By Sr. Rose Pacatte
A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation
By Ted Williams (with Brett Witter)
Penguin, New York
$26 hard cover
Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and a Son
By Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez (with Hope Edelman)
Free Press, New York
$27 hard cover
Two books were released in May about what it means to be a man: a father, a son and a grandfather, too. Both are apologias more than memoirs and both have a strong faith dimension and links to Catholicism and Ohio — and addiction. The men in both books became fathers at a very young age. Their stories are extremely honest and reveal details that will surprise and inspire you, and some that may shock you as well. Both books have dual voices and are easy, swift reads that ask us to admit our humanity. They invite us to walk with these fellow travelers to discover humility and the action of grace in people’s lives that will astonish you
I read Ted William’s story first, the “theater of the mind” man with a voice born for radio. Ted was born in New York in 1957 and adopted by a woman, Julia, who always wanted a child, and her husband, Al, who worked his entire career in the same job for an airline at JFK International Airport. His parents were steady, but Ted was a “pleaser” who wanted to be liked and accepted. He was raised Protestant but began going to the Jehovah Witness Kingdom hall in his teens. He went to Catholic school in Brooklyn for a while, too. From the age of 14, he wanted to become a radio announcer. He and his father never saw eye to eye.
I am so happy to be here in South Africa again, to be part of a two-year program to prepare for the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council. I will only be here for a month, however!
Please visit my blog at the National Catholic Reporter for updates.
As with most award programs, the Emmy Awards were established in 1949 by the Academy for Television Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles as part of a public relations program. The Emmy statue is a winged woman to represent art holding an atom that refers to science.
The 62nd Prime Time Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday, August 29, hosted by NBC’s Late Night comedian Jimmy Fallon from the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. For the first time, the awards will be broadcast simultaneously across time zones so there will be no lag to correct and language or wardrobe gaffs.
I watch a fair amount of television as a reviewer and I genuinely like television, though not all programming rises to the top of my must see list.
Here are my choices for 2010 Emmys in major categories and why:
Comedy Series: this is easy for me: Glee. I am a complete Gleek. Catholics In Media gave the show its television prize this year for its heart, humanity, and humor. The show is populated by characters from the Gospels, therefore, all of us quirky people can find someone, or some theme with which to identify.
Outstanding Drama: My favorite new show from this season remains The Good Wife. The writers have created a role for Juliana Margulies profound talents as the wife of a jailed politician and mother of two young teens. But what is a good wife? Subtle and rewarding drama; this good wife is a woman we would be proud to know.
Outstanding Made for Television Movie: It is between Georgia O’Keefe, the artist, and Temple Grandin, the autistic savant , scientist, author and professor, that created humane and healthy ways to process livestock into the food supply. Claire Danes was exceptional as Dr. Grandin.
Outstanding Miniseries: The Pacific will probably win, but my vote is for Return to Cranford. The Pacific was about war, and told the story well enough, but endless battle scenes over several weeks do not a great miniseries make. Costume dramas by the British and PBS are consistently good.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: A very crowded field. Jim Parsons in The Big Bang theory is one of the most genuinely funny people to come along in ages; the show itself is laugh-out-loud funny. After all, nerds are people, too. But I also like Matthew Morrison for his role as the glee club teacher in the campy Glee, so Morrison it is.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Hands down (or off), Michael C. Hall for Dexter. It’s creepy, violent, dark, deep where morality is the key character. I do not understand the attraction to the formulaic sports family drama Friday Night Lights, which I consider to be rather unimaginative.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Because I am a devoted Gleek, I vote for Lea Michele in Glee. But Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie is excellent. Very dark humor, but deeply human in a way that touches the spiritual. Edie Falco can play a vulnerable and flawed human train wreck in ways that demand hope that people can change.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: this is really tough and I would be happy if any of these women would win, with the exception of Connie Britton. She’s a fine actress, it’s just that Friday Night Lights is a poor vehicle for her talents. If I were a voting member of the Academy, I’d give it to Juliana Margulies in The Good Wife.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Crowded field, tough call. For reasons noted above, Claire Danes as Temple Grandin. Phenomenal interpretation of a gifted woman who surprised everyone.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Gleeks rule: Chris Colfer as Kurt in Glee. He is the young man who must tell his father what he already knows, that he is gay. The episode where they reconcile and embrace one another for who they are is one of the most moving of the season.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Terry O’Quinn in Lost. His intelligent and nuanced character carried the series demonstrating that supporting actors are as necessary as the headliners. It takes a village, though here it lost one – or did it?
Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Michael Gambon as the father in yet another rendition of Jane Austin’s Emma. Great ensemble cast.
Outstanding Supporting actress in a Comedy Series: Modern Family has a lot of nominations, but as a card-carrying Gleek, I vote for Jane Lynch as the outrageous and devious Sue Sylvester in Glee. She plays the villain, but even villains have hearts.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: How to choose? This is a category filled with terrific actresses who gave consistently good performances. Archie Panjabi in The Good Wife. Truly, any of these ladies deserve the honor. Rose Byrne as Ellen in Damages would be my next preference. The moral vicissitudes of Damages are more complex than The Good Wife, and Rose is at the center in Damages. But I like The Good Wife; the characters in Damages, not so much. Though they are eminently watchable.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: I really did not like HBO’s you Don’t Know Jack about Jack Kevorkian, though culturally I suppose one could make a case for it as being important as a way to try and grasp Dr. Death and his influence on our culture, so sorry Susan. I am going to hope (and guess) that either Catherine O’Hara or Julia Ormond take home an Emmy for their roles in Temple Grandin.
Outstanding Music, Variety or Comedy Series: My sympathy vote goes to Conan O’Brien because of the way he was treated when NBC pushed him out of the Tonight Show slot to bring back Jay Leno. But I am going to go with The Colbert Report because Stephen Colbert is incisive, smart, and funny in ways that highlight truth. Sure, the same could be said of Jon Stewart, but I really like The Colbert Report.
Outstanding Reality Competition Show: The sisters in my community put me on to Project Runway, my younger sister made me watch Top Chef when I was visiting, I cannot stand The Amazing Race because I lived in New York for too long, American Idol is getting boring (and I have really supported this show!), so this leaves me with Dancing with the Stars, which I really like. In terms of art and creativity, however, I am going to vote for Project Runway (and hope that next year someone will nominate So You Think You Can Dance.)
For immediate release, please
Press Contacts: Jennifer Mulhall / 323.575.3494
jennifermulhall@boldandbeautiful.tv
Frank Tobin / 323.661.3720
Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) 17th Annual Awards
honor Fox Television’s “Glee” and The Hurt Locker”
Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP receives
CIMA Board of Directors Award
Golden Globe Award-winner Samantha Eggar hosts
Beverly Hills Hotel event
(Los Angeles, CA, February 28, 2010 – The Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) 17th Annual Mass and Awards Brunch on Sunday, February 28 honored the Fox Television series “Glee” and the feature film “The Hurt Locker” with film reviewer and veteran Venice Film Festival Catholic jury member Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP receiving the CIMA 2010 Board of Directors Award. The celebration, which returned for a second year to the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA, began with a Mass at 10 AM, presided over by His Eminence, Cardinal Roger Mahony with a brunch and awards ceremony afterwards, according to CIMA President Jane Abbott. Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe and Cannes’ Palm d’Or-winning actress Samantha Eggar (“The Collector”) was special guest host. Patricia Boren and John Kelly served as producer and co-chairs of the event. John and Gloria Gebbia served as honorary co-chairs.
The CIMA Awards were created in 1992 by former DGA President Jack Shea and other prominent Catholics in the entertainment industry. Their purpose is “To promote and applaud individuals, films and TV programs that uplift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.”
The CIMA 2010 Film Award was presented to “The Hurt Locker” directed by 2010 Oscar nominee and DGA/PGA/BAFTA Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal (2010 Oscar and WGA nominee), who was embedded with an actual EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) bomb squad. One of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2009, “The Hurt Locker,” filmed in Jordan, follows the tour of a U.S. Army EOD team (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and …
Brian Geraghty) as they defuse bombs, deal with the threat of insurgency and the growing tensions which develop among their unit. Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “The Nativity”) presented the 2010 CIMA Film Award to “Hurt Locker” editors Bob Murawski and Chris Innis who represented Ms. Bigelow, who was indisposed, and who read her acceptance speech:
“I am brokenhearted that I am not able to be there in person today to accept this phenomenal award from Catholics in the Media Associates (CIMA). This community holds a truly special place in my heart as the very first award ‘The Hurt Locker’ received was the Signis Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2008. It was via the Signis Award that I met the remarkable Sr. Rose Pacatte. Sr. Rose recognized the humanity in the film and the message of the futility of war and value of life. I am delighted with the recognition the film has been able to bring to such a difficult situation and to the men and women who put their lives at risk every day so that others can be safe. Thank you to Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) for your recognition and support. It means so much to me. Also my sincerest congratulations to Sr. Rose for her award today! Her tenacity, vitality and joy of life make her a national treasure. Congratulations, Sr. Rose.”
According to CIMA 2010 Awards co-chairs Patricia Boren and John Kelly, “CIMA chose to honor ‘The Hurt Locker’ because of its uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb diffusion specialists for whom war becomes an addiction rather than a cause. The film depoliticizes the heroic work of the EOD specialists and lets the audience experience the human toll war takes on people and the intense psychological struggle of the soldiers to find meaning in life beyond the dangerous work they do.”
Past CIMA Award feature films include: “Doubt;” “In the Valley of Elah;” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe;” “Hotel Rwanda;” “The Passion of the Christ;” “Seabiscuit;” “Dead Man Walking;” “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan,” among many others.
The 2010 CIMA Television Award was presented to the Fox Television series “Glee,” which recently was honored as “Favorite New TV Comedy” at the 36th Annual People’s Choice Awards and as “Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy” by the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, “Glee” focuses on a high school Spanish teacher who becomes director of a glee club at a fictional Midwest high school and who hopes to restore it to its former glory. “Glee” cast member Iqbal Theba (“Glee’s “Principal Figgins”) made the 2010 CIMA TV Award presentation to Mr. Brennan and “Glee” Producer Alexis Martin.
“CIMA selected “Glee” because of its beautiful and kind heart,” said long-time CIMA member and screenwriter Brian Oppenheimer. “These talented actors play students who reflect the diversity of our schools today and the many challenges facing young people. The show demonstrates how the arts integrate life and learning in a joyful way, tinged with humor and sometimes pathos, as kids and teachers try to figure out the best choices to make in life.”
Past CIMA Television Award recipients include: “Without A Trace;” “Ugly Betty;” “Cold Case;” “Medium;” “Joan of Arcadia;” “The West Wing;” Judging Amy;” “Homicide – Life on the Streets;” “The Practice” and “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” among many others.
The 2010 CIMA Board of Directors Award was presented to Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP, MEd Media Studies, Director, Pauline Center for Media Studies (PCMS) and media literacy education specialist, film and television journalist and author. Sr. Rose has been involved in media since she entered the Daughters of St. Paul more than 40 years ago, from publishing to filmmaking. She has served on ecumenical and Catholic juries at the Venice, Locarno, and Berlin Film Festivals. In 2008 she was the president of the SIGNIS (Catholic) jury at Venice. She also served on the jury for short films at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2006. Since 2000, Sr. Rose has been co-director of the National Film Retreat and has taught film and spirituality courses at LMU, Saddleback College, and the University of Dayton.
CIMA President Jane Abbott notes: “The CIMA Board of Directors honors Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP for her leadership role in the world of media literacy and for her passionate advocacy of media projects which illuminate the complexities and challenges of the human condition. CIMA also cites Sr. Rose’s significant contributions as an author, columnist, film reviewer and presenter and her tireless efforts as a Catholic panelist on some of the world’s most prestigious film festival juries, including Toronto, Venice and Berlin.”
Presenting the CIMA Board of Directors Award to Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP is Producer/Director Tom Shadyac (“Bruce Almighty,” “Patch Adams,” Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and the television series “8 Simple Rules.” Past CIMA Board of Directors Award recipients include the late Fr. Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, CSP and the television series “7th Heaven.”
Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award and Cannes’ Palm d’Or winner Samantha Eggar hosted the 2010 CIMA Award ceremonies. Following her stage debut opposite Albert Finney in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Eggar was cast in a host of British films before being handpicked by director William Wyler for “The Collector,” which won her an Oscar nomination, international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival with the Palm d’Or Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Eggar starred opposite Cary Grant in “Walk Don’t Run,” opposite Rex Harrison and Anthony Newley in “Dr. Doolittle” and opposite Sean Connery and Richard Harris in “The Molly Maguires,” among many other memorable film and television appearances.
CATHOLICS IN MEDIA ASSOCIATES (CIMA)
CIMA was formed in 1992 by working professionals in the entertainment industry to help them relate their faith to their professional lives. Through the annual awards, CIMA recognizes films, television programs and other entertainment forms that lift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family. Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) is a California non-profit public benefit corporation.
Director Catherine Hardwicke presented the CIMA award for The Hurt Locker to editors Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Alexis Martin Woodall and Ian Brennan are presented with the CIMA Award for GLEE by (the principal!) Iqbad Theba.
Oscar nominee Samantha Eggar was the host for the event; here she is with Cardinal Mahony who celebrated the Mass
The meaning of the CIMA statue
Each CIMA Award is an original, signed abstract expressionist work in laminated acrylic by the Yugoslav born artist, Vasa Mihich. Naturalized an American citizen in 1967, Vasa is a Professor of Art at the University of California at Los Angeles and is internationally recognized for his work. His artwork“affirmatively confronts the spiritual and physical surroundings from which it arises, and is seeking its place.”
This piece was chosen to symbolize the ideals of CIMA because its obliquely ascending, three-sided, luminous prism represents our human and imperfect reach to capture the Light of the Trinity in illuminating our work. In containing the same elements of beauty of this sculptural piece, we honor our colleagues’ works as “vehicles of light” and express our gratitude to them for presenting the complex colors of the human condition.
Catholics in Media will honor THE HURT LOCKER and GLEE on February 28. It seems funny to add my own name on my blog, but I am humbled and grateful to be receiving the Board of Directors Award.
Check here for the news release and ticket information: Catholics in Media Awards set for February 28
Click here for more information: 1 Hour Film.
This project was created bySteve Geiger, an actor, voice actor, and member of Catholics in Media Associates, Los Angeles.
The CIMA Award
Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA)
16th Awards Mass & Brunch honors
Louis Gossett, Jr., “Doubt” and
CBS / Warner Television’s “Without A Trace”
Mark Derwin (“Secret Life of an American Teenager”)
to serve as MC as venue moves to the Beverly Hills Hotel
Catholics in Media Associates’ (CIMA) Sixteenth Mass and Awards Brunch on Sunday, March 29, 2009 will honor Louis Gossett, Jr. for Lifetime Achievement, the feature film “Doubt“ and the CBS / Warner Bros Television / Jerry Bruckheimer Productions television series “Without A Trace.” The celebration, which will be held for the very first time in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA, will begin with a Mass at 10 AM with a brunch and awards ceremony to follow, announced television producer and CIMA President Marilyn Gill. Mark Derwin, costar of ABC Family’s “Secret Life of an American Teenager,” will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
The CIMA Awards were created in 1992 by former DGA President Jack Shea and other prominent Catholics in the entertainment industry. Their purpose is to promote and applaud individuals, films and TV programs that uplift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.
Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. will receive the CIMA Lifetime Achievement Award for his personal and professional achievements which span a half-century. The recipient of an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Gossett’s career encompasses motion pictures, television and the Broadway stage, where he made his debut in 1961 in “A Raisin in the Sun.” Memorable television appearances include starring roles in the epic mini-series “Roots” and “Sadat.” Other film roles include the “Iron Eagle” series, “Travels with My Aunt,” “Toy Soldiers” and “The Deep,” among many others.
In 2006, Gossett founded the non-profit Eracism Foundation” whose mission is the eradication all forms of racism by providing programs that foster cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education and anti-violence initiatives. Gossett remarks: “This is a gratifying moment for me and I am humbled by this award. I believe the gift of acting is from God, my oath to God, and I want to make sure, on a daily basis that it is honed and deeply spiritual. I want to believe that the audience believes my acting comes from this special place.”
Past CIMA Lifetime Achiement Award recipients include Gregory Peck, Martin Sheen, Rosemary Clooney, Jane Wyatt, Ricardo Montalban, Dick Van Dyke, Carroll O’Connor and Lew Wasserman, among many others.
The CIMA Film Award will be bestowed on “Doubt,” written and directed by Academy Award and WGA Award-winning screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (“Moonstruck”), adapted from the author’s 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Broadway play. Nominated for five Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, including “Best Screenplay,” “Doubt” is set in 1964 at a Bronx, New York Catholic elementary school and concerns the confrontation between a progressive priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a strong-minded principal (SAG Award-winner Meryl Streep) over the priest’s excessive interest in the school’s first African-American student. “Doubt” also stars Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG nominees Amy Adams and Viola Davis. Shanley notes: I have been fortunate in the uniformly positive reactions I have received from the Catholic community to ‘Doubt’ and I am gratified beyond words. American Catholicism has shown itself to be generous and robust in its embrace of new ways of looking at the Catholic experience.”
Past CIMA Award feature films include “The Valley of Elah,” “Narnia,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “The Passion of the Christ,” “Seabiscuit,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan,” among many others.
The 2009 CIMA Television Award will be presented to the CBS / Warner Bros Television / Jerry Bruckheimer Productions dramatic series “Without A Trace.” Created in 2002 by Hank Gardner and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, “Without A Trace” concerns a fictitious FBI missing persons unit. Each episode focuses on the search for one individual along with an examination of the personal lives of the team members and their insight — and sometime traumatic reactions — to certain cases.
“Without A Trace,” which stars Anthony LaPaglia, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Poppy Montgomery, Enrique Murciano, Eric Close and Roselyn Sanchez, also displays information about real-life missing persons and public service announcements at the end of many episodes. “Without A Trace” Executive Producers Greg Walker and Jan Nash comment: “If we had been nominated for an Emmy, we wouldn’t have been as proud as receiving this news. We have always operated from the premise of our characters looking to find the spiritual center of each episode. The series is a terrific vehicle to interject spiritual questions into people’s daily life and work.”
Past CIMA Television Award recipients include “Ugly Betty,” “Cold Case,” “Medium,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “The West Wing,” Judging Amy,” “Homicide – Life on the Streets,” “The Practice” and “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” among many others.
2009 CIMA Award Master of Ceremonies Mark Derwin stars as “George Nicholson on ABC Family’s “Secret Life of An American Teenager.” Familiar to primetime, television audiences for his recent roles on “Chuck,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Boston Legal,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Without A Trace,” “Navy NCIS” and “CSI,” Derwin also starred on daytime television’s “The Young and The Restless,” “One Life To Live” and “Guiding Light.”
Tickets to the 2009 CIMA Awards can be purchase online at Catholics in Media Awards or by calling 818.907.2734.
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