Tag: Birthdays

This Day in Movie History: January 29

15 years ago Today in Movie History – January 29 – She’s All That surprised box office prognosticators with a big #1 opening at $16 million on its way to a $56 million domestic haul. Starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook, the pic seemingly came out of nowhere but expertly appealed to its target audience and reaped the benefits. Costars included music stars Usher and Lil Kim, as well as Anna Paquin, Gabrielle Union, and the late Paul Walker.

As for birthdays, Oprah Winfrey is 60 today. Most of her fame comes from outside the silver screen, including having the most popular daytime talk show in history, starting her own network, and becoming a billionaire. However, she first rose to fame in Steven Spielberg’s commercial and critical hit drama The Color Purple, for which she earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Shortly after, her show would start and she wouldn’t venture into film for 13 years with Jonathan Demme’s commercially disappointing Beloved in 1998. It would be 15 more years for another Oprah appearance and her role as Forest Whitaker’s wife in last year’s Lee Daniels’ The Butler got her back into blockbuster territory. Many expected her to receive an Oscar nomination for her work in Butler, but it didn’t happen.

Heather Graham is 44 today. She first broke through in Gus Van Sant’s 1989 critical favorite Drugstore Cowboy. In 1997, she had a memorable role as “Roller Girl” in Boogie Nights and she’d go on to work with Mike Myers in his sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Further box office success would follow years later with The Hangover. Other notable films: Scream 2, Two Girls and a Guy, Bowfinger, From Hell, and Anger Management.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the actresses:

Oprah Winfrey was in The Color Purple with Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg was in Soapdish with Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was in Two Girls and a Guy with Heather Graham

And that’s today – January 29 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 28

Nine years ago Today in Movie History – January 28 – the horror thriller Hide and Seek topped the box office with a robust $21.9 million opening weekend. Starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, and Famke Janssen, Seek capped off a nice run for Mr. De Niro in late 2004/early 2005. Just weeks before, his sequel Meet the Fockers was #1 for three weeks. Hide and Seek received a critical drubbing with only 13% on Rotten Tomatoes yet it managed a $51 million domestic gross.

As for birthdays, veteran TV and film actor Alan Alda in 78 today. Known to many as Hawkeye from TV’s “MASH” and Senator Vinick from “The West Wing”, Alda has had a nice filmography as well. A favorite of Woody Allen, the actor appeared in his pictures Crimes and Misdemeanors, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Everyone Says I Love You. Alda received an Oscar nomination in 2004 for his work in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. Other notable recent movies include What Women Want and Tower Heist.

Elijah Wood is 33 today. Starting out as a child actor, Wood appeared in Radio Flyer, Forever Young, The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, and Flipper. He was cast as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s wildly successful Lord of the Rings franchise. Other notables pictures: The Ice Storm, Deep Impact, The Faculty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Sin City.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between them:

Alan Alda was in What Women Want with Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson was in Forever Young with Elijah Wood

And that’s today – January 28th in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 27

Eight years ago Today in Movie History – as if you didn’t know – Martin Lawrence returned in Big Momma’s House 2, which easily topped the box office chart with a $27.7 million premiere. The sequel would end up with $70M domestic. It did not reach the heights of its 2000 predecessor which took in $117 million, but that didn’t prevent a third Momma helping in 2011 which managed only $37 million stateside. Lawrence’s creation predated Madea but was clearly influenced by Eddie Murphy’s success in The Nutty Professor which had opened a few years before.

As for birthdays, Alan Cumming is 49 today. Many may know him for his role on TV’s “The Good Wife”, but comic book fans know him as Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United. Other notable appearances: GoldenEye, Eyes Wide Shut, and the Spy Kids and Smurfs franchises.

Rosamund Pike is 35 today. She also costarred in a Pierce Brosnan Bond film, 2002’s Die Another Day. Since then she’s appeared in Pride&Prejudice, An Education, Wrath of the Titans, Jack Reacher, and The World’s End. Ms. Pike will become much more high-profile when she costars alongside Ben Affleck in this fall’s eagerly awaited David Fincher thriller Gone Girl.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between them – well, they both were in Bond films with Pierce Brosnan. And Cumming was in Eyes Wide Shut with Tom Cruise who was in Jack Reacher with Pike.

And that’s today – January 27 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 26

On This Day in Movie History – January 26 – twenty four years ago, Driving Miss Daisy reached number one at the domestic box office. Bruce Beresford’s drama spanning the decades long relationship between an elderly widowed Georgia woman (Jessica Tandy) and her driver (Morgan Freeman) struck a major chord with audiences and grossed $106 million stateside. Additionally, Academy voters would honor it with Best Picture and Actress for Tandy. Interestingly, Daisy would be the rare movie to win the top Oscar prize without its director even being nominated. That wouldn’t occur again for 22 years when Argo won the award with director Ben Affleck not being recognized.

As for birthdays, today would have marked the 89th birthday of Paul Newman. The iconic star was nominated for ten Oscars yet won just once for 1986’s The Color of Money. In that picture, he reprised his role as Fast Eddie Felson that he made famous in 1961’s The Hustler. Among his many notable pictures: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Towering Inferno, Slap Shot, The Verdict, Nobody’s Fool, Road to Perdition, and Pixar’s Cars. Newman passed away in 2008.

Scott Glenn turns 73 today. The great character actor has appeared in many high-profile pictures working with Robert Altman in Nashville, Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now, and Oliver Stone in W. He appeared as astronaut Alan Shephard in The Right Stuff and costarred in Urban Cowboy, The Hunt for Red October, The Silence of the Lambs, Backdraft, Courage Under Fire, and the last two features in the Bourne franchise.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between Mr. Newman and Mr. Glenn:

Paul Newman was in Message in a Bottle with Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner was in Silverado with Scott Glenn

And that’s today – January 26 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 24

28 years ago Today in Movie History – January 24 – Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple would rise to #1 at the box office. At the time, Spielberg was really only known for popcorn blockbusters like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. and Purple would be classified as his first “serious” picture. Focusing on the plight of African-Americans in the U.S. during the early 20th century, Purple starred Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Rae Dawn Chong, and Whoopi Goldberg in her first film role. It would be a rousing box office success with a domestic tally of $98 million. Purple earned 11 Oscar nominations yet won none of them. Based originally on a novel by Alice Walker, it would later be made into a Broadway play.

As for birthdays, John Belushi would’ve turned 65 years old today. One of the original cast members of “Saturday Night Live”, Belushi would make a huge splash in film as Bluto in the iconic comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House. Two years later, further success would follow with The Blues Brothers. Other film roles: Goin South, 1941, Neighbors, and Continental Divide. Dan Aykroyd wrote the role of Dr. Venkman in Ghostbusters for Belushi, but the star would die in 1982 from a drug overdose.

Ed Helms is 40 today. Known to many for his supporting role on TV’s “The Office”, Helms found box office success in The Hangover trilogy. Other notable roles include Cedar Rapids, Jeff, Who Lives At Home and We’re the Millers. Helms is currently attached to headline a reboot of the Vacation franchise.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between them:

John Belushi was in The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd was in Trading Places with Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy was in Meet Dave with Ed Helms

And that’s today – January 24 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 23

10 years ago today in Movie History – January 23 – Ashton Kutcher headlined the sci-fi thriller The Butterfly Effect to surprisingly robust box office results. Claiming the top spot in its opening weekend, Effect took in $17 million on its way to a $57 million domestic run. Kutcher would go onto other successful pictures including Guess Who, What Happens in Vegas, and No Strings Attached before settling back to TV replacing Charlie Sheen on “Two and a Half Men”. The pic would spawn two direct to DVD sequels without Mr. Kutcher’s participation.

As for birthdays, martial arts legend Sonny Chiba is 75 today. His big breakthrough came in 1974 with The Street Fighter and he would star in many genre pics. He came out of retirement in 2003 via Quentin Tarantino costarring as sword maker Hanzo Hattori in Kill Bill: Volume 1.

Rutger Hauer is 70 today. He’s been perhaps best known as the villain from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Hauer has many high-profile films to his credit including Nighthawks, The Hitcher, Ladyhawke, Sin City, and Batman Begins.

The two birthday performers have an interesting distinction in common: they are both mentioned in Quentin Tarantino screenplays. Chiba is talked about extensively by Christian Slater’s character in True Romance while Samuel L. Jackson name checks Hauer in Jackie Brown.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between Mr. Chiba and Mr. Hauer:

Sonny Chiba was in Kill Bill: Volume 1 with Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman was in Pulp Fiction with Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis was in Sin City with Rutger Hauer

And that’s today – January 23 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 22

32 years ago Today in Movie History – January 22 – On Golden Pond opened wide in theaters on its way to a number of Oscars. It had a limited opening in late 1981 to qualify for Oscar consideration. Pond would be the final film role for legendary actor Henry Fonda and he would win Best Actor for the part. Too sick to accept the award, his daughter and costar Jane spoke for him. Fonda would die just months later. His counterpart in the picture, Katherine Hepburn, would win her fourth Oscar as Best Actress – setting a record that’s yet to be surpassed. Pond would earn a fantastic $119 million domestically and ranked as the second top grosser of 1981 behind Raiders of the Lost Ark.

As for birthdays, two actresses known primarily for their roles in classic horror flicks celebrate today. Piper Laurie is 84. She received an Oscar nomination as the title character’s crazy mother in 1976’s Carrie. She had been nominated 15 years prior as Paul Newman’s girlfriend in the classic The Hustler. Laurie received a third nomination in 1986 for Children of a Lesser God.

And Linda Blair is 55 today. She received an Oscar nomination in 1973 as demonic child Regan in The Exorcist, perhaps the greatest horror title of all time. She would also appear in Airport 1975 and reprise her famous role in the 1977 Exorcist sequel. In more recent history, she had a cameo role in 1996’s Scream.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the scream queens:

Piper Laurie was in Carrie with John Travolta

John Travolta was in Face/Off with Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage was in The Wicker Man with Ellen Burstyn

Ellen Burstyn was in The Exorcist with Linda Blair

And that’s today – January 22 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 21

Rapper turned actor/director Ice Cube currently has the #1 film in America with Ride Along, which set the all-time record opening for the month of January over the weekend. He also held the top spot nine years ago Today in Movie History – January 21 – with Are There We There Yet?, which turned the once controversial gangsta rapper into a family friendly movie star. Opening to $18.5 million, the pic ended up with a domestic haul of $82 million. A sequel in 2007, Are We Done Yet?, would follow as would a TV series that began in 2010 and is still airing.

As for birthdays, actor Telly Savalas would have turned 92 today. An Oscar nominee for Supporting Actor in 1962’s Birdman of Alcatraz, Savalas would go onto huge TV stardom with the 1970s crime series “Kojak”. Other notable film appearances include The Dirty Dozen, as Bond villain Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and alongside Clint Eastwood in Kelly’s Heroes. Mr. Savalas passed away in 1994.

Geena Davis is 58 today. She won a Supporting Actress Oscar for 1988’s The Accidental Tourist. Her debut was in 1982’s smash hit Tootsie. Davis would turn into one of the more high-profile actresses in the 80s and 90s with pictures such as The Fly, Beetlejuice, Earth Girls Are Easy, Thelma&Louise, A League of their Own, and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between Mr. Savalas and Ms. Davis:

Telly Savalas was in Kelly’s Heroes with Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood was in Unforgiven with Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman was in Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman was in Tootsie with Geena Davis

And that’s today – January 21 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 20

Rarely does politics blend in on my blog but today we’ll make a rare exception. On This Day in Movie (and Political) History 34 years ago, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States. He’s the one and only POTUS who happened to be a movie star as well. 43 years prior to becoming the most powerful man in the world and the conservative icon that he is today, Reagan had his first film role in 1937’s Love Is on the Air. He would costar with Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis in Dark Victory. Perhaps his most iconic role came as George Gipp in Knute Rockne, All-American. It was this picture that gave President Reagan one of his most enduring nicknames – “The Gipper”. His final film role came in 1964’s The Killers. Two years later he would be elected Governor of California and the rest was history.

As for birthdays, Rainn Wilson is 48 today. Known best for his role as Dwight Schrute on NBC’s “The Office”, Wilson starred in the 2008 comedy The Rocker, in addition to parts in Galaxy Quest, Sahara, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Juno, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Stacey Dash in 47 today. You may know her best from her costarring role in 1995’s hit Clueless or alongside Damon Wayans in Mo’ Money. Other credits include Renaissance Man and View from the Top.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the birthdays stars:

Rainn Wilson was in My Super Ex-Girlfriend with Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman was in Be Cool with Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito was in Renaissance Man with Stacey Dash

And that’s today – January 20 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 19

18 years ago Today in Movie History – January 19 – From Dusk til Dawn opened to #1 at the box office. With a script from Quentin Tarantino, the Robert Rodgriguez helmed picture starred George Clooney, Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and Salma Hayek. Mixing the crime and horror movie genres, Dawn was a modest commercial success which has since achieved cult status and spawned two direct to DVD sequels. It also has one of my favorite openings scenes of all time:

As for birthdays, Dolly Parton is 68 today. Known most for her huge country music career, Parton made a highly successful transition to film with 1980’s 9 to 5, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She would have another hit in 1982 alongside Burt Reynolds in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, but critics and audiences would reject Rhinestone with Sylvester Stallone in 1984. Parton would become a part of an impressive female ensemble in 1989’s Steel Magnolias.

Going a little outside my typical box for birthday entries, Justin Clarke has been my lifelong friend and he turns 36 today. How many movies has he been in? None – but his brother-in-law Brad Wise directed A Strange Brand of Happy, which recently became available on DVD. You can read my blog post about the film from July here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2013/07/21/a-strange-and-innovative-brand-of-film-marketing/

The cast includes Oscar winner Shirley Jones and I found a way to connect my good buddy and Dolly Parton in Six Degrees of Separation so let’s get to it!

Dolly Parton was in Steel Magnolias with Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts was in The Mexican with Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt was in Moneyball with Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill was in Grandma’s Boy with Shirley Jones

Shirley Jones was directed by Brad Wise in A Strange Brand of Happy

Brad Wise is Justin Clarke’s brother-in-law

And there you have it – January 19th in Movie History. And happy birthday Justin!