A very touching reaction to Milk's nomination from the screenwriter

[dsc]

http://www.mcnblogs.com/mcindie/archives/2009/01/oscar_quotes_mi.html

Mid-Oscar morn, studios email quotes from their nominees, and they're often of the template of "so much fun working with," "such great material." Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's stands out: "I won’t lie, I was up at 4:30 AM Pacific Time this morning. I couldn’t sleep. I took a shower, I started washing dishes, I did a load of laundry… I was completely losing my mind waiting for that local ABC telecast. My heart jumped when Josh Brolin got nominated, but the tears started flowing when Gus got his. I couldn’t have asked for a better director for this project, a fiercer protector of this little spec script that meant so much to me. And that script would have been nothing without the dedicated talent of nominee Sean Penn, who truly inhabited Harvey’s soul, and Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Alison Pill, Joseph Cross, and on and on. This film was a real team effort. By the time the nominations got to Best Picture, I was a wreck. Tears… lots of tears. I couldn’t breathe. My big hope had been that the Academy would recognize our film enough that Harvey’s story could get a wider release, but I could never have predicted 8 nominations including Best Picture. I’m still pinching myself. When I first heard Harvey’s story at 13, I was a closeted kid living in a conservative Mormon, military home. It was a rough time for me. Hearing Harvey’s story not only gave me the hope he talked so often about, it very likely saved my life. What happened this morning means this film WILL win a wider audience, and maybe, just maybe Harvey’s message will reach some of those kids out there today who have been told they are “less than,” that they are sick, that God does not love them, and perhaps, from the grave, 30 years later, Harvey might give those kids the hope and love he gave me so long ago. It might sound overblown to some, but I firmly believe these nominations are life-saving. I can’t thank the Academy enough."

[Zuiderelle]

1. Beautiful.

k&r

[Duncan Grant]

2. Thanks for sharing that!

Off to the greatest page... :thumbsup:

[CTyankee]

3. That is as lovely as the film was. It was a loving and tender movie.

There were no stereotypes, no cardboard figures. It was humanist and moving and wonderfully inspiring. I loved it. I hope everyone nominated in that movie gets the Oscar.

[Zookeeper]

4. K&R. Thanks for posting! n/t

[tbyg52]

5. Wonderful news!

This is the first I knew of the eight nominations. (I don't pay much attention to entertainment news.)

Maybe this means they'll have it at my neighborhood theater! (I haven't seen it yet because the one place it is playing anywhere near me is a traffic and parking nightmare.)

[littlebit]

11. If you want to see it

pm me I will let you know where you can get it.

[Mike 03]

6. The nominations surrounding this film are exciting. These are all filmmakers I have respected

for years and to see their talents acknowledged is nothing short of inspiring.

Anyone who lived through that experience--those months, living in San Francisco or the Bay Area at that time, will never forget it.

[tavalon]

7. Yep, my main reason for wanted it to get lots of Oscar noms

was to get it into much wider release, that and the fact that I was blown away with Penn's Harvey. Hell, for ninety minutes, Penn was Harvey. I remember walking out of the theater saying that I am well familiar with the fact that Sean Penn isn't gay, but for these two hours, I forggot.

[IndyOp]

8. Love in action. Harvey himself, of course. Everyone involved in "Milk" -

it seems so, too. I went to see "Milk" on Christmas Day. I talked with a neighbor a few days later and he and his wife also went to see it Christmas Day. Christmas is a great day for seeing love in action.

I haven't watched the Oscars since "The Color Purple" was ignored by the "academy" decades ago.

I may just have to turn in this year to see if the academy can redeem itself with "Milk".

[dsc]

10. The writer is the closest thing to a sure thing Milk has

since screen play is a divided category and his screen play isn't in Slumdog's category. So at least you should get to hear him give his speech.

[mzmolly]

9. Very touching.

Thank you.

:kick:

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

12. brought tears to my eyes

This is why we need our rights. Gosh I hope he wins and can say that in front of the studio and tv audience.

[dsc]

13. If he doesn't win it will be a very long night for Milk

This category is about as close as it gets to a sure thing.

[ronnykmarshall]

14. I am so glad it got a bunch of nominations

I think Sean is probably the only one that will be win ... but this is a great honor.