A small delegation of Hollywood heavy-hitters flew out of Halifax over the weekend to attend tonight’s Academy Awards show.Kevin Spacey — whom Haligonians have affectionately taken to calling “the Space-Man” during his stay here to film The Shipping News — isn’t up for anything this year, but it’s tradition for the best actor award to be presented by the previous year’s winner. He earned last year’s Oscar for his portrayal of Lester, the middle-aged suburbanite who has an emotional breakdown in American Beauty, which won best picture.
Three other Shipping News travellers could return to Halifax with little gold men in their luggage: director Lasse Hallstrom, producer Leslie Holleron and actor Judi Dench, who are all nominated for their work on Chocolat. Hallstrom’s The Cider House Rules was nominated for seven Oscars last year and took two, for screenplay (John Irving) and best supporting actor (Michael Caine.)
It won’t be much of a holiday — The Shipping News resumes filming on Tuesday at Burnside’s Tour Tech and Cinesite sound stages. A film spokesman, asking that his name not be used, wanted to correct inflated impressions of the movie’s budget, which is $30 million US, not the $70 million figure widely reported.
There has still been no sign of past Osar nominees Julianne Moore or Cate Blanchett, also starring in the Miramax film adaptation of E. Annie Proulx’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. But there have been a few Spacey and Dench sightings during their two-week stay here. Dench is reportedly enchanted with folk artist Maud Lewis’s work, and enjoyed a meal at the Press Gang oyster bar. Spacey couldn’t find a table at the popular Prince Street eatery one night, but apparently consoled himself with a quiet corner at Big Leagues, a Cole Harbour tavern.
“One of the waitresses and a few of the customers are pretty sure it was him here last Friday night, just hangin’ out at the bar,” said a bartender named Ron. “He might end up coming back here, because he sat by himself and wasn’t bothered by anybody.”
Thanks to Mike Kennedy for sending this article to me. It appeared in the Daily News (Halifax) on March 24, 2001.