OSCAR TALK: Ep. 41 — Governors Awards, animated and doc feature shortlists, circuit festivities and remembering Ronni Chasen

Summary: Welcome to Oscar Talk. In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds. There have been toasts in honor of talent and in the way of remembrance during this busy, and heartbreaking, week on the Oscar circuit. So as always, there’s plenty to cover. Let’s dive in and see what’s on the docket today… • Anne was at last weekend’s Governors Awards ceremony honoring Francis Ford Coppola, Eli Wallach, Jean-Luc Godard and Kevin Brownlow. She gives her report on the evening. • In the way of Oscar news, this week brought the shortlists for the animated feature and documentary feature categories. We mull over the contenders left standing. • Along the circuit this week, Focus Features has brought the cast and crew from “The Kids Are All Right” back around. Anne was at a luncheon on their behalf, while I give the lowdown on a Summit Entertainment (early) holiday gathering. • The industry was met with crushing news early in the week as one of our own, and a friend to many, Ronni Chasen was brutally murdered in Beverly Hills. Anne and I remember her, her undying charm and wit, and her dogged professional resilience. • Finally, reader questions. We only get to a handful as the podcast ran a bit long this week but we address queries concerning the decade’s defining films from a “state of society” standpoint and Christopher Nolan’s position in the year’s Best Director race. Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. And as always, remember to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here. Back-up download: Oscar Talk Episode 41