And the Academy Award goes to…Boston University!
Just kidding, that wouldn’t make sense. But it sure seems like someone should give our university an honorable Oscar or something! This award season, BU alumni are ruling the nomination game. From producers to actors, former students have worked on some of the best films of the year. We couldn’t be more proud, and I couldn’t be more inspired by these wildly successful professionals who were, at one time, just like me! These people may have sat through COM 101, or maybe they had an internship that I am looking into. These nominees have definitely pumped me up for the future; if these Terriers can do it, clearly BU is doing something right! Who’s to say you or I won’t be next?
Two of the three major alumni nominations came from some of our very own: past COM attendees Nora Grossman and Bonnie Arnold.
Grossman, who graduated in 2005, is the producer of “The Imitation Game” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. In my opinion, the film was a fantastic one to see, telling an exciting yet informative story of a lesser-known World War II hero. With great acting, a dynamic plot, and noticeably impressive production value, this feature enabled me to walk out of the theatre with my BU head held high. Named by Variety as one of 10 producers to watch, Grossman started doing research for the project in 2009. Clearly, her work was a success, and now her company has started an original project for J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot. They are also developing a TV series at Sky Atlantic in the U.K…not too shabby!
“The Imitation Game” received five nominations at the Golden Globes, and has now earned eight Oscar noms too! If it wins Best Picture, look out for Grossman’s acceptance speech!
Next, Bonnie Arnold earned a nomination for her work as the producer of “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” Arnold earned an M.S. in journalism in 1978, and although you may not have seen this most recent film, you have definitely heard of her work elsewhere. Maybe you’ll recognize the name “Toy Story,” yes? I thought so. Arnold produced Toy Story in 1995, along with “Tarzan,” “Over the Hedge,” “The Last Station,” and the first “How to Train Your Dragon,” just to name a few. Her nomination for Best Animated Film is incredibly exciting, but it may not beat the excitement of her work on “How to Train Your Dragon 3,” which is set for 2017!
Finally, the gorgeous Julianne Moore is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in “Still Alice.” A College of Fine Arts graduate in 1983, Moore roamed Commonwealth Avenue back in the day just like we do. Now, she shines on silver screens worldwide, and her work in this movie has already achieved outstanding success.
Clearly BU is well-represented in the entertainment sphere right now, and that doesn’t seem like it will change any time soon. With so many students interested in countless areas of the field, our list of accolades has the potential to grow exponentially. I would not be surprised if some of my own classmates were making similar acceptance speeches one day, and who knows, maybe I’ll be up there with them! But even without focusing on awards, the outstanding art produced by our alumni network is something to be proud of.
