Today's Entertainment

2 • February 26 - March 4, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media F ootball fans kicked off February with a bang, but for movie fans, the big show is at the end of the month. The Oscars is the Super Bowl of the film industry, and this year's competition is intense. Jimmy Kimmel ("Jimmy Kimmel Live!") welcomes the biggest stars in Hollywood to the Dolby Theatre as he hosts the 89th annual Acade- my Awards, airing Sunday, Feb. 26, on ABC. America's oldest enter- tainment industry award, the Academy Awards — or Oscars, as they are commonly known — rec- ognizes cinematic excellence in the film industry over the course of the preceding year, from acting and writing to costume design, anima- tion and more. The iconic golden Oscar statu- ette has become the most coveted trophy in the entertainment indus- try, and, perhaps, in living rooms around the world. In the past, lav- ish Oscar parties were all the rage as movie fans gathered friends to- gether to watch the ceremony and see their favorite stars accept the awards. These days, the party is a global one. Televised in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide, the event is expected to draw millions, if not hundreds of millions, of viewers. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson has faith that Kim- mel will entertain them all. "He is razor sharp, funny and unpredictable, and has proven himself a master of live event tele- vision, which is perfect for our au- dience around the world," she said in an official ABC news release. For his part, Kimmel already has his game face on: "I don't think of this as my first time hosting the Os- cars, I think of this as my last time hosting the Oscars," he quipped in a promo for the show, later calling the gig "a tight wire act." Kimmel may be the quarterback, but the star players are the nomi- nees. In a pre-Oscar special, celebs hobnob on the legendary red car- pet in one of the fashion industry's biggest nights of the year. Almost as highly anticipated as the cere- mony itself, the walk down the red carpet offers viewers a glimpse of Hollywood glamor before any stat- ues are handed out. Chosen by members of the Academy, this year's list of nomi- nees includes a mix of major box office draws and heart wrenching gems. Nominations in 24 catego- ries were announced during a global live-stream event on oscar. com and oscars.org, as well as "Good Morning America," Tues- day, Jan. 24. "La La Land" — the critically lauded old-school Hollywood mu- sical — leads the list of nominees, earning an astounding 14 nomina- tions, which ties it with "Titanic" (1997) and "All About Eve" (1950) for the movie with the most nomi- nations ever. "La La Land" has doubled its odds in the Best Song category with two nominations, one for "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and the other for "City of Stars." Ryan Gosling ("The Note- book," 2004) and Emma Stone ("The Amazing Spider-Man," 2012) are both up in their respec- tive leading actor categories, and the film is up in the Best Picture category, which also includes "Ar- rival," "Fences," "Hacksaw Ridge," "Hell or High Water," "Hidden Fig- ures," "Lion," "Manchester by the Sea" and "Moonlight." Barry Jenkins's "Moonlight" has been nominated for eight awards, while Australian film "Lion," war drama "Hacksaw Ridge" and small-town drama "Manchester by the Sea" each earned six Oscar nods. Gosling finds himself in good company in the Actor in a Leading Role category, which also includes Casey Affleck ("Manchester by the Sea"), Andrew Garfield ("Hacksaw Ridge"), Viggo Mortensen ("Cap- tain Fantastic") and perennial fa- vorite Denzel Washington ("Fenc- es"). The women's field is equally impressive with Stone and peers Isabelle Huppert ("Elle"), Ruth Negga ("Loving"), Natalie Port- man ("Jackie") and Oscar veteran Meryl Streep ("Florence Foster Jen- kins"). Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight"), Jeff Bridges ("Hell or High Water"), Lucas Hedges ("Manchester by the Sea"), Dev Patel ("Lion") and Mi- chael Shannon ("Nocturnal Ani- mals") are up for an Actor in a Sup- porting Role Oscar, while Viola Da- vis ("Fences"), Naomie Harris ("Moonlight"), Nicole Kidman ("Lion"), Octavia Spencer ("Hid- den Figures") and Michelle Wil- liams ("Manchester by the Sea") find themselves in contention for the supporting actress Oscar. Also of note is the fact that Mel Gibson has been nominated in the directing category for "Hacksaw Ridge" after years of being shunned in Hollywood following a scandal involving leaked audio re- cordings of Gibson allegedly mak- ing racist and anti-Semitic remarks. The directing category also in- cludes Denis Villeneuve for "Arrival," Damien Chazelle for "La La Land," Ken- neth Lonergan for "Manchester by the Sea" and Barry Jen- kins for "Moonlight." In addition to this year's nominees, the ceremony includes appearances by all of last year's winners in the big acting categories. Top actor Leonardo Di- Caprio ("The Revenant"), actress Larson, supporting actor Mark Ry- lance ("Bridge of Spies") and sup- porting actress Alicia Vikander ("The Danish Girl") return to the Oscar stage to present the awards in their respective categories. More than a few viewers will likely tune in to see whether the presenters and honorees will take a political stand when they take the stage. Since President Trump took office, many celebrities have been very vocal about their opin- ions of his policies and awards sea- son has provided a prime opportu- nity to share their thoughts. This year's Oscar ceremony is one to watch. Celebrate the year in film as Kimmel hosts the 89th an- nual Academy Awards, airing Sun- day, Feb. 26, on ABC. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as seen in "La La Land" Jimmy Kimmel hosts the 89th annual Academy Awards Cover Story this week 501 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN | 218-828-1823 | www.heartlandtireservice.com Off ers expire Feb. 28, 2017 FULL SERVICE ALL MAKES, ALL MODELS SAVE UP TO $180 ON A SET OF 4 INSTALLED TIRES. See store for details. SAVE $12 OFF THE REGULAR PRICE OF ANY FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGE SAVE $25 $99.99 REGULAR PRICE $125.99 • Alignment • Tire rotation & balance • Most cars, vans and light trucks BRAKE SERVICE Save $60 Save $30/axle on service of $100 or more. • FREE inspections ON A SET OF 4 INSTALLED TIRES. 001536825r1 11633 State Hwy. 18, Brainerd, MN 56401 218-829-3278 www.isemanhomes.com Dealer License #MD05870 You're Home Now Iseman Homes an industry leader since 1920 providing value, service, stability and quality. 001535189r1

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