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Entertainment Today: Showbiz news

By United Press International
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'A BEAUTIFUL MIND'

A not-so-beautiful mind is behind a campaign to dissuade the 6,500 members of the motion picture academy from voting for "A Beautiful Mind" for the best picture Oscar.

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Many academy members, and some non-members, have received e-mail accusing the movie of glorifying an anti-Semite in the person of Nobel laureate John Nash, the central figure and protagonist of "A Beautiful Mind."

The message, titled "Why not to vote for 'A Beautiful Mind'," claims "Jew bashing scenes found in the book ... have been completely scrubbed from the film." It adds that "author Sylvia Nasar's repeated references to Nash's feeling toward Jews were deliberately left off the screen" and quotes a production source saying, 'We didn't want to go there. This is a love story.'"

"A Beautiful Mind" is a front-runner in the Oscar race with eight nominations, including best film, best director (Ron Howard), best actor (Russell Crowe) and best supporting actress (Jennifer Connellly).

(Thanks to UPI's Vernon Scott)


NATHAN LANE

According to a report in the New York Post, Tony-winner Nathan Lane will play a gay member of Congress in a comedy pilot for CBS -- a career choice that might make more sense than the woman-chasing opera singer Lane played in his 1998 NBC comedy "Encore! Encore!", since Lane is openly gay.

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The new show, "Life of the Party," has Lane as a TV star who goes to Congress.

Scott Seomin, media director for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, told the Post that GLAAD is glad to see the show being produced.

"Charlie's sexual orientation is presented matter-of-factly," said Seomin. "There's no dramatic 'coming-out' scene. Both Nathan and the script are extremely funny -- and I love the idea of a gay congressman."

Lane is scheduled to receive GLAAD's Vito Russo Award at the 2002 GLAAD Media Awards on April 1.

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

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