A Montana Mint Guide to the Oscars
We dove deep to find a Montana favorite in the major categories in the upcoming 87th Academy Awards. When in doubt, root Montana!
Best Supporting Actor (nominees)
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
The Vegas Favorite: J.K. Simmons 1
The Montana Pick: J.K. Simmons
![JKSimmons07TIFF_(cropped)]("JKSimmons07TIFF (cropped)" by gdcgraphics. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JKSimmons07TIFF_(cropped).jpg#mediaviewer/File:JKSimmons07TIFF_(cropped).jpg)
You may have heard that Simmons, who is the favorite to win best supporting actor for his portrayal of a bonkers music instructor in Whiplash, is a University of Montana grad. But did you know his time in Montana is what got him into acting? According to the Great Falls Tribune, “It was during his time in Missoula that he found his love for theater and music. ‘While I was at the University of Montana, I started spending some summers at Bigfork, doing musicals,’ said Simmons…’Once I started doing summer theater in Bigfork, that was the beginning of a long, convoluted segue from music into what ended up being a film and TV career.”
Best Supporting Actress (nominees)
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
The Vegas Favorite: Patricia Arquette
The Montana Pick: Meryl Streep
None of the actresses have a personal connection to the state, but three of them have some montana connections when you look at the roles they have played. For instance, Laura Dern was in the memorable “six-foot turkey” scene in Jurassic Park that supposedly took place in the Badlands of Montana (though we doubt it was actually filmed in MT).
Patricia Arquette one upped Dern’s scene by starring in the dreadful Holy Matrimony which was filmed and based in Great Falls.
Meryl Streep trumped both Arquette and Dern by starring in The River Wild, which was filmed and based in Montana. And unlike Holy Matrimony, this movie is rewatchable. Because of this, we give Streep the nod.
Best Actress (nominees)
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
The Vegas Favorite: Julianna Moore
The Montana Pick: Reese Witherspoon
We had to reallllly stretch for this one. Reese Witherspoon is nominated for the film Wild, which is based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail.” The true story focuses on Strayed’s decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone in order to focus herself following the death of her mother and a recent divorce. Her ex-husband in the film (and in the book) is “Paul,” which is a fake name Strayed used to protect the identity of her real ex-husband. The real ex-husband turns out to be Missoula man Marco Littig. You can read his thoughts on the movie here. BOOM!
(Missoula man Marco Littig secures the Montana Mint nod for Reese Witherspoon).
Best Actor (nominees)
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
The Vegas Favorite: Eddie Redmayne
The Montana Pick: Michael Keaton
Biggest no brainer on the list. While Michael Keaton was born in Pittsburgh, he has called Montana home since the 1980s. This CBS News video has some great shots of his ranch and some fun insight on the man. For example, he bowed out of Batman Forever because according to Keaton it “sucked. Yeah, it just was awful!” Next time you’re in the Livingston/Big Timber area, be on the lookout for him. Bonus: Check out his sweet MT hat)
Best Picture (nominees)
The Vegas Favorite: Boyhood
The Montana Pick: Birdman
None of the best picture nominees have a direct Montana connection, so we’re going with our honorary hometown boy Michael Keaton in Birdman. You could make the same argument for Whiplash because of JK Simmon’s UM connection, but we give the edge to Birdman for one reason. Keaton portrays in Birdman a frenetic, aging movie star opening a new play in New York. This profile from Esquire (read here) makes it seem like the Montana-version of Keaton is not too different…and we think that’s awesome.
[1] Note: the Vegas favorite was determined using the odds at Gold Derby.
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