Welcome to the Matt Damon Column,
a forum for sharing news among Matt fans.

• I thank reader Amy for scanning the picture above to share.
• Kathry wrote:
  Matt is in the British Empire magazine: This from the latest issue.
  ...it might also be interesting to note there seems to be a big interview w/ Winona in the magazine, where, states the headline on the website: "Perennial gamine Winona Ryder faces her Girl, Interrupted demons & avoids the Matt Damon question"
  An interesting read, I think.

A reader wrote:
check out this web site for new pictures (or at least ones i've never seen) from all the pretty horses.

From a big Matt fan:
This year's Oscars have yet to come, but people are already looking forward to next year's. Here's something from a Roughcut.com article about literary adaptations that might have a future at next year's awards. The full article is at this site.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, these are the four literary adaptations that may set the tone.
ALL THE PRETTY HORSES This fall finally sees the release of Billy Bob Thornton's long-awaited film version of Cormack McCarthy's "All The Pretty Horses." Starring Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Lucas Black and Penelope Cruz, it's a coming of age story set earlier this century, when the Old West was being supplanted by the modern. Damon portrays a Texas teenager who's forced to leave home after his mother sells the family ranch. With his best friend, he sets off on horseback for Mexico in search of the cowboy life that's rapidly growing extinct. A coming-of-age story in the classical tradition, his journey is marked by adventure, romance and tragedy.
This is actually the film's biggest challenge -- how to wrangle a plot that traverses so many genres without losing the audience. Apparently the film currently clocks in at over three hours, and early reports refer to it as gorgeous yet distant. Still, it features a fantastic supporting role for young Lucas (Sling Blade) Black, and has long been touted as the film that will make Penelope Cruz a star in the United States.
• Variety reported that Denzel Washington is in serious talks to play the corrupt cop in a movie called "Training Days". This is a project that originally was supposed to team Matt with Samuel L. Jackson, but then somehow nothing came of it.
  According to Variety: "While the rookie (role) seemed like a sure bet with Matt Damon at the time Samuel L. Jackson was expected to play the verteran, current buzz has Will Smith and Ben Affleck mentioned as possible co-stars."
• Felicity spoke:
  In the Australian press (the first batch of which I received yesterday, some interesting things):
  • Asked whether he and Winona would ever appear in a film together: Yes, if the part was right.
  • Said how fun the Globes were, and that he and Winona had far too much champage and wine because it was free. "Just a night for star-gazing, looking at people like Denzel Washington"
  On (Matt's stint as a radio DJ in London):
  Here's what was said:
  • On Christina Aguilera, he played a tape were she praised him, saying he was a cutie and that she had only recently seen GWH on a plane. Matt then said that the voice-over for planes and TV had taken three days to record because of the offensive language.
  • Before playing a Beatles song (Hey Jude), Matt said that on set he and Jude Law would always be reciting Beatles lyrics and singing Beatles songs. "So this one's for you, Jude..."
  • After playing a Will Smith song Matt said something like 'Will was fantastic, but in the film I just shot with him, TLOBV, Will played my caddie. This was funny, becauase in real life Will has never caddied for anybody, and never will again in his life.'

• From Felicity:
  Not too much going on here: Ripley was 3rd(!) with �1.5ish-million on the weekend, behind Toy Story (�7mil) and The Beach (�1.7). Surprisingly low, I would think, but likely to be due to the lack of Oscar nods and mixed press.
  I went to the next Minghella presentation last night at the Barbican, and did speak to him. (Presentation itself was only about half an hour, with nothing new. Notes to follow.) I asked Minghella if the press tour had finished (has been going for months), and he said no, that he was off to Dublin tomorrow (today). I mentioned briefly some of the places they'd been, and he raved about Australia. So, hardly world-breaking stuff, but look for some upcoming Irish press. And I got my book of Minghella's plays signed :)
  The first audience question was whether he was disappointed that Ripley didn't get nominated for Best Picture. He answered yes, abruptly, but then went on to say that it was a movie that divided opinion etc, so that it wasn't too surprising. He did say that he received (on nominations day) many, many phone calls from people expressing their disappointment and anger at the snubbing. He said there was mixed emotions because the film did get 5 nominations, and that's still a great achievement.
• Also from Felicity:
  Read an interview of Matt in Berlin here. It begins with "To retain contact with ordinary people, Matt Damon has a car with tinted windows so he can watch people without being stared at ..."
• Yahoo daily news reported that Ripley received 7 nominations in the British Oscars. There was no details given about which category the noms are for. (A follow-up email from a Matt fan reported that sadly Matt's name is not among the nominations.)
• A reader wrote: from www.nerve.com, two movie reviewers comments on TTMR, in particular about whether Matt was right for the role of Ripley: Here Dec 29 entry.
• Evelyn wrote: there's a picture of Matt and winona in the new Cosmo(politan magazine).
• From a Big Matt Fan:
  Here's another account of what happened at the Harvard event:
  (Harvard Crimson) (U-WIRE) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Student performers danced,sang, and occasionally exchanged kisses with host Matt Damon, Class of 1992, at the annual Cultural Rhythms festival.
  "I've been kissed more tonight than I was in college," Damon joked.
  A capacity crowd filled Sanders Theater Saturday for the event, which was sponsored by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations and featured performances by 17 student groups.
  At the event, the Foundation named Damon "Cultural Artist of the Year" for his humanitarian efforts working to help disadvantaged children and increase AIDS awareness.
  Damon also signed a petition to show his support for the movement to create an ethnic studies concentration at Harvard.
  Most of the student performers wore green ribbons in support of the cause.
  "We still lack an academic structure that studies ethnicity in America, " Tri M. Phuong '02 explained, saying Cultural Rhythms was an ideal time to spread the ethnic studies message.
  The event began when Foundation Director S. Allen Counter introduced Damon, who took the microphone and was immediately greeted with a wave of cheers and applause.
  "What will you do if I graduate?" Damon joked, referring to his two unfinished semesters at Harvard, which he attended until 1991.
  Acts before intermission spanned from Holoimua O Hawai'i's Samoan and Hawaiian cultural dances to the Hellenic Society's "Butcher's Dance" and the Thai Society's "Fish-Catching Dance."
  Pantila Vanichakarn '01, who represented the Thai Society on stage, said she enjoyed the chance to share her culture with others, but the best part of the show came after her performance.
  "[Damon] kissed me," she said. "He was really cute."
  Members of each group also handed Damon flowers and had the opportunity to sit next to him on stage during the following act.
  The first half of the show concluded with a performance by the Kuumba Singers who performed renditions of the South African national anthem and Jordan River.
  After a short intermission, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 presented Damon with a plaque and commended him for his work with the AIDS Action Committee.
  During his acceptance speech, Damon quipped that when he told his father he would be at Harvard to receive an award, the first thing his father said was "Is it a diploma?"
  Damon went on to tell the audience about "compassion, the root of all understanding and harmony" and said he felt his award was as much a responsibility as an honor.
  Then, a member of Damon's former residence, Lowell House, presented him with a Lowell sweatshirt and invited him to become a member of the House's senior common room.
  Amid the shouts and screams of his fans, Damon unbuttoned his white dress shirt and put on his Lowell T-shirt and sweatshirt, saying, "I'm definitely back now."
  The show's second half featured performances by groups ranging from Latinas Unidas to the Vietnamese Association, the South Asian Association and the Celtic Society.
  The Harvard Capoeira group performed a sparring routine including series of flips, handstands and kicks that make up the Brazilian martial art called capoeira.
  Andy Krueger '01, president of the Celtic Society, said although he forgot some of the words to the piece he sang, he enjoyed being on stage.
  "I think it's great," he said. "I just wanted to put a Celtic influence in the event - we fit into its ethos."
  "Being Celtic is a state of mind," he added. "I emphasize inclusivity and diversity."
  The last performers treated the crowd to a modern form of the Cuban salsa dance.
  In his closing remarks, Damon alluded to a possible return to Harvard.
  "If you see me around, don't be a stranger," he told audience members.
  The Cultural Rhythms celebration ended with an ethnic food fair and additional performances in the Science Center.
  Damon made a brief appearance and said he was glad that he hosted the event.
  "It was an unbelievable and unexpected day, and I'll never forget it," Damon told The Crimson. He said this was his first time attending Cultural Rhythms.
  Counter agreed that Saturday's event went well.
  "This is probably the best one we've had," he said. "There were so many outstanding student performances."
  One audience member James E. Davis, a senior chemistry lecturer, said he enjoyed seeing people on stage whom he recognized from his classes.
  "It's great to see so many people from so many different cultures, " he said. "There was such talent and enthusiasm."
  Karen C. Tseng '01, a member of the Taiwanese Cultural Society, said that while the event was a fantastic way to acquaint students with other cultures, the awareness should extend beyond one annual event.
  "[Cultural Rhythms] is a fantastic idea and it shows that Harvard is interested in promoting cultural understanding," she said.
  "But people should also remember that the Foundation is there 365 days a year and [furthering ethnic appreciation] is something the Foundation does all the time," she said.

• From an article in the Dallas Morning News about a famous mathematician on NPR:
  If Mr. Devlin wants to recruit more takers into the world of math, he knows the subject needs a serious public-relations makeover.
  Enter actor Matt Damon.
  On a Weekend Edition segment back in 1998, Mr. Devlin and Mr. Simon discussed the possibility of Mr. Damon as mathematics' sexy new poster boy after the film Good Will Hunting came out.
  Could this film reverse the die-hard stereotype of the crusty mathematician?
  "No, we don't all have blond hair and blue eyes," Mr. Devlin admits, chuckling. "Unfortunately, not all of us are that handsome."
• And were you a little curious as to why Matt was picked for that artist of the year award at Harvard. The following article suggests why. Although not everyone understood the choice, I suspect Matty charmed them all during the actual event.
  Harvard foundations defends choice of Damon as show host ( University Wire )
  (Harvard Crimson) (U-WIRE) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Students at Thursday night's dress rehearsal for the Harvard Cultural Rhythms performance festival expressed mixed reactions to the news that Oscar winner Matt Damon, Class of 1992, will be the host of the show on Saturday.
  Foundation Director S. Allen Counter said the Good Will Hunting star deserves to receive the Foundation's artist of the year award and to host the event because of his humanitarian and professional efforts.
  "Matt Damon is one of the most brilliant young actors in Hollywood today," said Counter, who is also associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School. "In addition to his outstanding work as actor, producer, and screenwriter, he is also concerned about youth violence and has made important contributions to the AIDS Action Committee."
  "He is an excellent symbol of achievement and compassion for young people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds," Counter added.
  But students at the festival debated the merits of having a white host, rather than a person of color.
  Victoria Tse '03 said that choosing Damon for the host of Cultural Rhythms, a festival sponsored by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, seems to go against what the event stands for.
  "I was kind of confused," she said. "The majority is Caucasian and the point of this show is to let minorities show their culture."
  But Kitso Lemo '02 argued that race should be irrelevant to the choice.
  "It would be unfair to say he's not cultural just because he's white, " he said. "One of the goals of the Harvard Foundation is cultural unity. Why shouldn't [the host] be a white person?"
  Jeannette Soriano '01 said that the merit of the choice depends on what the Foundation considers a cultural artist to be.
  "The host doesn't necessarily have to be a minority," she said. "But what has [Damon] done that's culturally significant?"
  Courtney J. Bass '03 said she did not consider the selection a thoughtful one.
  "[Damon] seems like a last-minute choice," she said.
  Adam P. Bailey '01, secretary of the Foundation's Student Advisory Committee, said that while there were many choices under consideration, Damon was their top pick from the beginning.
  "Matt Damon was by far the first on the list," he said.
  While students and Faculty members compile a list of possible performers, the Faculty make the final decision.
  The Foundation believes Damon is a positive role model, Bailey said, particularly because of the work he has done to combat youth violence.
  And other students said they were excited about the choice because of Damon's recent acting successes.
  "I think he's actually a pretty good choice," Lemo said. "He's broadened his role as an actor in recent films like The Talented Mr. Ripley. He's a talented performer."

• A close encounter, as reported by a Matt fan:
  I have some interesting news to report. I was at the airport tonight dropping off a friend and whom did bump into but Matt and Winona coming in from NY. He looked adorable wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt, jacket and jeans. Her hair had a reddish hue and she was wearing a hat and sunglasses. The paparazzi followed them taking pictures and videotaping their every move. Matt was gracious to all. It was really cute, as at one point some girls from a local soccer team realized it was him and they all yelled "Matt" and he turned around and gave them the peace sign. He signed a few autographs for them and when they asked Winona she told them she only signs for little kids.
• News from Felicity:
  My duty today is to report on the efforts of Matt as DJ last night on London radio. It was for a 90 minute segment, but there was probably less than five minutes of Matt speaking. When he did, it was fun, but there was a lot of music in between.
  It was supposed to be a collection of Matt's favourite songs, but there were a lot of songs that sounded suspiciously like simply commercial radio fodder (eg Savage Garden, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mel B). But some other fun stuff as well (and no Funny Valentine). (T)here were fun stories about Jude Law, Aguilera and Will Smith.

From Yahoo's Calendar: Upcoming Arts, Culture & ShowBiz Events (March)
Sunday, March 5
LOS ANGELES - 52nd annual Writers Guild Awards.
At Beverly Hilton. Actor ALAN ALDA to receive Valentine Davies Award for contributions to entertainment industry and community at large. Veteran television writer PAUL MONASH to receive Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award. Hosted by comedienne CAROLINE RHEA. Presenters include MATT DAMON, RED BUTTON, TYNE DALY, GREGORY PECK, HALEY JOEL OSMENT (''The Sixth Sense''), DYLAN MCDERMOTT (''The Practice'') and MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN (''The Green Mile'').

• From The Boston Herald:
  Damon gives some `Good Will'
  by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa

  Sunday, February 27, 2000

  Harvard drop-out-turned-Hollywood hot stuff Matt Damon won over the Cambridge college crowd yesterday during his stellar performance as emcee of the annual ``Cultural Rhythums'' festival.

  During the show at the Sanders Theatre, the former member of the class of 1992 was honored as the Harvard Foundation's ``Artist of the Year.'' And boy, did he perform!

  During the show, he gladly goofed around with a large janitor's mop a la his ``Good Will Hunting'' character, the genius floor sweeper at MIT. And in one of the skits, he joked with one of the performers who poked fun at Matt's famous movie line, ``How do ya like them apples?''

  All of the joking about Matt's Academy Award-winning flick was ironic, since ``Good Will Hunting'' was the reason why he left behind the ivy-covered walls a year shy of graduation!

  But while the Oscar winner seems to be OK with his decision to drop out of Harvard, his dad, Kent, is still reeling from his sheepskin-less son. In fact, during the awards ceremony Matt told the audience that when he found out that he was going to be honored by Harvard, he was on a trip with his dad.

  ``I'm going back to Harvard to get a special award,'' Matt said he told his father. ``And after a long pause he said, `It's not a diploma, is it?' ''

  No, it was just a plaque. But be that as it may, Kent Damon was applauding in the audience yesterday at Sanders Theatre along with Matt's mom, Nancy Carlsson-Paige; his brother, Kyle; sister-in-law Lori; their young kids; and Matt's main squeeze, Winona Ryder, a vision in red cowboy boots.

  The sold-out crowd went wild for the wickedly handsome ex-Harvardite, especially one star-struck girl who screamed out, ``MATT!'' during a pause in the program. Which forced Matt to look up from his script and say: ``What would you guys do if I decided to come back here?''

  Don't tease us, buddy. Besides, if actress Elisabeth Shue can do it, so could you!

  Last year, the Harvard Foundation honored actor/singer Will Smith, who, incidentally stars with Damon in the upcoming flick, ``The Legend of Bagger Vance.''

  File Under: Good Will All Around!

• A note from a globetrotting Matt fan:
  Turns out that TTMR won't debut in Paris until March 8, so the IMDB is wrong.
  But I've been catching up on the Column while on vacation in London and caught this line of Mighella's:
  "I hate the idea of the audience being disappointed, which is why the film poster is designed to pull Matt away from Gwyneth, so audiences won't think that it's a film with Matt and Gwyneth getting together. "
  I've been in Paris and London and the promotion for TTMR is strikingly different in each and different from what we get in the US. The US posters and ads make it Matt's film, with Jude and Gwyneth shrunk in the distance. It doesn't just separate Matt from Gwyneth -- it makes it his film!
  In London, the poster shows a head shot of Matt and to his left are head shots of JL and GP both shot at about 75% of his size. It's a three-person picture. The visual establishes the relationships, with Matt as the principal but by no means the solo star.
  Paris is even more interesting. Kiosks at all the major sites (Bastille, Arc de Triomphe, etc.) at least 10 days in advance of the release show a variety of posters each with a solo star. These are like 8 feet tall, mostly just a head shot with copy below. Jude gets his own with the tag line "How far would you go live his life?" Matt gets his own with the tag line "How far would you go to be somebody else?" And Gwyneth gets her own with the tag line "Why do men always play at killing one another?" So you have a triangle, and her quote helps you make sense of the other two.
  Three posters, one for each (apparently equal) star, and if you caught the lines you could put together an idea of what the film has in store.
  It gets better. Then I noticed there were actually 2 Matt posters. One is him as Tom with glasses in a jacket and tie, and that slightly puzzled look. The other is him as Dickie without glasses in an open-necked shirt and carrying himself with a certain air of self-confidance. Very subtle and something a Matt fan will pick up on. And one has to suppose the French know how to advertise to their own audience.
  Maybe both these campaigns have profitted from the US campaign?

• News from Felicity:
  • Firstly, the premiere. I'm not sure what coverage you've seen (or any of the London papers), but apparently ET showed some of the premiere, including Gwyneth saying how she had Oscar hopes for Matt and Jude, and also the film (that clip also made it to the late night London news). Gwyneth (solo) made the cover of three of the seven daily papers, once also with Matt, and once with Minghella. She's certainly dominated all coverage here. Matt didn't get any solo pics (!), but there's a great group shot of him, Gwyneth, Jude, Jack Davenport and Minghella. Not many quotes from Matt, only that he wasn't trying to anticipate the Oscar nominations, because he didn't want to be disappointed. He was asked whether he received a Valentine's card, and he said: 'I only wanted one'. Question: 'Did you get it?' A: 'Yes'. (Winona was definitely in NY and did not attend.) He was also asked about the last time he was nominated, and he said that he took years to 'internalise' the event.
    Interruptions: From the Boston Herald:
    The talented Mr. Damon downplays Oscar hopes
    Arts and TV briefs
    Tuesday, February 15, 2000
    Gwyneth Paltrow, last year's Best Actress Oscar winner for ``Shakespeare in Love,'' knows whom she'd vote for in the Best Actor race this year. ``I'm looking forward to being just a presenter and hopefully present it to Matt Damon, because he deserves it,'' said Paltrow, who could be named again herself when Oscar nominees are announced today.
    Damon has been at the Berlin Film Festival promoting ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' with co-stars Paltrow and Jude Law. He sounded as though he didn't have his hopes up - or down - for an Oscar nomination. ``Jude and I had a conversation about this the other night,'' said the Cambridge native, who was a big winner at the Oscars two years ago with partner Ben Affleck for ``Good Will Hunting.'' ``We said it's really important not to use the Oscar nominations as a yardstick by which we measure our success or failure. We're proud and happy with `Ripley.' It is what it is. It exists. I think we're setting ourselves up for disappointment if we use this external barometer to gauge our internal satisfaction.''
  • And the Boston Herald today:
    Believe it or not, Oscar shuts out Damon, `Ripley'
    by Stephen Schaefer
    Wednesday, February 16, 2000
    No to Matt Damon, but yes to Sean Penn.
    No to Jim Carrey, but a big yes for 79-year-old Richard Farnsworth.
    These were just two of the shockers among yesterday's Academy Award nominations. In a year when no motion picture dominated and speculation was rife that anything could happen, Penn's nomination in the little-seen Woody Allen comedy ``Sweet and Lowdown'' proves the point.
    Damon, director Anthony Minghella and their film ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' were deemed insufficiently talented to contend for the Oscars for Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture. So was Carrey, again an also-ran despite his Golden Globe win for portraying the late Andy Kaufman in ``Man on the Moon.'' Following ``The Truman Show'' last year, it was deja vu all over again for Carrey.
    ``Ripley'' was a victim, some suggest, of Miramax's push for another of its films, ``The Cider House Rules.'' Although it's an abortion-themed story, ``The Cider House Rules'' is less dark than ``Ripley'' and is only now getting a big push into theaters. ``The Cider House Rules'' is nominated in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director (Lasse Hallstrom), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine) and Best Adapted Screenplay (John Irving).
  • And the Matt and Jude pic that was on the cover of the NY Times magazine (black and white, in profiles), is the main shot on local mag 'Time Out' this week. Inside are two articles with pics from those I've already copied, but it does have a full page of the 'English' poster. Again, I'll copy that. The poster appeared today (twice!) at my local tube station, so I can walk past it many times per day now!
  • An update on the roving Ripley press circus: They were in London for press interviews for a couple of hours on Saturday (I think) before flying out to Berlin for the premiere. Back to London for the premiere Monday night, and according to Minghella last night, they were all flying to Paris this morning (Wednesday). So look for more press and possibly a Paris premiere later this week.
  • Did you see this from EW Online?
    But once again, the Academy left many Oscar hopefuls out in the cold: Jim Carrey, who for the second time in a row failed to get a Best Actor nod with a Golden Globe-winning role, this time for his portrayal of Andy Kaufman in ''Man on the Moon''; Matt Damon, whose pre-Oscar buzz for playing a '50s psychopath killer in ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' may have been too jarring for the voters, and Damon's director Anthony Minghella, who did not get his much anticipated follow-up to his 1997 win for directing ''The English Patient.''
    (Damon's pre-Oscar buzz too jarring??)
  • I'm really upset about the Oscars - Green Mile, Sixth Sense and Cider House for best picture? And Minghella and John Seale not nominated, let alone Matt... It's indeed a backlash: Miramax's Cider House has got all of Ripley's supposed nominations. Harvey Weinstein, what are you doing?! And Jude definitely doesn't deserve his nomination - hope he gives Matt lots of credit in the lead-up press.
  • Last night (at a workshop) I think Minghella was just happy to get the five nominations, but he was tired, sick and not giving too much anyway. And nobody asked directly...
  • You've probably seen this from the LA Times:
    One wonders if Miramax had spearheaded the "Ripley" Oscar campaign (co-production partner Paramount released it domestically and Miramax is handling the film overseas), if that picture might have fared better in the top categories. Before Tuesday, most best picture bets were on "Beauty" and "Insider," but the three remaining spots for best picture were up for grabs. "Ripley" and �Being John Malkovich� apparently proved too �weird� for the older-skewing overall membership of the academy, although they were recognized by voters in individual branches (directors, writers, actors).
  • I'll write more on the Minghella evening later (when I re-find my notes), but he didn't say anything really news. He is a lot of fun to listen to, putting in lots of literary references and interesting stories in an easy-listening, very educated manner.
  • From Fox News columnist Roger Friedman:
    Shut out almost entirely was The Talented Mr. Ripley, which the Academy decided to hate and carried through with. Too bad � because Ripley, I think, will stand the test of time far better than Mile. Anthony Minghella is a real director, while Frank Darabont is an excellent technician. There's a difference.
  • Nice one here from gossip columnist Liz Smith:
    OSCAR VOTERS wanted to dislike "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and they did! Jude Law at least was worthily nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category. Perhaps "Ripley," despite is serial-killer plot, was too glamorous? You know Hollywood, you can't be pretty and talented. But I happen to think that director Anthony Minghella and star Matt Damon got stiffed.
  • From the NY Times:
    As for Cider House, Miramax bought that one. The distributor - which has famously taken out increasingly unprecedented amounts of campaign ads in the movie trade papers for eventual Oscar showhorses Il Postino, The English Patient, Life Is Beautiful and Shakespeare in Love - has been bombarding voters with Cider propaganda.
    True, the Disney division gave its Paramount co-production Ripley similarly lavish promotion, and that one got blanked in the best picture race, as did its director (Patient Oscar winner Anthony Minghella) and subtly mesmerising star Matt Damon. But it's also apparent that the dark-hued Ripley is the kind of uncompromising work that brought Miramax recognition in the more independent days of The Crying Game, Pulp Fiction and The Piano.
  • Here's a funny one; from an interview with actor Richard Chamberlain: Q: Which of the young stars do you think will be around 40 years from now?
    A: Gwyneth Paltrow. I think she was astonishing in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Just wonderful. I'm voting for Matt Damon because he seems like such a cool guy, Tobey Maguire who is in "Cider House Rules," Winona Ryder and Sean Penn, who is a sensational actor.
  • From the Dallas Morning News: Matt Damon's silken portrayal of The Talented Mr. Ripley fell victim to the film's backlash.
• More Oscars nom reactions - Postings on deja.com:

  • Subject:  Matt was shafted!!! 
    Date: 02/15/2000 
    Author: outraged  
    [Review of Matt Damon ( Movie Actors)]
    What! no oscar nomination for Matt's strong and brave
     performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley.  You were cheated!!!
    

  • And another posting on the subject of "Oscar not wowed by Mr. Ripley":

    > I know the film groups are discussing the Academy Award nominations to
    > death, but I would like to go on record as being disappointed that Matt
    > Damon isn't a contender for his excellent portrayal of (select one: amoral
    > asexual, opportunistic homosexual OR jealous and confused) Thomas Ripley.
    

  • "Ripley" director Minghella's last effort, "The English Patient" in 1997, walked away with nine Oscars. He failed to earn a nomination for directing this time out, and his stars -- Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow -- also weren't rewarded for their work in the film, which depicts Damon's Ripley as an identity-changing serial killer of ambiguous sexual tastes.
  • Damon's role may have made the Academy uncomforable, Travers says. "This is just not how the Academy wants to see its 'golden boy,'" he says.
  • I'm disappointed, sorta. It went from shoo-in (for best Pic nod) to dead in the water, almost over night. It got 5 nods, not bad but disappointing for sure. BTW, Who did Mr. Law sleep with to still get his Sup. Actor nod, when everyone else bombed out? (hehe)
    I hope it wins Best Score or Best Screenplay, at least.
  • My theory is that the saturation campaign in VARIETY (four or five full-page ads, *every day* for weeks) ticked the voters off.
  • What has happened is the luck of the draw. There's is NOTHING anybody can do now! Everybody's got their own opinion. The academy cannot make everybody happy.
• Kathryn of Edinburgh wrote:
  There was a three-four minute slot on British daytime show "This Morning" yesterday [the 15th] covering TTMR. Matt was interviewed for it [it was pre-recorded, like a news report] and here's what he had to say:
  "I think in the film there's a certain degree of, it's like a cautionary tale, about what happens when you're willing to abandon your own identity in search for, to be, being a 'fake somebody' - as he says, "I thought it would be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody."" Cut to a clip of TTMR, then he says: "One big challenge was, er, that the character was very self-conscious. And that's, uh, a really difficult thing to do! [laughs] It's kinda the opposite of what you wanna do, as an actor, in front of the camera you wanna be totally uninhibitous so that anything can happen and you're not kind of aware that you're being watched, like I am right now with this camera [looks at the camera quickly, points with his finger toward the camera, interviewer laughs] you know? So playing self-conscious was really a challenge 'cause a lot of the time it can just look like bad acting, you know what I mean?" [sounds like he's gonna start laughing!]
  Another clip from TTMR, then some filming/premiere shots, then a interview snippet with Gywn, then one with Jude, then back to Matt, this time he's talking about Dickie and Jude's portrayal of him: "His spirit has to kind of take the movie over and take the audience over, the way it takes Ripley over, so, we had [almost starts laughing] long, long talks about that, and he was killing himself looking for the right Dickie... thank God for Jude Law!"
  Cut to a clip of TTMR, then Jude talking about the film's Oscar prospects [well, we all know about those - great that Jude got nominated, too bad for Matt]. Then cut to the interviewer standing just off-centre in the shot - you can see Matt sitting talking to another interviewer/camera crew not far off in the background. She turns round to face the camera, and finishes with: "So what better way to spend your Valentine's Day, than with Matt Damon and Jude Law - what more could a girl ask for?" [I wholeheartedly agree!] The end clip is of Matt singing My Funny Valentine: "Each day is Valentine's... day...". I love that clip *so* much ;)
  • Thus wrote a big Matt fan:
    I'm glad we're not the only ones who thought that Ripley got stiffed. I especially agree with that critic who thought that Ripley was better than The Green Mile. Mile was a good film, but almost childishly simplistic compared to Ripley. It seems like the Academy went for a lot more "feel good" movies than thought-provoking ones.
    The March issues of the British film magazines have finally begun to arrive here (Sight and Sound and Empire). I'll send color scans to you all (except Felicity, who has an original, I'm sure). The review in Empire wasn't too positive (3 of 5 stars), but it does praise Matt's Ripley, saying, "It's a great performance, brave and complex, where Ripley's whispers of homosexuality are just one facet of the need to utterly possess this man he is so drawn to--Ripley, with his weird talent for mimicry, literally takes over his person." (Nice photo attached to this e-mail) In the Minghella article, the director once again gushes about Matt.
    EMPIRE: What problems did Matt Damon have in developing his character? Given what audiences have seen him in before, this performance is amazing...
    MINGHELLA: Exponentially different. I just think he's the most amazing guy. He was such an ally and partner. Every day he went off on this regime, because he wanted to be the same shape as Jude and the same weight, so he jsut ran for the entire film as soon as shooting had finished. I didn't anticipate how easy the relationship would be.
    So far, it seems like the British reception is pretty positive.
  • Kathryn also wrote to share this same review in the British Empire magazine - my thanks!
  2/16/2000
  • This note from Val pretty much sums it up:
    BAD NEWS FOR MATT FANS
    The Academy failed to nominate Matt in the Best Actor category. Jude Law did receive a nod for Best Supporting Actor and Minghella for Best Adaptation of a Previous Published Work for TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.
    Perhaps we can look ahead to next year when Matt's performances in BAGGER VANCE AND PRETTY HORSES may bring him the recognition he deserves!
  • Thanks to Kathryn in England, who wrote:
    I read an interview with Winona yesterday and forgot to mention it earlier. She mentions Matt by name, and says he's a "great friend, and a very honest, good-hearted, wonderful person. He's a very, very, very, very, very good guy." This is in response to a question posed by the interviewer about their relationship: Winona stated that there were "some really great people out there in the world", and the interviewer then asked two questions: "Anyone in particular?" which Winona answered fairly succinctly and then the question: "I was thinking along the lines of, say, Matt Damon?", and this is where her first response comes in.
    I also just saw a trailer for upcoming episodes of the Channel 4 breakfast show "The Big Breakfast", where apparently this week Matt#s gonna be joining Johnny Vaughan [the male presenter] in the shed. The thing about the Big Breakfast is that it is live, from an actual 'house' [it's two houses joined together]. It has a huge garden and, yes, a shed, and unlikely a place as this may be for an interview, the show is usually very funny, mainly because Johnny is an extremely funny guy [IMHO]. Matt Damon in a shed. Should be good ;) I don't know how long he's staying - I thought it was only for yesterday/today? I can't see him being on the show, on say, Friday. But we'll see.
    Also, he was just on a gossip slot on the Big Breakfast just this second. Did he get any Valentines? What do you think? He said "actually, very few, very few" [yeah, right!], he continued by saying, "I only need one." The interviewer asked him, "Did you get it?" and he smiled, and said "Yeah!". On the topic of "My Funny Valentine", the Big Breakfast showed a longer clip of him singing: I'm convinced he really can sing, now. If I can only get him to sing that for me. Yeah, right ;)
  • A reader wrote:
    From "It's a London Thing" at here.
    "The Talented Mr Ripley is a film that looks like Brideshead Revisited on Italian location. Everyone is terribly nice to each other in a rich playboy manner and having a jolly good time (thank you) on the Continent. Anthony Minghella � he of films such as The English Patient and Truly Madly Deeply - has come back with a winner. His actors rise to the challenge under his direction. Matt Damon is by turns the eager puppy dog and the ruthless killer, whilst Jude Law was born to play the part of Dickie Greenleaf. The violence of the film is made shockingly horrific by the beautiful scenery and (not giving anything away, but) the ending is the most savage denial of feelings. Damon has taken his character so far that by the time he turns monstrous he also manages to inspire pity.
    Stunning performances from Cate Blanchett and the chillingly cold Philip Seymour Hoffman add to the emotional power of the film. In short it is a dark psychological thriller that hums with sexual and class tension long before any blood is shed. It is a supremely provocative piece of cinema."
  • Lisa wrote:
    Again, comparing Matt and Leo --aaargh! But Matt came across as very sweet, and humble - read the article here.
  • A reader wrote:
    Ben Affleck will be on the Rosie O'Donnell Show friday (18th) and maybe he will give some news about Matt.
  2/15/2000
  • A breathless report from a very (understandbly) excited Felicity:
    Just got back from Ripley's London premiere. And I got two 'sightings' of Matt. Very exciting night all told! (But: have you seen the list on AICN of the Awards final-8 nominees? Don't know if it's accurate or not, but Ripley's very well covered, including Matt, Jude, Gwyneth and Cate.) Also, 2 more Ripley articles in today's London Times.
    Firstly, who was there: Matt (sans Winona), Gwyneth (sans Ben), Jude Law and Sadie, Jack Davenport and female partner, Anthony Minghella and his whole family, Helena Bonham-Carter, John Hurt, lots of models I didn't recognise, and that's about it. I had a great vantage point (bottom of cinema stairs, second behind the barrier - full view of people arriving, departing etc). Got there about 5.40pm, and found that the 'big names' wouldn't be coming til 7.15pm. To make it quick, I left about 8.35 just after Matt, Jack and Minghella left in their cars. (I didn't know they'd be leaving early and it was just luck I was still there - but I didn't have any film left!) That group only saw about 45 minutes of the movie, but Gwyneth left after about 20 minutes, and Jude after 40 minutes.
    In summary (because it's really late, the net place is soon to close and I'm still a little shaky): Matt arrived last of the celebs (about 10 minutes after Gwyneth) and with three others in a limo (one was the blonde female publicist, and there were two other females I didn't recognise). Wearing: a black suit with tie (I think) and white shirt. Classic look anyway. Amidst massive yells from the crowd, he waved to all (including across the car to where the large section of crowd that I was in), and went straight away to a journo nearby. He obviously recognised him, and gave probably a 60 second interview. Very animated: arms going everywhere, massive smile the whole time. Gave other interviews, still acting the same way: very excited, big smile, very warm-natured. More waves to the crowd, and then smiles in the press-lineup. Went inside - didn't expect to see more of him. Crowd reaction: most wanting to see him, others wanting Jude or Gwyneth. Both were in the public area only very briefly: gave one wave to the crowd, no interviews. Matt stayed the longest of any of the arrivals at the press area. Great crowd response anyway. There was a bizarre wait after the film started, as the crowd built and nothing looked liked finishing (police still around, limos arriving in queues). No-one knew what was happening, but just stood there waiting (Leicester Square on Valentine's Night - lots of people). Anyway, Gwyneth came out soonish (looked great, and blonde again) - crowd really liked her. She waved, blew a kiss, and then left. Next was Jude and Sadie - again one wave to the crowd, and left. Then shortly after more action: Matt with the same group of women he came with, Minghella and his wife, Jack Davenport (smoking) with his partner. All were joking around, with the crowd going mad for Matt, who was just waving to everyone, standing near the photographers, hanging around. After lots of smiles and waves, he got in the car, blew lots of kisses to the very appreciative crowd and then left. But five metres on he obviously told the driver to stop the car, and he opened his door (next to the chaffeur: talked to him as soon as he got in the car) and posed for a photo for the loudest screaming fan at the premiere. He then closed the door, leaving the fan absolutely screaming/in shock/etc. I don't know what he said to her, but she obviously loved it. And then we all left, very satisfied. Everyone loved Matt, and he was very cute, attractive, happy etc. Just pleased to be there, getting a great reception, for a movie he obviously adores. The other stars were nowhere near as outgoing or desirous of trying to interact with the fans. I took lots of photos, but doubt any of them will work. Taking photos at the end would have been much better, but I didn't think he would reappear!
    Sorry, that ended up being pretty long! Should be lots of news in the papers tomorrow and in following days. Let's hope tomorrow with the Oscar nominations turns out as well,
  • And Kathryn wrote:
    • Thought you might be interested in a little news report from the premiere of TTMR (in London). I only realised it was on about halfway through, and some of it backs up what Felicity saw at the premiere, but anyway: Gywn, Matt, and Jude were all interviewed by the BBC crew, or at least quoted. These quotes were interspersed with clips from the film, so the report was like a mini-review of the film as well as being an entertainment report. What the reporter had to say about the film sounded extremely promising. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to switch my VCR on and record it, and it was the last report I saw before News 24 closed down for the morning at 6am, after it had finished: therefore I don't have any quotes that I can give you.
    • This is an article from the British tabloid The Mirror. Matthew Wright is its showbiz reporter, and he has a female colleague, her name is Polly Graham, who was obviously sent out to report on the TTMR premiere. This is from www.mirror.co.uk:
      POLLY'S MATT THE MAN OF HER DREAMS
      MY TALENTED MR VALENTINE
      AS Valentine's Days go, mine didn't get off to a great start.
      The most exciting delivery the postman had for me was my credit card bill while the Interflora vans cruelly zoomed past my front door.
      Then the phone went - and I was urged to make haste to London's upmarket Claridges Hotel, where "a little Valentine's surprise would be waiting".
      Knowing my luck it would be a nasty trick organised by one of my ex-boyfriends, I mused as I hurried down to the luxury hotel.
      But I guess a girl with a love-life as active as a snail can't be too fussy.
      Imagine my surprise when I am greeted by the athletically handsome Hollywood actor Matt Damon, in town for the premiere of his marvellous new movie The Talented Mr Ripley, waiting for me in a lavish suite clutching a bunch of beautiful flowers.
      "Happy Valentine's Day, Polly," said Oscar-winning star of Good Will Hunting, giving me a knee-trembling wink.
      "Gosh, no one has ever given me roses as lovely as these before - well, ever actually," I swooned as I looked into his deep blue eyes.
      Looking around, I quickly established that his live-in girlfriend, Winona Ryder, was 3,000 miles away in New York. Exactly where I wanted her...
      When I asked him if he'd sent a bunch to Winona, coy Matt stayed quiet - but he gave me his trademark grin.
      But turning on the charm again he told me: "I hear you didn't get any flowers, so here's a little something from me."
      As I turned crimson the young superstar teased: "Oh Polly, you're going red."
      Matt's hot property after winning the best screen-play Oscar for Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with pal Ben Affleck. In his new film Matt, 29, plays the devious killer Tom Ripley who takes over the identity and playboy lifestyle of Dickie Greenleaf, played by our own Jude Law.
      But much to my disappointment Matty - as he insisted I call him - explained he wouldn't be able to take me with him to the screening of the film which is set in Italy in the Fifties.
      I can only presume he doesn't want to hurt Winona's feeling.
      (Kathryn commented:
      This may not be so relevant, but I thought it was interesting anyway. You can read the original article here).
    • There is also an interesting article on the Observer website. It discusses the Oscar nominations and brings up the point that the Academy Awards may be too focused on films set in the past, ie TTMR, rather than more contemporary films like American Beauty.
    • Also, Matt and Gywn were interviewed by GMTV, a British breakfast programme. This time I did manage to set my VCR. The correspondent said that she'd asked him what it felt like to go out into the crowd, with girls screaming and cameras flashing, etc, and she mentioned that his answer was very similar to Leonardo diCaprio's. The clip that was shown after this featured him - he said something like: "I just always feel like I'm living somebody else's life - my life is kinda normal most of the time and every 15 minutes, every once in a while, this happens." I can't make out what the interviewer asks him because it's too noisy, but she's asking him about the reaction to his arrival, or something along those lines. He replies with: "Yeah, kind of all the cameras and stuff like that, that's kind of like work, but out there, to have all those people, that's just great."
    • Added Kathryn: You might be able to tell that I'm really looking forward to this movie :)
  2/14/2000 Imagine Matt singing: My Funny Valentine
  By Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
  My funny valentine;
  Sweet, comic valentine;
  You make me smile with my heart.

  Your looks are laughable;
  Unphotographable;
  Yet, you're my favorite work of art.

  Is your figure - less than Greek?
  Is your mouth - a little weak?
  When you open it to speak, are you smart?

  Don't change a hair for me;
  Not if you care for me;
  Stay, little valentine, stay!
  Each day is valentine's day.

  2/13/2000 Meanwhile, Matt is in Berlin, where Ripley was screened at a film festival.

  • Photos of Matt from Berlin:
    • Matt, Anthony Minghella, and Gywn Paltrow.
    • a closeup, on yahoo
    • Another closeup, excite.com
    And thanks to the reader who wrote:
    • One German account of the Berlin press conference includes this:
      Damon, when asked if he'd ever like to slip into someone else's life like Tom Ripley, replied: "I'd always want to be me. But I'd be glad to have someone else's talent, Marlon Brando's for example." Read the article here.
    • German Entertainment Weekly says, in my literal translation: "Compliments also to Matt Damon. As a baby-faced murderer the young star demonstrates a transforming ability that no one would have given him credit for."
    • And their illustration is a new (to me) version of the Ripley poster, all Matt with a beautiful Italian landscape that you won't recognize from the film. See here
• Tidbits from Felicity in London:
  • Look on the photos at yahoo (shown above) to see a pic of Matt, Gwyneth and Minghella at the Berlin Festival. Now, will they all come to London tomorrow? Probably...
  • From the Boston Globe:
    Matt Damon deserves a shot for flying in the face of his golden boy persona to play a young man who slides down the slope of corruption from opportunism to murder in ''The Talented Mr. Ripley.'' There's a slipperiness in his make-it-up-as-you-go-along scheming that we didn't know he had in him. Even his gaucherie seems calculated.
  • Most of the Oscar previews are out, and Ripley and Matt are still considered major chances. Cross fingers times...
  • First Ripley posters have appeared in tube stations, and they're not the usual ones. Think full profile pics of Gwyneth, then Jude, then the side pic of Matt (really good one) as in the Advocate magazine (same shot). Different writing etc. I'll try and find a pic and scan it. The print ads are the first-style ones (Matt looks onto Gwyn and Jude dancing in Venice). Three quotes are from Quentin Curtis, Rolling Stone (for Jude) and Rex Reed (for Matt - bad timing there!)
    Also, it says on the print ads that Ripley is the official film of London Fashion Week (which starts tomorrow I think), and is sponsored by Vidal Sassoon. That's very funny!
    There's a four page piece in British Elle this month on the 50s fashion of the movie, and another three I think profiles on Gwyneth in today's papers. They're truly going mad on her! Also stories on Patricia Highsmith and a written 2,000 piece from Minghella on adaptation (I don't think it's from the screenplay, but it's set to be published next week). Will watch for that one.
    Premiere tomorrow - should be fun! And BTW that wasn't 2,000 preview tickets being given away - it's 20,000 across the UK for next weekend. Big promotion, and also 6,000 Ripley's Game books being given away.
• From the LA Times: In movies, those romantic moments are made to music. In the film version of Rodgers and Hart's play "Pal Joey," Kim Novak purrs "My Funny Valentine" within a heart-shaped fram e that is padded and ruffled to resemble a bed, mesmerizing Frank Sinatra. In "The Talented Mr. Ripley," it's used by Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) to insinuate himself into the life and affections of Dickie (Jude Law). The film, exquisitely crafted by director Anthony Minghella, showcases the song in a way that reveals Tom's duality. As soon as Dickie's girlfriend (Gwyneth Paltrow) tells Tom the tune is one of Dickie's favorites, the sound of Tom singing it kicks in on the soundtrack as the seed of deception is planted in his mind. But we don't actually see Tom singing to Dickie until he reaches the phrase "Don't change a hair for me." . . . It's a cut made to underscore the irony of Tom's character as someone who will change his hair and then some in order to take Dickie's place.
  The fact that Tom would rather be anyone but himself stands in sharp contrast to what is most comforting about the truest of loves. They provide a safe place to be yourself. Shared love songs give us the opportunity to see ourselves in the eyes of someone we love--mirrored back in a reflection of acceptance and affection. It's a look we hope lasts a lifetime.
• A comparison of Matt and Leo in EW from Mark Harris:
  Blond Ambition Is Leo DiCaprio or Matt Damon the smarter actor? With ''The Beach'' and ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' competing in theaters, Mark Harris compares their hot young stars Remember Highlights for Children, that strange little kids' magazine you used to read in the dentist's office when you were growing up? My favorite feature was always ''Goofus and Gallant,'' the cartoon tale of two brothers, one a model of good behavior, one a bad example in every way. The captions would always offer a one-two punch along the lines of ''Gallant shares his chocolate bar with a friend.... Goofus eats his with his mouth open, and doesn't even wash his hands!''
  ''G&G'' occurred to me while I was pondering the case of two of ou brightest (in terms of talent, potential, and hair color) stars: Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. DiCaprio and Damon both broke big within weeks of each other in December of 1997 A little more than two years later, with ''The Beach'' million mark in theaters, it's a little hard not to think of them as somehow joined. You know....
  ''Gallant wins a Best Screenplay Oscar, and goes right back to work.... Goofus spends all his time partying at Moomba!''
  ''Gallant has friends.... Goofus has a posse!''
  ''Gallant has made ''Rounders,'' ''Dogma,'' ''Saving Private Ryan,'' and ''Ripley,'' has ''All The Pretty Horses'' and ''The Legend of Bagger Vance'' in the can, and may make ''Minority Report'' with Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise.... Goofus went to the beach!''
  Okay, maybe that's a little unfair. But underneath it resides a lesson for young actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, one of our very best, probably hasn't done himself any favors by waiting so long and working so little. DiCaprio's reps would doubtless say he was waiting so long because he's picky -- and he has a right to be. Good roles don't come along every day. (On the other hand, gimme a break -- DiCaprio clearly had first crack at every good script with a role for a man between 15 and 40 in the last two years.)
  The point is that he didn't guarantee himself a better performance -- or a better movie -- by not working. Damon, Edward Norton, Jim Carrey -- even less bankable actors like Wes Bentley, Giovanni Ribisi, Tobey Maguire, and Joaquin Phoenix -- seem to have had little trouble finding roles that challenge them and their audiences lately. Not every choice they've made has been great, but their choice to do the job is pretty unarguable. (It's not just a lesson for the young: Doesn't everybody wish that Stanley Kubrick had gotten ''Eyes Wide Shut'' out of his system around 1991 and moved on to something else?)
  Which brings us to the opening of ''The Beach,'' a movie that few expect will be a blockbuster but that's being viewed as a test of DiCaprio's post-''Titanic'' drawing power. It's a question that the actor doesn't deserve to have to face -- every actor has hits and flops, and no actor gets drummed out of Hollywood after one of the latter -- but one that he's brought on himself. Regardless of which column ''The Beach'' falls in, it's time for him to get to work, and not just once every two years. It's not so hard: Do a comedy. Take a good supporting role. Work with a director you admire. Work with an actor you admire. Play someone ugly. Play someone ordinary. The options are limitless if you pay attention to them. That's why DiCaprio's next big decision will be his most important: Goofuses dither. Gallants act. Which one does he want to be?
• There's an Oscar poll (with Matt and Ripley doing well) at EW online.
• Kel wrote on mattdamon.com:
  On the local news today, they spotlighted Roger Ebert and he gave three picks for must-see movies that are still going strong at movie theatres. The Talented Mr. Ripley was his choice pick. They just showed a few clips from the movie while he talked about it. He suggested that if you haven't yet seen it, it's worth the price of admission

Matt is named as a presenter for the 52nd annual Writers Guild Awards, at the Beverly Hilton, on March 5th, Sunday.

• Thanks to the reader who wrote:
  You'll find some fotos from Ripley at .
  Ripley screens Sunday at 9 am in Berlin with a press conference scheduled for 11:40 am.
• News from London, via Felicity:
  Gwyneth's on the cover of at least five mags over here at the present, and none of the other cast members have barely scored an article yet. That could still change.
  However, today is all Leo in Britain. Photos of Leo (in a 'dull grey suit') and looking almost exactly like Brad Pitt (including goatee) are on the front page of all local papers today. The only scene-stealer was co-star Virginie Ledoyen, who wore virtually a bikini. And the hundreds of young Leo fans at the premiere.
  So, lots of coverage, major (mostly local) star power, and lots of press generated. Reviews however, are pretty poor, with most saying Leo is OK but nothing more (and that he is not a major movie star but a character actor). The movie seems to redeem itself at the end and noone really likes it, but it will still be very popular.
  Ripley however, has generated a lot more quality pre-release buzz and articles, and its premiere next Monday will still be a major affair.
• My thanks to the reader who wrote:
  You'll find some fotos from Ripley at the Berlin Festival site.
  Ripley screens Sunday at 9 am in Berlin with a press conference scheduled for 11:40 am.

• From Moriarty on AICN:
  • I think that CAST AWAY is going to have stiff competition for the Best Picture 2000 category, though, and it's going to come from the same studio. Robert Redford's THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE is one of the best studio projects I've read in a long time, and it's nothing that I thought it was going to be before I picked it up. It will not surprise me one bit of Matt Damon and Will Smith are both major awards contenders next year, as they've been given the roles of their careers respectively. I really love the writing of Jeremy Leven, who adapted Steven Pressfield's novel, which I freely admit I haven't read. If it's half as engaging as the script, I plan to give it out as a gift this coming Christmas to friends.
    Leven's a novelist himself, having written the brilliant (and poorly adapted) CREATOR, and has also worked in films for some time, having written and directed the engaging DON JUAN DEMARCO. This script is magical, full of one great sequence after another and some of the richest dialogue this side of the Coens. All I knew before picking it up was that it had something to do with golf, and I was pretty sure it was a period film. Both those things are true, and if I told you anymore than that, then I'd be stealing some of the delicious surprise I enjoyed away from you. That wouldn't be fair. It's a film that will delight and move audiences if Redford brings the same sort of intelligence and craft to the film as he did to A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT or QUIZ SHOW.
    (Commented Felicity: "That sounds really promising - it's the first script review we've found. Castaway is the big Tom Hanks movie (desert island - before and after shots). Matt v Tom again!"
  • Also from March Premiere (off affleck.com):
    (Note: This excerpt does not say that Matt and Ben did not write GWH. On the contrary, William Goldman is saying, very sarcastically, that he had nothing to do with the screenplay, as often rumored.)
    Regardless, I just got the March Premiere today, and in it William Goldman has an article about being a script doctor, exerpted from his forthcoming new book. And lo and behold, he had this to say:
    "Doctoring is tricky, particularly when it comes to taking credit (or blame). Of course, what I'm best known for if kate is the doctoring job I did on GWH. If you look up my credits on some of the Internet listings, there it is, the previously uncredited work on that Oscar-winning smash.
    "The truth? I did not just doctor it. I wrote the whole thing from scratch. Though I had spent at most a month of my life in Boston, and though I was 65 when the movie came out, I have been obsessed since my Chicago childhood with class as it exists in that great Massachusetts city. My basic problem was not my wonderful story or the depth of the characters I created; it was that no one would believe I wrote it. It was such a departure for me.
    "What's a mother to do? Here was my solution -- I had met two very untalented, very out-of-work performers, Affleck and Damon. They were both in need of money. The deal we struck was this: I would give them initial credit, they would from for me at the start, and then, once we were set up, the truth would come out.
    "You know what happened. Miramax got the flick, cast them in the leads, and decided I would kill the commercial value of the flick if the truth were known. Harvey Weinstein gave me a lot of money for my silence, plus 20 percent of the gross.
    "Which is why I'm writing this from the Riviera.
    "I think the reason the world was so anxious to believe Matt Damon and Ben Affleck didn't write their script was simply jealousy. They were young and cute and famous -- kill the f*-ers.
    "I remember when a national magazine called and said they had been told that I wrote it -- I literally screamed at the writer. I've had this kind of thing happen before, and I hate it a lot. If you write something of quality, how awful to have the world think the work belonged to others.
    "The truth is that Castle Rock had the movie first, and Rob Reiner, no fool he (and a partner there) was given the script for comments. Rob had one biggie. In this early draft, Affleck and Damon had a whole subplot about how the government was after Damon, the math genius, to do subversive work for them. There were chases and action scenes, and what Rob told them was this: Lose that aspect and stick with the characters. "When I read it, and spent a day with the writers, all I said was this: Rob's dead right. "Period. Total contribution: zero. "But I'll bet in some corner or your little dark hearts, you're still saying, "Bull". I mean, it's been five years and what else have they written? NADA. Now I'll tellyou the REAL truth. Every word is mine. Not only that, I'm the guy who convinced James Cameron that the ship had to hit the iceberg."
  • Saw the 'People' issue today with the Sundance bit. I didn't realise that it was only Matt and Charlize who had the private dinner with Redford, who were then joined at the bar by Ben. Interesting!

• Clips for "Ripley" Soundtrack:
  Erin wrote (thanks!):
  If you check on Amazon.com, they do have clips of some of the songs that you can listen to briefly. Also, I went to Tower Records here in Seattle and listened to almost the whole soundtrack on one of those "listening stations" within the store.
• News from Felicity, who is now in London!:
  • This was from the Jude Law onelist in an interview with Jude. I don't know the magazine source:

    "Q.  Speaking of drama city, tell us about your scene in Ripley in a 
    rowboat with Damon. 
    A.  It was fun.  The tough part is that Matt and I would crawl to one side of 
    the raft and start to struggle.  Then all of a sudden we would realize that 
    we were tipping the boat over, which was not in the script, or safe. 
    Q. Did you get hurt? 
    A. I ended up with a broken rib.  I fell backward and broke it.  And Matt 
    lost his voice because I strangled him so hard.  We were all covered in gooey 
    blood.  We really got into it.  The other bad thing is that there was this 
    infestation of wasps on the island near where we were filming.  So we were 
    under attack on top of everything else. " 
    

  • Did you see from Yahoo that:
    1. Matt's scheduled to attend the Berlin Film Festival, which started today.
    2. Matt's up for 'Favourite Actor - suspense' in the Blockbuster awards, to be announced in June.
    3. Matt's also up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in the AOl Moviefone awards (could be more on AOL).
  • Good news on the London front: the Ripley premiere is to take place next Monday night in Leicester Square, and I'll definitely be there in the crowd. Don't know what time it is yet, but I'll try to get there for the red carpet arrivals. This is all based on a rumour that Matt would be there, but I'm yet to confirm that.
• And a Big Matt fan wrote:
  Speaking of premieres, I went back to the local newsstand to read more from the March issue of Premiere Magazine. (Because I actually subscribe to this magazine, I didn't buy it. However, I just couldn't wait another two weeks for my copy to arrive.) Anyway, in the issue, Libby Waxner- Gelman (aka Paul Rudnick) talks about Ripley as "the movie I've developed a total crush on." She/he raves about the beauty, talent, and plotting of the film and notes that, "Matt gets blonder as he commits more murders." Admittedly, I've always looked upon these pieces more as humor rather than serious film criticism, but it's always nice to see another positive opinion. I didn't read the whole article (I didn't want the newsstand proprietor to notice that I just come by to read his magazines), but it seemed that Libby held it up as far superior to "The Green Mile" and "Angela's Ashes."

Vote for Matty here.
• Nominees Announced for 'Sixth Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards(R)' To Air in June on FOX ...
  Favorite Actor -- Suspense
  Matt Damon
  The Talented Mr. Ripley
  (Okay, it's nice that Matt is included. But if you look at the announcement, practically every well-known actor/actress is on the list.)

• Just another magazine sighting. There's a photo of Matt in the March issue of US Magazine from the Ripley Premier. (Pg. 14) There's also a quote from him in the "Loose Talk" section on the last page. I believe it's from the Premiere article. "I think I probably care too much what people think about me."--Matt Damon
• The newest Premiere Magazine, as you may know, has either Jude Law or Julianne Moore on the cover (there are two). In the Jude Law article, Matt praises Jude's "infectious" energy. It's kind of interesting, given that in his Diane Sawyer interview, Jude admired Matt's "endless" energy. Minghella has talked about the actors' willingness to throw themselves into the work. I can just picture the two of them on the set of Ripley, each trying to seem energetic because he thought the other guy wasn't tired!

• A big Matt fan wrote: In case you missed Matt on "The Entertainers" last night, here's a transcript of the interview. Matt was wearing that now familiar light blue short sleeved shirt (also worn on Letterman)and his hair was a bit longer, so I think it was actually done late last year.
  Matt on �The Entertainers with Byron Allen� 2/4/00

  Byron Allen:  Matt!  How ya doin� buddy?  (Leans over and shakes his hand)
  Matt:  Real well.
  Byron Allen:  Good to see you!
  Matt:  Good to see you, too.
  Byron Allen:  Now, where are you keeping that Oscar?
  Matt:  Ah, it�s actually with my mom.
  Byron Allen:  Is that right?
  Matt:  Yeah, yeah.  It�s kind of...  Well, I don�t have a home so it�s 
  staying with Mom.
  Byron Allen:  What do you mean, you don�t have a home?
  Matt:  Well, I just actually got an apartment after four years of being on 
  the road.
  Byron Allen:  Were you a homeless actor?
  Matt:  Yeah, happily homeless.
  Byron Allen:  Will act for food?  Was that your sign?
  Matt (grinning):  Will act for food.  Yeah, yeah.  Exactly.  Will act for 
  shelter.
  Byron Allen:  So mom has it.
  Matt:  Yeah.  Mom�s got it.
  Byron Allen:  So, you finally got yourself a place?
  Matt (nodding):  Yeah, yeah.
  Byron Allen:  Did you set it up nicely?
  Matt:  Not a stick of furniture in there, yet.
  Byron Allen:  Nothing.
  Matt:  It�s going to be in about six months, I think, that it�ll be ready.  
  I�ve got to tear a few walls down and stuff, and get some couches and some 
  chairs and some tables and I�ll be ready to go.
  Byron Allen:  You�re sleeping on the floor now, right?
  Matt:  Absolutely.
  Byron Allen:  There you go.  Now, that�s great for your back, don�t you 
  think?
  Matt (smiling):  Very good, actually.  The chiropractor loves it because 
  it�s straight.
  Byron Allen:  What�s your writing process when you�re writing?
  Matt:  Having been an English major in college, you know, in college, I�m 
  not somebody that can sit at a computer and look at a blinking cursor.  
  That�s my idea of a nightmare. So, when Ben and I write, we generally do it 
  standing up, screaming, yelling, and marching around the room, and we have a 
  dictaphone or one of us is taking notes, and the actual typing process is 
  actually the mundane typing in of what we already know is going to be in the 
  script, but it�s much more, kind of, interactive when we write because we 
  want the dialogue to real, and you sit there mulling over the computer and 
  read it back,
  you�re like, �Wait a minute.  People don�t talk like that.�  But if you�re 
  up and interacting with  each other and kind of having a conversation back 
  and forth, what you get may not seem like it makes a lot of sense on paper, 
  but you can look at it and go, �Well, that is
  how we said it,� so that�s how people talk.
  Byron Allen:  So, what was your film debut?
  Matt:  The first line I ever had in a movie was in �Mystic Pizza.�  I said, 
  �Mom, do you
  want my green stuff?�  I was like, sixteen or seventeen years old, and three 
  years later I did �School Ties.�
  
  (They then show half of the trailer for, �The Talented Mr. Ripley.�)
  
  Matt:  This is a very original, interesting movie.  It�s a thriller, kind of 
  in the old Hitchcock sense, and it�s a psychological study of a man who 
  basically sells his soul to try and be somebody else in pursuit of this 
  elusive dream of happiness and belonging.
  
  (They then show the second half of the trailer.)
  
  Byron Allen:  What�s next for you?
  Matt:  �All the Pretty Horses� which is going to come out next year at some 
  point, and I�ll see you for that one.
  Byron Allen:  Well, I�ll let you go and do some furniture shopping.
  Matt (laughing):  Thanks, Byron, I appreciate it.
  

• Violet wrote to ask: Does anybody know where I can find clips of the Ripley soundtrack? If you know, please write. Legitimate source only please.
• A big Matt fan wrote:
  • Matt's on the cover of the latest Entertainment Weekly as part of their cover story, "Inside Sundance! Is This the Future of Film?" Matt's wearing a hat and has this sort of surprised expression on his face. In a way, it's a testament to his star power that they're using his picture to sell the magazine, expecially when you consider that Matt was not (and has never been) in a film shown at Sundance. There's a similar photo inside.
  • Yesterday, while skipping through the television channels, I saw a young blonde actress on that Neil Patrick Harris show saying, "Do you like apples? I'm going to kiss you. How do you like them apples?" Apparently, her character was supposed to be hypnotised into believing that her boyfriend (Harris) was Matt Damon. Harris asked the hypnotist if he could make her do a sexy dance for him. He answered, "For you, or Matt Damon?" He reluctantly said, "Matt Damon," after which the girl proceeded to undulate on top of him. The rest of the show wasn't that great, although at the end, the girl, lying in his arms, murmured something like, "I could lay here forever, Matt."
  • Later, on Charlie Rose, I saw an interview with Nathan Lane and Paul Rudnick, the screenwriter of "She So Great" (as well as "Jeffrey" and "In and Out"--also the real author of those Libby Waxner-Gelman pieces in Premiere Magazine). Rose asked what movies they liked. Lane mentioned "American Beauty", while Rudnick said something like, "Yes, though I thought "The Talented Mr. Ripley" was also an excellent film." Just one more opinion.

More on Ripley Even if Matt doesn't get that Oscar nod, his performance does not go unnoticed. Two reviews to remind us are:
• Not exactly a Harry Knowles fan normally, I must say that I was impressed with his Ain't-It-Cool-Site review of Ripley - I just read it. Excellent observations from one who understood what the film is about.
• A new review in the IMDB.
• Check out the very first The Talented Mr. Ripley Fan Site
• Felicity wrote:
  • Checked out the Penelope Cruz GQ again yesterday. There was one nice letter to the editor re Matt's issue (talking about the difference between Ben/Matt).
  • Short Ripley preview article at www.thisislondon.co.uk today (based on US press reports etc).
  • Here's confirmation on the golf tournament from Marilyn Beck/Stacy Jenel Smith:
    FORE!: Players in the Pete Sampras March 6 celebrity golf tourney had better watch out for Matt Damon. Matt's going into the tourney with the advantage of all the coaching he had for his role as a golfer in the recently completed "The Legend of Bagger Vance" movie. The event, which will be held at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, Calif., will benefit the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation. Tim was Sampras' tennis coach, who died in 1996 of brain cancer. A year earlier, Tim and his identical twin, Tom -- who had won 10 doubles titles together on the pro tour -- founded the charity, and it's been Sampras' dream ever since to take it over, as he's doing now.
  • Val wrote:
    • The February 7 issue of PEOPLE magazine runs a rather large size photo of Matt and Winona engaged in a smooch at the GLOBES.
    • There is also a little tidbit on SUNDANCE. Robert Redford personally invited Matt and Charlize Theron to dine w/ him in his private dining room while they were there. Ben joined them as well.

• Found! Lyrics to "Llullaby for Cain".
  Katie wrote to say that they are actually on the back of the screenplay of "Ripley" (available at your favorite bookstore or .com). But here it is. My sincere thanks to her.

  from the silence
  from the night
  comes a distant lullabye
  
  cry, remember that first cry
  your brother standing by
  and loved
  both loved
  beloved sons of mine
  sing a lullabye
  mother is close by
  innocent eyes
  such innocent eyes
  
  envy stole your brother's life
  came home murdered peace of mind
  left you nightmares on the pillow
  sleep now
  
  soul, surrendering your sould
  the heart of you not whole
  for love
  but love
  what toll
  
  cast into the dark
  branded with the mark,
  of shame
  of Cain
  
  from the garden of God's light
  to a wilderness of night
  sleep now
  sleep now.
  

  I have become quite a fan of the "Ripley" soundtrack. Not really a jazz fan, I have taken to everyone of the cuts by now. "Lullaby for Cain" is hauntingly beautiful.
  I will put up the lyrics to "My Funny Valentine" you-know-when. But did anyone notice that Matt said one of the lines not quite exactly the way the lyrics read? "When you open it to speak, are you smart" is how the line is supposed to go. But I could swear that Matt sings it as "are you starved". Or is it just me?
  And, Matt's singing - well, what can I say. Sigh.
• In an "open letter" to Ben Affleck,from "a little white girl", this was said: "All I�m saying is that you�re digging your own grave. At the very least, hire the same script reader as Mr. Damon -he didn�t fall into the same vat of mediocrity after Good Will Hunting. Yes, he chose scripts in which he essentially plays the same character. But at least his characters were relatively believable."
  The letter writer supposedly is an ardent fan, but had to walk out of Ben's new flick "Reindeer Games" because it was too painful to behold.
  I strongly disagree with her assessment of Matt's role choice. Matt has NOT stayed with "essentially the same role" - did this person see "Ripley"? But I agree with her sentiments on Ben's role choice. In fact, I wrote a column 2 years ago about just that, soon after Armageddon's opening.
  That said, I think "Reindeer" will rack up at the box office. Mark my word. BTW Ben is making $10M per flick, compared to Matt's lowly salary of $7M. But, know what? I think Matt is doing absolutely the right thing. This guy is a smart cookie. I tip my hat off to our Matty and hope he stays his course.
• Los Angeles Times: In today's report on the SAG nominations: "Noticeably absent from the best actor and actress nominations were Golden Globe nominees Richard Farsworth ..., Matt Damon ... and Reese Witherspoon..."
• A big Matt fan wrote:
  another Ripley article on About.com
  . (Note: This is a terrific article.)
  Here are a few bits:
  The uniqueness of The Talented Mr. Ripley's title character is not the reason Damon took on the role. "I look really less at the role and more at the movie," he philosophized. "I'd much rather have an impressive filmography than an impressive list of characters that I played. I think that's kind of selfish. I always want to be in a good movie, and the role is secondary to that and making sacrifices within the movie for the good of the movie is, I think, the test of a good actor. There's not really a lot of strategizing, it's just, if the material is good and I think it's well written and original and the director is great, then I'm in."
  Because of his strict diet and exercise schedule, Damon didn't socialize with the rest of the cast as much as they would have liked him to. "Not eating and wearing a lime green wool Speedo," Paltrow smirked, remembering the beach scene she shot with Damon, "I mean, that is not what you sort of see the young American movie stars doing too often."
  Cate Blanchett recalled Damon being "a very private person really. I think understandably so, but he's able to deal with the demands of his public incredibly graciously, which was often difficult when we were shooting. The Italians all thought he was Leonardo, but when they found out he wasn't they didn't care and kept screaming anyway!"

• Forget Oscars At least this year's anyway.
  I take it that we all know that Matt didn't get a nom from SAG (the Screen Actors Gild), and niether did Jude Law. This all but erase any hope of Matt's Oscar nom for Best Actor. Here are my thoughts:
  • It's going to be Denzel's year, and so everybody else will be an also-run. There would be a huge uproar if the outcome is otherwise - it will be politically incorrect, and from all reports Washington did put in a tremendous performance.
  • I think this shutout is yet another evidence that "Ripley" is the unfortunate victim of a backlash from last year's Oscars.
  • Matt isn't the only one who got snubbed by SAG. Richard Fawnsworth didn't get it either. Philip Hoffman got his place, and - as I feared - Carrey got Matt's spot.
  • It's just as well that Matt doesn't get the nod this time; this will make his chance better next year.
  • Finally, when it's all said and done, "Ripley" is too controversial a film. While there are people who are passionate about it, there are a lot others who either don't "get it", or just don't care for the story.
  The funny thing is: before the release of "Ripley", I had expected the complete opposite - that it would get lots of awards but do poorly at the box office.
  What do I know?
• I have had several readers who wrote to ask for the lyrics to "Lullaby for Cain" - does anyone have it? Please wrote.
• I thank the reader who wrote:
  I don't know if you have seen it but there is a terrific interview on e online. Here it is.

  Boston Herald, 2/1
  Inside Track
  he nearly clipped Matt's career
  by Gayle Lee and Laura Raposa
  Looking back, Boston actor David Brezniak realizes the advice he gave a young Matt Damon was Shear Madness: ``This is a tough business, kid,'' he said. ``And you'll never win an Academy Award.''

  Ha! Brezniak, who joined scores of fellow ``Shear Madness'' cast members last night at a 20th anniversary bash at Legal Sea Foods, said Matt's dad, Kent Damon - who was a buddy of his - begged him to talk his young son out of an acting career many years ago.
  ``Kent said, `My kid is crazy about show business. You've got to talk him out of it,' '' said Brezniak, who has appeared off and on as the long-running whodunit's resident detective.
  ``Kent said to Matt, `You want to end up like Dave?' ''
  Heaven forbid.
  Because, of course, Matt did win an Academy Award - for writing the screenplay to ``Good Will Hunting.''
  And he's likely to get a second Best Actor nomination for ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' when the Academy makes its big announcement later this month.
  ``But he wasn't the only one. I talked to lots of kids about show business over the years,'' said Brezniak. ``Of course, only one of them won an Oscar.''
  Tough break, Dave! Yes, though Ripley had about the same numbers as in the estimate, note that it's SECOND instead of fifth. Good going!

A reassuring note in a report on the Box Office in today's Los Angeles Times:
"'The Talented Mr. Ripley' also looks to be one of the better performers of the Christmas corp. Its first full three-day weekend brought an estimated $12 million. With almost $40 million already in the till after nine days, "Ripley" has already made back its budget, and in the process, confirmed the office potency of stars Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. "Ripley" looks to hang on through the Oscar season with the $100-million distinction not out of the question."

• A planetdamon poster wrote:
  Don't forget to watch Behind the Scenes (for Talented Mr Ripley) on E! Here are the times.

  Sun  Jan  2  02:30A   E!- Entertainment Television
  Sun  Jan  2  02:00P   E!- Entertainment Television
  Tue  Jan  4  12:30P   E!- Entertainment Television
  Fri  Jan  7  08:00A   E!- Entertainment Television
  Mon  Jan 10  02:30P   E!- Entertainment Television
  Wed  Jan 12  01:00P   E!- Entertainment Television
  

  And there's another Mr Ripley special on VH1, the show is called Hollywood and Vine, and it'll play on Wed Jan 5 07:30P VH1- Video Hits 1
  I'm not sure if they are pacific or eastern, so check your TV listings.
  (Thank you for letting us know about these shows.)
• From Felicity via the Boston Herald site:
  Hunting' hunks go stag for Y2K
  by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
  Sunday, January 2, 2000
  
  Hollywood golden boys Matt Damon and Ben Affleck rang in 2000 with more than 200 of their family and friends at a private bash at Sonsie on Newbury Street the other night, partying until the wee hours and toasting the New Year with Champagne and a midnight hug.
  The boys, who were without their glam galpals Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder, arrived around 9 p.m. The Talented Mr. Damon drove up with his mom, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, in her green Subaru station wagon, while Ben and his bunch, including mom, Chris Affleck, who organized the bash, arrived in a white limo.
  ``The party was phenomenal,'' said Sonsie manager Tim Panagopoulos. ``It was 90 percent family and friends and Matt and Ben looked like they were having a great time.''
  The Cambridge homeys mingled with their guests, chatting, posing for photos and greeting kids who were being brought to the Oscar winners by a pint-sized hostess who took it upon herself to introduce all her young pals to the Tinseltown twosome.
  ``It was very low key, like a big family party,'' said Someone Who Was There.
  ``It was a real Cambridge crowd,'' said another spy. ``People from all over their lives were there.''
  Much speculation centered on the whereabouts of the boys' steady dates. Both actresses were on the guest list but neither appeared. Paltrow was reportedly in New York partying with Madonna, although she was spotted in town with Ben during the Christmas hols. Ryder, who is living with Damon in NYC, was MIA. Hmmm . . .
  Security at Sonsie was tight and the staff had papered over the trendy boite's front windows to keep nosy passersby from ogling the revelries, which we hear cost more than $50,000.
  ``If you weren't on the guest list, you didn't get in,'' sniffed our spy.
  Guests noshed on passed hors d'oeuvres including ginger chicken, scallops wrapped in bacon, pizza and tempura shrimp until 9:30. At 10:30, chef Billy Poirier's buffet, which included a turkey dinner and veggie pasta, opened. There was also a big dessert spread - yum!
  A disc jockey provided the tunes and the dance floor was rockin' all night, Panagopoulos said.
  Before midnight, magnums of Dom Perignon and Cristal Champagne came out, the music stopped and everyone in the party gathered around a TV set for the big countdown. Matt and Ben stood in the middle of the room and led the crowd in the 10, 9, 8 . . .drill and the boys hugged as the calendar flipped over to 2000. The DJ played ``Auld Lang Syne.''
  ``There was a lot of kissing and hugging and `Happy New Years' '' said the Sonsie GM.
  Clinking Champagne glasses were Matt's big bro, Kyle, and his wife, Lori; dad, the hunky Kent Damon; Ben's actor-brother Casey; hometown pal Eliza Dushku of ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' fame and her family; KISS 108's Matt Siegel and Billy Costa; many of the cast and crew of the boys' breakthrough hit, ``Good Will Hunting''; casting kingpins Carolyn Pickman and Kevin Fennessy; Maggie Inc. model Ben Hanson and wife, REMAX exec Karen Hanson; real estate moguls Michael and Darlene Carucci, and their acting offspring, Michaela and Louis; nightclub barons Michael and John Lyons; and reps from CAA, the hot Hollywood talent stable.
  Matt's pal, former Boston University prof Howard Zinn called but couldn't be there. The boys are developing a movie from Zinn's ``A People's History of the United States'' into a TV mini-series that will star Winona Ryder.
  The festive crowd was dressed in everything from tuxedos and gowns to a lot more casual attire. Damon was dressed ``very Tom Ripley'' with a '50s-style black polo shirt, said one of our spies. The goatee-ed Ben looked fetching in a chi-chi suit and tie.
  Although Panagopoulos reported that the ``Hunting'' hunks had a blast, another party-goer thought that Ben seemed a bit down. Possibly he was missing his Gwyneth. (But from the look of our photo, he looks like he managed to console himself!)
  The party rolled on until 4 a.m. There was Good Will aplenty and a Rip-roaring time was had by all!
  (Added Felicity: No photos on the site, but would be in the print edition.)

Don't forget that E! is supposed to show Ripley behind-the-scene this Sunday 1-2-2000.

Wrote Felicity:

• Not much to report today, except that there's Matt sightings all round Boston at the moment. Yesterday's Globe had him at the American Repertory Theatre Company's Harvard Square production of 'Ivanov' with Debra Winger and Arliss Howard.
• And the Edmonton Sun reports that Matt got only $1 million for Ripley, $5 million for 'Pretty Horses' and says his salary is now up to $7 million (presumably for Bagger Vance). Chris Tucker gets $20 million and Matt only gets $1 million for Ripley?? Life is unfair!

Click on a column

Local boys making 'Good' a Boston Herald article from the GWH days
The Advocate (12/99) interview by Brendan Lemon.
Some of my personal favorite pictures of Matt
The Talented Mr.Ripley page
The All the Pretty Horses page
The Bagger Vance page
Matt at Fenway Park for the 1999 Major League Baseball All Stars
The Details magazine article, as appeared in the London Telegraph.
Janel Maslin's NY Times Review of GWH , in which she called Matt "very much the supernova".
An article about pre-GWH videos of Matt Damon/
Archive of Past Matt Columns

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