Academy Awards

LES MISERABLES NYC Screening Met With Standing Ovations; Director Tom Hooper And Cast Cheered

By Michelle McCue | November 23, 2012

Fellow writer Melissa Thompson declared the Best Picture race over on November 13th when she went out on a ledge and moved the film right to the top of the Best Picture pile. “Academy voters will love this type of big production, grand scale slice of old Hollywood! Tom Hooper and the epic he’s apparently made! LES MISERABLES wins Best Picture.” Melissa might just be right. On the day after Thanksgiving, while many were out shopping on Black Friday, New York critics, writers, Guild and Academy members were seeing Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper’s dramatic musical for the first time at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

Previously Hooper and his 2010 film, THE KING’S SPEECH, won Best Director, Best Picture as well as Oscars for Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler) at the 83rd Academy Awards. LES MISERABLES is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2012 in the United States and on January 11, 2013 in the United Kingdom.

Associate Culture Editor for The Newsweek Daily Beast Company, Marlow Stern, tweeted out this picture from the screening.

At the movie’s conclusion, followed by a Q&A session with the director, Anne Hathaway (Fantine), Samantha Barks (Éponine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius Pontmercy), LES MISERABLES was met with cheering and ovations and the same writers took to Twitter and Facebook almost immediately praising the cast and filmmakers –

Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter: Analysis: ‘Les Miserables’ Wows First Audience in New York, Clearly Headed for Oscars.

Hooper could become only the 19th person to win two best director Oscars. Considering the fact that most film people hadn’t even heard of him three years ago, that’s pretty amazing. He seems to inspire a great deal of loyalty and affection from his actors — who rehearsed for this film with him for nine weeks before the cameras started rolling — which matters, since actors account for the largest branch of the Academy.

Nathaniel Rogers of The Film Experience.net:

Jackman and Hathaway both absolutely sensational in Les Miz #omg #audiencewentwild4it. P.S. Movie also great thank God! Hooper actually pulled it off.

Clayton Davis of Awards Circuit:

Hooper tops The Kings Speech in a big way …Lincoln and Argo better get their #Oscar gloves on.

Steven Zeitchik, Arts + Entertainment writer at the Los Angeles Times:

Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables a very well done if methodical take on the musical staple.

Kris Tapley of HitFix:

Hathaway wins. GOD. I wept. Film’s a triumph. They’re on their feet here. NYC crowd ate…it…up. #lesmiserables. FYI, this afternoon’s “Les Miz” screening was NOT the first audience to see the film. Screened for SAG Nom Comm this morning.

Dave Karger of Fandango:

First #LesMiserables screening went over extremely well. I’d call it a sure thing Picture nominee for Oscar and the probable Globe winner. Hugh Jackman has a great shot to bump out Denzel or Joaquin in the Best Actor race. His singing is quite impressive. #LesMiserables.

Russell Crowe will be polarizing. I liked him but some people won’t like his voice. Supp actor is weak so he has a shot tho. #LesMiserables

On Movie City News’ GURUS OF GOLD chart, film reporter Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today is the only one to have LES MISERABLES in the #1 spot. Overall it’s holding at number 4 – for now. Among the TV spots running presently, the last the public saw of the film was the international trailer that debuted earlier this month and the recently released trailer. They vary slightly, but I venture to guess the “musical phenomenon” will still pack the same punch once it begins screening for Academy members and Oscar voters this coming Saturday in Los Angeles. For those of you who keep track on the awards season and how LES MISERABLES figures into the mix, here’s a rundown:

85th Academy Awards Nominations: January 10, 2013
70th Annual Golden Globes Awards: Sunday, January 13, 2013
Screen Actors Guild Awards Ceremony: Sunday, January 27, 2013
85th Academy Awards Ceremony: Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale. With international superstars and beloved songs – including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own” – Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.