The Matt Damon Column Sept. 99 articles

• Felicity wrote: This is from the Boston Herald's Inside Track column:
  Prayers for Ben, Matt
  And speaking of Ben, Dorchester homey Dennis Lehane just optioned the rights to his latest set-in-Boston thriller, ``Prayers For Rain,'' to Paramount Pictures.
  And Lehane, who's chronicled the adventures of Boston gumshoe Patrick Kenzie and his sidekick, Angie Gennaro, for five mystery novels, said the Hollywood types are talking Affleck and his hometown buddy, Matt Damon, for the lead role.
  ``Every deal in Hollywood comes back to Matt and Ben,'' Lehane joked.
  Well, we know they can both do the accent!
  As for a leading lady, Dennis likes ``Snoops'' siren Gina Gershon or ex-Bond gal Famke Janssen.
  We vote for Famke: Even though she's from the Netherlands, she proved in ``Monument Ave.'' that she can do the accent, too!
  Meanwhile, Lehane, who is President Clinton's favorite mystery writer, is hard at work on his next book which, he says, won't feature Kenzie and Gennaro.
  `I'm taking a break,'' he said. ``The new book is set in Boston and it's a murder mystery but that's all I can say.''
  Such a mysterious guy!
  There is a Minghella site which I haven't yet visited but which apparently has some good info on "Ripley".
• Also from Felicity:
  Michael Fleming in Variety today talks about a new Spielberg project, and mentions in passing that "It has been rumored for weeks that Spielberg may direct the pilot, though a spokesman said he's made no firm commitment. Hes' busy prepping "Minority Report," still expected to be his next feature, with Tom Cruise and Matt Damon." So that does sound pretty definite.

9/17/99

• The latest Movieline issue (October 1999) has a terrific photo of Matt in ATPH (the one shown above). He looks pretty darned cute, I have to say.
  (I agree - wow!)
• Then, in an article entitled "Oscar Bait 1999," guess which film is featured first? Amazingly, ahead of "Man on the Moon," "The Green Mile," and "American Beauty," is a write-up of "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Here's the text:
  Oscar-honored writer/director Anthony Minghella did the impossible by transforming the literary novel "The English Patient" into a truly entertaining film. He'll have to do the impossible all over again with Patricia Highsmith's novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley, a classic tale of suspense in which the reader's greatest thrill is identifying with a murderer and rooting for him to get away with his crime. Minghella chose a snazzy cast for this high-style, eerie thiriller, one that's extraordinarily Oscar-familiar for a group so young. As Tom Ripely, Matt Damon plays a sociopath who becomes so enamored of the glamorous life led by his wealthy friend, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), he kills him and assumes his identity. Inasmuch as Ripley is what passes for a "protagonist" here, it's toughest to say who has the harder job on this film, Damon or Minghella. Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow plays Law's suspicious girlfriend, and the actress Paltrow beat to the Oscar, "Elizabeth's" Cate Blanchett, plays a friend of Tom's. The pros behind the camera on "Ripley" are top-drawer: production designer Roy Walker, an Oscar-winner for Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon," personally chose the ravishing locations on the Italian coast where much of the '50's period story takes place; just about everyone else on the team won Oscars for "The English Patient." In short, this is one of the big class actos of the Oscar season, and it's a real high-wire act.
  The accompanying photo is the all too familiar one of nerdy Ripley gazing out over the Venice canals.
• On the new official website for Dogma: And if you're after new pictures of Matt, there's probably more than 20 to choose from, including some with him in armoured wings. Kevin Smith's put comments to 150 behind the scenes photos.
  It's all done in very impressively, and gives you virtually the whole movie in photos. Spoilers galore.
• Felicity wrote:
  Sometimes you find information in strange places. I've found a website on the book and mythology of Bagger Vance. It's at www.williammorrow.com/baggervance.html". And it includes this quote by Robert Redford, from the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail:
  "Matt will bring something extra-special to the picture. I'm excited to get the chance to work with him."
  We certainly haven't found that quote elsewhere, and I can't access the paper's archives. But the rest of the site is certainly authentic. The site does say that Matt's role of Rannulph Junnah is the starring role, and Charlize Theron's character's name is Adele Invergordon. It also includes details on the financing of the film, distribution rights etc. Of interest is that another production company involved is Mel Gibson's Icon.
  There's also an excerpt from the book, accolades, an interview with the author and other general info. Worth checking out if you've got time.
• From http://www.cinescape.com:
  'Minority Report' Still On
  Rumors of Minority Report's demise have been greatly exaggerated, it seems. Cinescape Online was in contact with a spokesperson for the production today and learned that Minority Report has not been canceled. It's just on hiatus, suggested the rep. Shooting has been pushed back another month (from January to February) to make more time for further re-writes to the script. As far as the spokesperson knew, Scott Frank was still the writer on the project. The most recent Exhibitor Relations feature release schedule lists a November 17, 2000 release date for the project, though the rep could not comment on whether that remains the targeted opening date.
  Some doubts had also previously been cast on the death rumors last week when Steven Spielberg commented on the property as he brushed aside talk of his taking on Stanley Kubrick's A.I.
  The DreamWorks/Fox co-production will be directed by Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett reportedly starring. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story of the same name, Minority Report follows a police officer (Cruise) who heads up a special "pre-crime" division of the Washington D.C. force in the year 2080. The basic function of the pre-crime division is to use the aid of psychics to arrest murderers before they commit their crimes. In a classic Dick twist, the lead character has the tables turned on him when he is accused of a future crime. Our hero must find out what led to the infraction and somehow prevent it from occurring before the pre-crime division tracks him down.

This was from Jeannie Williams' USA Today column (talking about a new doco release by Redford's son):
The director/actor, like many thousands, was sweating out Hurricane Floyd. He's about to shoot a movie on an island off Savannah, Ga. He got word at Monday's HBO reception about the evacuation order and said wryly: "How's that for good news!...
This one, The Legend of Bagger Vance, "isn't a golf movie; it's got golf in it. It's a metaphorical piece" concerning major players Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones "and a fictional character from Savannah." Stars are Will Smith as the title character, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. Redford must think it's good timing: "Half the country's now gone golf-mad."
• Another magazine alert: I've read on a gossip site that Johnny Depp is pretty nasty to Matt in a magazine called ICON. Apparently Depp questions why party-boy Matt doesn't attract the criticism Depp does for his wicked ways, because the media still thinks he (Matt) is a golden boy. If true, apart from being way off beam, perhaps Johnny is attacking Matt for linking up with Winona? Just a really strange way to attack him.
• An extensive fall/Oscar preview was provided in the Boston Globe a few days back. In part:
  (Two of the broader-appeal best-picture contenders that executives named were "The Green Mile," and "The Talented Mr. Ripley," with Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.)
• I was much surprised when I came across the latest in TV gossip shows last night--Natl Enquirer TV. The show's focus seems to be celebrity gossip and our Matty was the subject of one of the stories.
  A clip of Matt signing articles for fans on NY streets was shown along w/ a brief photo of the building where his newly acquired duplex is located--sorry no address was mentioned! A clip of Winona was also shown as she exited her apartment building and into a waiting car. The announcer captioned it with something like: "Matt's new digs will prove very convenient for his yar and half love, Winona Ryder, who owns an apartment just around the corner from Matt's new home."

• There's an article about "Dogma" at this site. It discusses the religion, the violence (especially after the Columbine massacre), and the, uh, bathroom humor of the film. Not much about Matt specifically, but if you're curious about the movie, take a peek.
• Yeah! Spielberg's putting "Saving Private Ryan" on DVD. Perhaps it'll have some juicy extras involving Matt. Something to look forward to.
• And if you haven't seen it, http://www.newsaskew.com has the E! Dogma clip. It has fewer scenes from the film but more press coverage from Cannes. Worth a look.
• The latest word I've heard (for the release date of DOGMA) is November 12. Check out the newsaskew site for all the latest updates on the film.
  (Note: This was also reported in Liz Smith's column today.)

• I've finally found a place which has the Matt photo in Vanity Fair (Ben's article) online. If you haven't seen it, it could be titled 'Early morning at Ben's place', with both very casual and relaxed (if not a little too relaxed). It's at www.angelfire.com/md/twosistersfourguys/whatsnewben.html (or a smaller version of that long address). BTW, it's a terrible photo of Matt and if they want suggestive photos of the pair, try this one! Ben puts out a comment aiming to deny the gay rumours, but with the same article there's a shot of both of them in PJs or something similar? It just sends mixed messages.
• From Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith's column:
  ... Will Smith's come up with a new title for his upcoming album: He's changed it from "Will2k" to "Willennium." Will will be busy until the eve of the new millennium -- at least -- making Robert Redford's "The Legend of Bagger Vance," and at this point, isn't even thinking of touring with the disc that will hit the stores in October...
  He's just left for Georgia locations of "Bagger Vance," the golf saga that Redford is directing and in which Will will play a wise caddie who doles out sage advice to Matt Damon, who plays a championship golfer, during a 1931 tourney. It's considered an artistic stretch for Will. "This movie's about real acting," as a source puts it.
• The Dogma reaction to the Toronto fest screening has been very mixed, although the acting is usually praised. One NY Post review said thus:
  "the performances are outstanding - particularly from Damon and Affleck, who have some fun with rumours they are more than just best friends."
• Apparently E News will Tuesday have more Dogma footage.
• This was from the Fox News 411 column (Roger Friedman):
  A Better Feud Than Yankees-Red Sox
  Could it be? In all probability, Miramax Films and DreamWorks Pictures are headed to another Oscar war.
  To refresh your memory: Last season, Miramax's Shakespeare in Love went head to head with DreamWorks' Saving Private Ryan.
  It was a bitter contention, and when it was over Miramax was the winner. One of the problems was that Ryan came out during the summer. When Shakespeare hit in late fall it seemed newer and fresher.
  So now DreamWorks has wisely held American Beauty for a national release on October 1. It is a sure Oscar contender...
  Miramax, in the meantime, is getting ready for its own Oscar blitz with at least two entries: The Cider House Rules and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
  The latter stars two Miramax staples, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon, and is directed by a previous Miramax Oscar winner Anthony Minghella (The English Patient).
  One slight problem here is that Mr. Ripley is a Paramount picture domestically, with Miramax handling foreign distribution.
  But the odds are that the crack Miramax marketing team will have a lot to say about Mr. Ripley's future. The annual Oscar-eve awards handed out by Miramax at its famous bash are named the Max's for Minghella's young son, Max.
  As good as American Beauty is, look for Miramax to do a much more low key but as intensive job of getting the word about their two fine films to Academy voters.

• A Matt fan wrote:
  I happened to be flipping by E's "Gossip Show" (something I rarely do, and then only with great trepidation), when I heard the above two names linked in a teaser. No, they're not being paired romantically or even professionally. Actually, it turns out that one of the gossips mentioned that his magazine, The Village Voice, had a columnist who was comparing Salma Hayek to Ben Affleck and Catherine Zeta-Jones to Matt. The gist was that Salma, like Ben, was taking a motley selection of roles while Catherine, like Matt, was more discerning and calculated in his choices. I looked for the column online, but I couldn't find it. Perhaps it's only in the print version, or maybe it doesn't come out until next week. Just thought I'd pass it on...
  (This analogy is stretching things to the limit - these columnists! They do scrape the bottom of the barrel.)
• Sabrina wrote on planetdamon:
  • one- I was watching TV today and in a commercial for Fidelity Investments or something like that, the background music was "Will Hunting" (Main Title), the one that Danny Elfman wrote. It's the song that plays during the opening credits, good song!
  • Two- There is an awesome article here about Matt and Ben and their Pearl Street Production company and their relationships with their high school friends. Click here (Note: Said article has been mentioned here before).
• Liz wrote: Go to this site. It's really funny!
  ((And it is! It's a good natured movie-(in-)a-minute satire on GWH. Short and funny.)

• An addition to the Bagger Vance cast has been announced: name of Bruce McGill, age 49, from San Antonio. He will "take the role of a devastated war hero who returns home and attempts to revive his championship golf game." (Daily Variety) He's also appeared in Dog of Flanders, the upcoming 'Insider' and funnily enough, both Courage Under Fire and The Good Old Boys.
• Dark Horizons this week listed Ripley as one of his (Garth's) ten fall movies to watch, and pointed out the strong visual style of the trailer, and in particular the Virgin Mary statue rising from the ocean. Did anyone else think that the EW photo this week (Gwyneth's stunned mullet expression) was that scene - or their reaction to the statue/girl's body being found?
• L. A. Times reported that DOGMA has been picked up for its release in North America by Lion's Gate, and the release is still planned for the Fall (like now!)

• Saw the trailer of DOGMA, and as Sabrina on planetdamon already commented - there wasn't a lot of Matt and Ben. But Matt looks wonderful in what little was shown of him - he had a pink or salmon colored T-shirt on in many of the shots shown, and he looked charming. The trailer was a quick jumble of intercuts - you really could not make much of it except that it's a religious satire. It does end with a shot of Matt opening fire - gulp.
• The Eng Lee movie that Matt could have starred in, with the singer Jewel, is being shown in the Toronto Film Fest. Skeet Ulrich took on the role that Matt would have assumed - a good thing too, judging from a pic in the LA Times Ulrich spots long, shoulder-length hair - can't quite see Matt that way!
• Word is that Ben will appear on the cover of Vanity Fair next.

• From Friday's ET Dogma preview (transcript via web-board):
  Just caught a commercial for Monday's ET, all about Dogma.
  If the movie-going public takes the same view of Dogma as ET does, it will clean up in theatres.
  
  -Shot of Matt and Ben from Good Will Hunting.
  "Matt and Ben struck Oscar gold together,"
  -Shot of Ben with wings, then Matt with gun
  "Can they do it again?"
  -Shot of Ben descending on wings
  "Matt and Ben's new movie, Monday on Entertainment Tonight."
  Matt and Ben's new movie...I guess this will be the advertising push.
• This article appeared on the metrotimes website, which originally came from the magazine 'Brill's Content' (I think). Apparently Zinn has a new book out and a chapter may be devoted to GWH and the upcoming mini-series. Here are some excerpts:
  Metro Times: What's happening with this new project based upon People's History of the United States?
  Zinn: We've been working on it for close to a year; working on it meaning just laying the groundwork. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and Chris Moore are executive producers along with me, and we have a writer, Jeremy Pikser, who was nominated for an Academy Award along with Warren Beatty for Bulworth. We've been putting together a treatment, a story summary outline, for the 12 hours and that's taking a lot of time. It's important for that to be finished and approved by Fox executives before we can move on to the next stage, which will be taking on scriptwriters for the series. But, when you're dealing with the world of glitz, everything is iffy. There�s a number of points along the line where the project can falter and fail, but so far it's alive and moving ahead slowly
  MT: How do you intersect with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck?
  Zinn: My wife and I have known Matt since he was a little kid. We were next-door neighbors for years in Boston, and we're good friends with his mother. His mother gave him my book when he was barely old enough to read and his high school teacher used it in class, so he believes in it very much. Then, when he saw an opportunity in his film Good Will Hunting, to recommend a history book, he said, Hey, look, read this one. Ben Affleck is an old friend of Matt's. I just got to know him recently but like Matt, he's a very socially conscious and serious person. Neither of them is your ordinary, superficial movie star. There is a lot of depth to both of them.
  MT: Any ideas for a cast and crew besides Damon and Affleck?
  Zinn: A lot of people in the entertainment world who want to do something useful and serious have expressed interest. Winona Ryder has expressed interest in being in it; maybe John Cusack and Danny Glover, and Tim Robbins for directing. Eddie Vedder, of Pearl Jam, says he would like to do the music and so has Ani DiFranco. Bob Dylan may be interested, as well. Once the thing gets under way I have no doubt that we are going to get a lot of well-known and very talented actors and actresses and directors to work on it.
• There's a great, long, article about Pearl Street and the involvement of the Boston friendship network at www.bostonmagazine.com (fall movie preview section).
  It's more on Ben as a major player, but it's worthwhile reading. There are probably some good illustrations in the print edition if anyone can access it.

Click here (and be patient) to see a classy black and white photo of Matt in Venice, from an article which appeared in the Conde Nast magazine.

News from Felicity:

• That Minority Report rumour has almost become fact. Moriarty on AICN has confirmed it, as have other sources. He claims (the delay is) not due to actor unavailability but continuing script problems and Spielberg's growing frustration with the project. The project was never that good, but it would have been a great opportunity to work with Spielberg and Cruise. Next time.
• From a search of the Savannah papers I've found that shooting for Bagger Vance starts on September 20. Ben is now out of the picture, as 'Bounce' with Gwyneth started last Monday in LA I think. Another casting call for extras was held today in Savannah, with many told they wouldn't be required until November (must be the major crowd scene). Did you all know the relevance of another major character - the young boy who tells the story? Can't wait to see the book - it was described in one report today as the 'Field of Dreams' of golf.
• Did you all see that Winona's next movie, Lost Souls, has been delayed from October til January 2000. We just lose some early interview/possible photos of the pair ...
• And there was another report on AICN about a Dogma trailer having a limited release this weekend, but a distributor still hasn't been confirmed. Meanwhile, the Ripley press push is slowly continuing and having an effect, with a new board on Pathfinder now devoted to the film, and up to about 30 messages.

• From the Boston Herald
  Matt bites into Big Apple
  Word out of the Big Apple is that marvy Matt Damon has just parted with $2.4 million of his film fortune for a 6,000-square-foot duplex in that city's trendy NoHo district.
  And not only does our favorite Cambridge homeboy have a new bach pad, we hear he's hired a Boston gal, Trinette Faint, to be his personal assistant!
  Trinette, a 6-foot-1 hunk o' woman who served as Damon Wayans' stand-in during ``Celtic Pride,'' will travel to Savannah, Ga., with her new boss this fall, when he'll shoot ``The Legend of Beggar Vance.''
  
  The Robert Redford-directed drama is about a golfer, played by Damon, and his caddie, a role scored by Will Smith.
  >How fore-tunate for Trinette!
• From Daily Variety:
  Theron tees up role in Redford pic 'Vance'
  Actress would play Damon's former lover NEW YORK � Charlize Theron is negotiating to play the female lead in "The Legend of Bagger Vance," the golf pic Robert Redford will direct this fall starring Matt Damon and Will Smith.
  Theron, who's coming off "The Astronaut's Wife," is near a deal to play the organizer of a golf tournament that provides a chance for redemption for a champion golfer poised for greatness until he became a soldier in WWI and was devastated by the conflict. Played by Damon, the golfer/soldier is the girl's former lover, and they rekindle the relationship as he achieves success in the tournament with the help of a mysterious caddie (Smith). Jeremy Leven wrote the script.
  Film is set for a late September tee time in Savannah. Redford's producing with Michael Nozik and Jake Eberts in a co-production between their Wildwood and Allied shingles. DreamWorks will distribute domestically. Theron's repped by UTA.
• Sabrina wrote on PlanetDamon:
  hey all! I don't know if this is already a known fact, but I just found out that Matt Damon is in the newest Robert Redford film, The Legen Of Bagger Vance.... One of my friends here at school is an intern for Robert Redford over the summer, and Matt came in and talked with Bob about the part and my friend just got an email from the company in Georgia saying that Matt Damon officially has the part, WIll Smith playing the other role. Anyway, just wanted to pass that on. ciao!
• A Matt fan wrote:
  It seems that dropping Matt and Ben's name is the "in thing" on FOX's, sit com, STARS.
  The show is about two Hollywood movie stars,their priveleged kids, their mishaps as stars, and living in LA. On the first episode which aired earlier this summer, the female lead (? Grant--by the way, she is the daughter of Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon) was supposedly starring opposite Matt Damon in her lastest flick. Last night's episode included a scene where the male lead, Harry Hamlin's, character is talking to his tv brother who just can't seem to get his acting career going. Hamlin says, "Why don't you do what Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did? Write your own Good Will Hunting!"
  Glad to know that the duo's popularity hasn't waned!
• If you want some new (and old) Ripley photos, look under Matt's name at ebay.com.
  There are 4 photos, including three new ones of Matt, Matt & Gwyneth etc. All in black and white and v. classy. They're official publicity photos from Paramount (early press kit shots).

Do you worry about a backlash (from your phenomenal success)?
Matt: I expect it. I expect it. And I'm sure it's on its way. [Laughs] I didn't particularly order the front-lash, so I'm not particularly worried about the backlash.

Click on a column

Some of my personal favorite pictures of Matt
The Talented Mr.Ripley page
The All the Pretty Horses 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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I hope you enjoy this site. Sorry if you looked for Matt photos in vain. If you like photos, see the Unofficial Matt Damon site or this site.
Some good sources of Matt Info

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