The Paper *4%' (Universal) Rated Mature (at Cineplex Odeon Cinemas) ATHERHOOD! DEAD- LINES! MURDER! ,_ Like the headlines of his own scrappy little tabloid, Henry . -Hackett (Michael Keaton) is . “about to embark on a day fillec! with front-page exclamation marks. * Besides dealing with his stir- - Crazy pregnant wife (Marisa Tomei) and handling the usual demands of getting a daily paper : out, harried Henry must fend off - a driven managing editor (Glenn Close) and decide on a cushy job . offer with’ The Sentinel (an “upscale competitor). : If that’s not enough to stop the ‘.. presses, crusty editor Bernie “(Robert Duvall) has problems of his own, while co-worker/friend McDougall (Randy Quaid), _ appears to be turning from a Crack journalist to a crackpot — and a crack shot: His recent attacks on a.prominent civil ser- “. vant (Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander ind great role) have made him - » -more than a bit paranoid — he’s packing a gun. Then there’s life out on the From page 30 jdiscovered that a hometown boy .~ had won an Academy nomina- ‘tion. Rob chatted confidently while | paced the room. | left early to'catch the:hotel’s limo for ~‘a-hair appointment at Jose Eber on.Rodeo Drive and returned "+. several hours later to find Rob sit- ting beside a gift from the hotel ~—a chocolate Oscar. i At the front entrance to the hotel, roped partitions had been ; ‘installed to keep back spectators. ‘“Aslim woman ina fitted gold: lame dress was signing auto- graphs. Susan Sarandon, | was told: When Miranda Richardson and Steptien Rea came out with their partners, Rob introduced me to Rea. Although Reb has + introduced me to many stars over ‘the years, | continue to say the dumbest things. | told Rea that | was Irish and wished him luck. .. Atihis moment, Rob’s name was _. paged: he was told that our lim- ousine was lost. In a panic, he left to call Warner Bros. from the hotel lobby and returned with Morgan Freeman who had gener- ously offered us a lift. | felt like Annie, awed and out of her ele- ment, as | sat facing Miss Daisy’s chauffeur and his sister-in-law in _ the back seat of the stretch limo. ; . .« Morgan Freeman stepped out of the limousine first, flashed his ; big smile, raised his arm in greet- ing, and the crowd went mad ‘with cheers and applause. Rob ‘and! discreetly bypassed him and began walking up the long red carpet which was separated from the crowd by roped parti- tions. On either side were tall * bleachers jammed to overflowing with voyeurs with cameras. Ahead of us was a tall woman, hair piled high — Jane Fonda. Inside the building, we were told to move to the right or the left, onto the carpeted area. ! observed the crowd. My friend, Leslie Jane had suggested that | Tim Bell FILM REVIEW mean streets. A bungled NYPD bust threatens to escalate into a race riot unless Henry can change “Gatcha!” to “They Didn't Do It!” for tomorrow morning's headline. David and Stephen Koepp’s script steamrolls along, inge- niously weaving together several story lines, giving each character a turn in the spotlight — fronia gravel-voiced procuction assis- tant to the rookie photographer turning her first big break from fiasco to triumph, The wonderful ensemble cast breathes life and heart into what could have been paper-thin char- acters. Duvall's portrayal of the cantankerous boss is given some range when he tries bridging the vast gulf between hin and his estranged daughter. Ciose’s char- acter is saddled with a personal write a fashion report but | soon realized that | had no more an eye for fashion labels than | had for recognizing stars. How does one distinguish between an Armani and a Hugo Boss? All the men looked dapper in their matching black tuxedos, Most of the women wore black with glit- tering accents, Only the stars dared to bring color to the event. As we stood in the labby, | thought that this was not unlike the one at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre; but there was a tension, an excitement which | had never felt at a ballet or theatre event. This show would not only play to . a packed house but would draw billions in 94 countries around the world to their television sets. We were pleased to find our seats in the orchestra on the aisle. (Aisle seats we had been told were given to likely win- ners.) The lights went down and Robert Rehme, president of the Academy, talked about the magi- cal process of movie-making. Then Billy Crystal was dragged out on a giant Oscar by Jack Palance. While the TV audi- ence could only see what the camera wished, we caught the magic in its entirety. Yet | was jarred when some of the presen- ters and winners interjected hard reality into the program and sought support and sympathy for their causes. Although it did seem appropriate that Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor be heard here this evening — Hepburn posthumously — because their charitable work had eclipsed their film careers. Another moment of pure delight was seeing Federico Fellini on stage. Why was it so wonderful to see a legend in the flesh appealing to his wife to stop cry- ing? Halfway through the evening, the printed program did not fol- low the events on stage — Neil Jordan was in the washroom financial crisis as well as being an aging woman in a man’s world, Marisa Tomei (last seen fretting over her ticking biologi- cal clock in My Cousin Vinnie) turns the generally thankless wife role into a complex and funny part. And, of course, there’s like- able Michael Keaton in his best role to date as the cola-fuelled editor who can’t turn out the tights until the paper’s gone ta bed first. Director Ron Howard delivers The Paper with two hours of taughs and pure entertainment. By the time you read this, the Oscars will have come and gone but let’s see if t can pick the win- ners, Best Picture, Director and just about everything else to Spietberg’s harrowing master- piece, Schindler's List; Best Actress, Holly Hunter, The Piano; Best Actor, Tom Hanks Philadelphia; Best Supporting Actor, Tommy Lee Jones. The Fugitive; and Best Supporting Actress, Rosie Perez, Fearless, SHOWTIME HOTLINES: — Famous Players .......... 681-4255 Cineplex Odeon. 687-1515 when the envelope holding his name was opened —- so we were stunned when the sound catego- ry was announced. | tried to grab . Rob's prograrn. He held firm. When his namé waé not called, he showed no emotion. Later, he told me that his only thought was that they had read the wrong names. Nevertheless, we ate, drank, and made merry at the’ Governor's Ball, mingled with the stars at Nicky Blair’s and nearly convinced each other that one Oscar, even though it was chocolate, was enough. Alas, when we arrived home in Vancouver the next day, our chil- dren instantly devoured it. AT RATES LIKE THIS, WE'RE GOING TO BE SNOWED UNDER ! This could very well be the first real bargain of the summer, From just $79.00 a night®*, you can stay at The Westbrook Whistler, at the * foot of two of ca the most spectacular ski mountains in North America. Your luxurious one bedroom suite comes with kitchen, gas fireplace and a breathtaking view. Our most deluxe units even feature a private hot tub on their decks! Whichever you choose, youll have enough reason to stay indoors. And enough recreation outdoors not to have to. But first things first. 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