Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe CESAR AWARD NOMINATIONS "Amélie" received a record 13 nominations Monday when the Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 27th Cesar Awards -- the French equivalent of the Academy Awards. Advertisement Besides its best picture nomination, "Amélie" is up for Cesars for best director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and best actress, Audrey Tautou. It's also up for two supporting actor awards, and one each for supporting actress, screenplay, music, costumes, art direction, photography, sound and editing. The rest of the best film nominees are "Sous le Sable" ("Under the Sand"); "Sur mes levres" ("Read my lips"); "La Chambre des Officiers" and "Chaos." The story of a young woman who dedicates herself to the happiness of others, "Amélie" has become the top-grossing French film ever to play in the United States, and is widely regarded as a leading prospect for an Oscar for best foreign language film. Advertisement The nominees for the Cesar for best foreign film were "The Man Who Wasn't There"; "The Son's Room"; "Moulin Rouge"; "Mulholland Drive" and "Traffic." The Cesars will be presented March 2 in Paris. GOYA AWARDS "The Others" -- a spooky story starring Nicole Kidman as the last word in overly protective mothers -- has won eight Goya awards, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscar. Besides the top prize for best picture, "The Others" writer-director Alejandro Amenábar also won for best original screenplay and best director. "The Others" bagged Goyas for art direction, cinematography, editing, production design and sound. Kidman was nominated for best actress but lost out to Pilar López de Ayala, star of the historical drama "Juana la Loca." Eduard Fernández of "Fausto 5.0" was named best lead actor. "Amélie," the French movie about a young woman dedicated to bring happiness to others, was named best European film. "La fuga" was named best foreign film in Spanish language. Juan Antonio Bardem was presented with the Goya de Honor in recognition of his lifetime achievement in the Spanish cinema. Bardem's nephew, Javier Bardem, was nominated for a best actor Oscar last year for "Before Night Falls." Advertisement The honors showered upon "The Others" were controversial, since the movie was filmed in English and partly financed with U.S. money. Vicente Aranda -- who was up for best director for "Juana la Loca" -- was one of several nominees who refused to attend the ceremony. In a recent TV interview, Aranda said the honors accorded "The Others" are part of a troubling trend for Spanish cinema. "You have embarked on a dangerous path," he said, "because American cinema, which has already taken control of our cinemas, also wants to take control of the prizes." (The above two items thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason) BILLY JOEL Plans are being finalized for the long-awaited mounting of a Broadway musical based on the songs of Billy Joel. Published reports now indicate that the songfest, produced by the multi-talented choreographer Twyla Tharp, will center on the exploits of six close friends from the late 1960s through the late 1980s. Nearly 30 of Joel's compositions will be included. The show, "Movin' Out," will premiere in Chicago. The opening is set for the Schubert Theatre there, sometime in June. Plans are to take the show to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in September. Advertisement (Thanks to UPI's Dennis Daily) BRITNEY SPEARS Britney Spears was Super Bowl XXXV's MVP, according to TiVo subscribers. The company says those TiVo households who watched the football championship game used the pause or replay feature an average of 44 times during the broadcast. Replaying commercials turned out to be the most common usage, with Spears' Pepsi spots the most popular. In fact, her two ads top the TiVo subscribers' list of replayed commercials. The Cadillac CTS ad, Bud Light's "Robot Wars" and the trailer for the upcoming movie "Collateral Damage" round out the top five.
