[Eitan]
I didn’t know until today, when the nominees were announced, that the Independent Spirit Awards had a special Robert Altman Award given to a film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast. That’s a pretty inspired idea (and namesake) for an award. I always thought that if there was space for another Oscar (and there isn’t), that Best Casting should be considered. In fact, basically any production role listed in a typical film’s opening credits is deserving of some industry recognition. Casting directors toil endlessly on every film we watch, and yet it’s usually the director who gets the credit for assembling the cast. What a shame.
The casting for a film like Secret Honor is easy enough. Casting a film like, say, Return of the King is an artistic and logistical nightmare that definitely deserves some awards-season recognition. On massive productions, they probably work just as hard if not harder than many of the producers who scoop up statuette after statuette every other weekend in January and February. And clearly, even in smaller films, it takes some serious talent and experience to put together the kinds of ensemble casts we tend to look back on as iconic (Boogie Nights comes to mind). If the Oscars can’t squeeze in the category, could the SAG do their research and include the casting director in their Best Ensemble award?
For the love of God, give Debra Zane her Oscar already!
shot / reverse shot 