Oscar Race: A Sprint to the Finish : As Vote Deadline Draws Near, Campaigns for Top Films Heat Up

The field for the 1988 Oscar race rounded the far turn Monday as final ballots were mailed to the 4,600 Academy Awards voters, and with just nine days to the voting deadline, the studios and agencies riding the nominees have gone to the whip.

Advertising campaigns accelerated in the industry’s trade papers last week, with Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter carrying nearly 200 Oscar “reminders” and screening announcements between them. Those receiving the biggest pushes are best picture nominees “Mississippi Burning,” “The Accidental Tourist,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Working Girl” and “Rain Man,” along with “Gorillas in the Mist,” whose five nominations include best actress contender Sigourney Weaver.

Probably the most noticeable change in campaign strategy was made by Orion Pictures for its multiple nominee “Mississippi Burning.” The film, a fictionalized account of the Klan-ordered executions of three civil rights workers in 1964, has been severely criticized for what its detractors point to as historical inaccuracies. Newly created trade ads use quotes from prominent black leaders to offset the criticism.

California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown Jr. is quoted confirming the “historical accuracy of many of the events depicted in the movie,” and the Rev. Clinton C. Boone, pastor of Long Island’s Union Baptist Church, assures voters that “the conditions shown in ‘Mississippi Burning’ existed in the South--I know because I was there.”

Charles Glenn, Orion’s executive vice president of marketing, said the two-page black-and-white spreads are aimed at “reminding the academy not only of the great critical acclaim the picture has received but also to inform (members) that despite the great controversy swirling around the film . . . it is a historical account and . . . is not inaccurate.”

Ads for the heavily favored best picture nominee “Rain Man” focus on specific scenes from the film that were personally chosen as “favorite moments” by stars Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, director Barry Levinson and producer Mark Johnson.

“Each ad (focuses on) one moment in the hopes that it will remind (voters) of something in the film, or maybe make them laugh,” said a “Rain Man” publicist, who added that there is so much being written about the movie that “you don’t really have to do a bunch of extra things.”

“Gorillas in the Mist” is the film that most people mention as being the most heavily promoted. The campaign prompted an attack from the podium by Carl Reiner at Saturday’s Directors Guild of America awards dinner.

“I have in my house more color reproductions of Sigourney Weaver and a beautiful gorilla than I need . . . ,” Reiner said, to the laughter and applause of fellow directors. “We’ve got to tell the academy to stop this advertising. I’m getting turned off on the pictures I like .”

Universal’s campaign for “Gorillas in the Mist” has been a steady presence in the Oscar race since it was launched last December. The film failed to garner

nominations in the prestige categories of best picture and best director, but the studio is making sure voters don’t forget the nominations it did get.

Booker McClay, a marketing consultant for Universal, said the original purpose of the studio’s campaign for “Gorillas” is still in effect.

“The one main thing is to get people to see our pictures,” McClay said. “If they don’t see the pictures, they won’t vote (for them). The ads aren’t going to change their minds.”

McClay said that in addition to mailings for Weaver, the studio has sent out about 3,000 cassettes of the nominated score for “Gorillas,” and has done the same for the score to “The Milagro Beanfield War.” He’s also sent out reprints of its trade ads “to make sure those who don’t get the trades see them.”

McClay was uniquely forthcoming in discussing his activities. Most of the studio representatives contacted for this story either begged off because of “studio policy” or said they were doing nothing more than running service ads in the trades letting voters know where and when they can see their nominated films.

But, there is clearly more going on than trade ads. The mailboxes of academy voters are being stuffed with brochures and audio and video cassettes.

If cleverness is worth anything, best actor nominee Tom Hanks should benefit from 20th Century Fox’s campaign for the boy-in-a-man’s-body comedy “Big.” Fox mailed voters a fold-out card that opens to the tune of “Heart and Soul,” which Hanks played in the film’s memorable toy store scene by dancing on a giant piano keyboard.

According to a Fox official, who asked not to be named, the studio has also sent out a 14-minute videocassette highlighting the sound and visual effects from the action film “Die Hard,” which is nominated for film editing, sound, sound effects editing and visual effects. Also shipped to academy voters: an audiocassette of best song nominee “Let the River Run” from “Working Girl.”

Publicists and agents for actor nominees say Oscar promotions are now in the hands of the studios. You may see a lot of interviews with stars before the nominations are announced, but once they are, the nominees tend to stand back and let nature (and the trade ads) take their course.

Many of the nominees are expected to be out of town until shortly before the awards ceremony. Best actor nominees Hackman, Max von Sydow (“Pelle the Conqueror”) and Edward James Olmos (“Stand and Deliver”) are on location with new films. Best actress nominees Melanie Griffith and Glenn Close are overseas promoting the European openings of “Working Girl” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” respectively, and Meryl Streep (“A Cry in the Dark”) is said to be holed up at home in Connecticut.

Best director nominee Charles Crichton (“A Fish Called Wanda”) put in an appearance at Saturday’s directors guild dinner, then jetted home to London. Supporting actor nominee Alec Guinness (“Little Dorritt”) is also at home in London, and supporting actress nominee Frances McDormand (“Mississippi Burning”) is “specifically avoiding publicity,” according to publicist Dick Guttman.

Some nominees inevitably benefit from publicity being generated for films that are still in release. Geena Davis, a best supporting actress nominee for “The Accidental Tourist,” was on Friday’s “Today Show.” Hackman was in the news recently as the winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Best Actor award. Dustin Hoffman was at the Feb. 22 “Rain Man” opening in London. And best actress nominee Glenn Close, from “Dangerous Liaisons,” appeared on Saturday Night Live in late February.

Should the nominees be visible during the crucial voting period? As Reiner hinted Saturday night, there is such a thing as too much visibility.

“This is a very good time to be in town,” said Guttman. “It brings awareness . . . (and) builds momentum. . . . Nobody’s going to vote for you because they saw you at Spago’s, but that might remind them (who you are and to go and see the film).”

Deadline for the final ballots is 5 p.m. March 23. The awards ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium will be held March 29.