Stewart Stern Academy member
A weekly tour of the unexpected in the entertainment and arts scene.
Who he is: Stewart Stern, screenwriter ("Rachel, Rachel," "Rebel Without a Cause"), longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a Seattle resident since 1986.
Joining the club: Stern was invited to join the academy in 1951, the year he received his first Oscar nomination for "Teresa." (He was also nominated in 1968 for "Rachel, Rachel.") Then, as now, anyone receiving a nomination was automatically invited to become a member of the organization. (A nomination isn't a requirement for membership, though; individuals who have made "an outstanding contribution to film," among other criteria, can be invited to join.) Membership is for life, provided modest dues are paid.
Stern smiles, remembering the first Academy Award ceremonies he attended — at one, Mae West and Rock Hudson performed "Baby, It's Cold Outside." He didn't attend often ("it cost too much"), but was dazzled by the intimacy and star power of the event when he did. "But with the advent of television," he said, "it became a whole different thing. It became a television show."
The benefits of membership: Living in the Pacific Northwest, Stern is too far away to enjoy many of the benefits of academy members. But while living in California, he often attended special premiere screenings sponsored by the academy. "The most glorious circumstances to see movies in — everything is perfect, the print is mint, the audience is very responsive." The academy also presents screenings of classic films, ever-changing photographic exhibits and student contests; and runs the newly expanded academy library.
Campaign fever: As one of the academy's approximately 5,800 voting members, Stern received a ballot in the mail last month, with instructions to return it by March 15. And he's gotten a few other things in the mail, too: some 64 tapes or DVDs of nominated films, along with about 30 screenplays — all sent by studios promoting their films.
Stern watches as many of the tapes as possible, though he also sees many of the nominated films in local theaters. But he's concerned that the mailings create an uneven playing field. He recalls a recent incident in which he didn't receive a tape for a film he'd admired. Upon inquiry, he was told that the studio wasn't sending out any materials for that film, because they didn't have any faith that it could be nominated. (Sure enough, it wasn't — but would it have been if the studio had made an effort?)
Marking the ballot: Stern is eligible to vote in nearly every category (a few, such as documentary or foreign-language film, require attendance at special Hollywood screenings), but he may pass on some. On the nominee ballot, he was only eligible to vote in the writing categories (and best picture), but the final ballot is open to all. "I think that's not good," he said. "I don't know anything about sound editing. Very often I don't vote in a category, just in what I feel qualified to vote for."
This year, he's torn between a number of films, though he expressed great admiration for "The Hours." But some of his favorite films weren't on the ballot at all — "Moonlight Mile," "Roger Dodger," "Auto Focus" and "The Fast Runner" — "To me, that's the best picture of the year."
Said Stern, "I almost don't know what my pen is going to put the 'X' on. Sometimes it's clear, or sometimes there's a film that I feel fulfills something that I have a particular interest in. If a film contributes something to human understanding, or takes some stand about the world we live in, I tend to (vote for it, or nominate it) simply out of appreciation."
— Moira Macdonald