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Movies 101

"The Boy and the Heron" & "May December"

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From left: Film still from The Boy and the Heron (2023); Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in May December (2023).
The Boy and the Heron, Studio Ghibli/Toho Company/GKIDS, 2023. May December, Project Infinity/Killer Films/Taylor & Dodge/Gloria Sanchez Prod./MountainA/Netflix, 2023.

As we all know, winning an Oscar is Hollywood gold, literally and figuratively. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss two films that represent Oscar status in a number of ways. The first film is “The Boy and the Heron,” the latest animated feature from Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, winner of a Best Animated Feature Oscar for his 2001 film “Spirited Away.” The second is “May December,” which was directed by Oscar Nominee Todd Haynes and stars not one but two Best Actress alumnae: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.