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Sean Penn Earns Oscar Nomination Earlier Than Ever
Trailers / Daniel Carlson

Trade News | September 4, 2008 | Comments (22)

SeanPenn-HarveyMilk.jpgIt’s now impossible for Sean Penn projects not to attract Oscar buzz, even if that buzz is nothing more than the ephemeral murmurs that tend to crop up this time of year surrounding the release of high-class or high-profile dramas. Penn’s been building gravitas since Mystic River and 21 Grams, and after directing last year’s critically acclaimed Into the Wild, Penn’s back in the awards-season fray with Milk.

Milk is director Gus Van Sant’s biopic about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco and, per Time, “the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.” The film opens Dec. 5 after a limited bow Nov. 26, and the trailer’s just come out. It’s a good trailer, too, full of dramatic music and mustaches and a lot of visual cues that convey the heady mix of 1970s revolution and unfortunate homophobia. For the few of you who don’t actually know what happens and can’t be bothered to Wikipedia the thing, I won’t spoil it, but it rhymes with kashmashination. Get your Oscars ready:


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Comments

What some cal call "gravitas" I call "douchetism" Penn doesn't entertain you, he beats you. Oy

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at September 4, 2008 9:49 AM

Fuckin' twinkies.

Posted by: TK at September 4, 2008 9:55 AM

That was Emile Hirsch under that enormous Jew-Fro?! Awesome.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at September 4, 2008 10:07 AM

That's a pretty decent cast. If nothing else, I'm curious to see if Franco continues his decent run of late.

What manner of rhyming dictionary do you have, Carlson? I came up with "mass fascination" and now I have that Human League song stuck in my head, so thanks for that.

Posted by: Che Grovera at September 4, 2008 10:07 AM

Is anyone else getting that Muppet Babies version of The Avengers ad? What's the target audience there? Who wants to see a lil' manga version of Captain America? There's so much wrong with it.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at September 4, 2008 10:09 AM

That's a pretty decent cast. If nothing else, I'm curious to see if Franco continues his decent run of late.

Positively indecent...I tell you what, Daniel. I'll swap you a rhyming dictionary for a thesaurus.

Posted by: Che Grovera at September 4, 2008 10:09 AM

Well, I for one can't wait to see this movie. I love the '70s, I love the homos, and I love the Sean Penn, douche or no. (In previewing this comment, I noticed that I "accidentally" misspelled Penn as Peen. Interesting.)

I just hope that Diego Luna and James Franco make out. I'll still see it, even if they don't, but man, that would be sweet.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 4, 2008 10:27 AM

It looks like your typical Oscar bait. It's an interesting story, but I hope it doesn't get too preachy.

I really don't see the whole Emile Hirsch thing, though. Sorry.

Posted by: Sofía at September 4, 2008 10:32 AM

For once, I am interested in seeing a Sean Penn movie.

Posted by: Jerce at September 4, 2008 10:38 AM

Penn's a humorless twat, but he nearly always impresses me with his work.

Josh Brolin creeps me right the fuck out. I get the same "profoundly evil" vibe from him that I've always gotten from Andy Griffith.

Posted by: firedmyass at September 4, 2008 11:08 AM

This looks brilliant. I'm really getting into Gus Van Sant's films.

Posted by: Brian at September 4, 2008 11:17 AM

Is anyone else getting that Muppet Babies version of The Avengers ad?

It's haunting me too, Rhyme.

Posted by: twig at September 4, 2008 11:19 AM

I can't wait for this movie, Penn or no Penn. Five quick reasons:

1. Harvey Milk fucking rocks, even 30 years after his untimely demise.
2. James Franco naked.
3. Josh Brolin just fell right into that role... can't wait to see if the acting matches the physical adaptation.
4. All the little details appear to be there, from costumes and set decoration to the interactions between characters.
5. James Franco, naked.

Posted by: jeem at September 4, 2008 11:21 AM

Muppet Babies version of the Avengers? Does Che know about this?

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 4, 2008 11:21 AM

"Sean Penn Earns Oscar Nomination Earlier Than Ever!"

Impossible for him to win, Mr. Carlson. Although not yet released to the public, I've got pretty solid evidence that prior to the Academy Awards release, Mr. Penn will be shipped to the Department of Alternative Fuel Development, where his gigantic ego will be milked and converted to a more economic source of energy.

Posted by: Skittimus Maximus at September 4, 2008 11:57 AM

Did Milk have a speech impediment, or is that just a Penn-trait for all of his roles?

Posted by: courtney at September 4, 2008 12:04 PM

Muppet Babies version of the Avengers? Does Che know about this?

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 4, 2008 11:21 AM

Thanks (I think) for calling this to my attention, Anna von B; I was busily ignoring that ad until you summoned me.

Manga Moppets is more like it -- there's nary a muppet to be seen (thank Godtopus). I may have to have my trademark attorney pay a little visit to Optimus Rhyme, though, for that unforgivable misidentification...

Posted by: Che Grovera at September 4, 2008 12:05 PM

Anna von Beaverplatz, jeem, yes, there's some James Franco action, but it's Sean Penn. Four times, from what I've heard. Nothing like four gay sex scenes in a movie, even if Harvey Milk by way of Sean Penn looks unfortunately greasy.

Nothing like imagining James Franco lying in bed, naked, a cigarette in one hand and a coil of smoke lazily trailing from his mouth as he says, "He hurt me. He hurt me four times."

Posted by: noah at September 4, 2008 2:53 PM

I'm an extra in the crowd scene! It happened right in the Castro in SF. Of course you can't see me, but damn it, it was my moment of cinematic glory to be a part of a Milk bio-pic. And hell, Sean Pen lives in San Anselmo so I'm not surprised he attached himself to this either!

Posted by: ph at September 4, 2008 4:55 PM

Sean Penn was born to play Superman.

Posted by: Lucas at September 4, 2008 5:45 PM

I think it looks good.

Posted by: Kevin Longrie at September 4, 2008 8:27 PM

@ph: I was an (unpaid, part of the crowd) extra in that scene, too! And you can't see me, either.

I loved having the Castro done up all 70's style. They should totally make that an annual thing.

Posted by: Nora at September 6, 2008 4:50 AM