearl Earring”