“Tis the season for Oscar frontrunners to scoop awards from festivals and organizations across the nation, building momentum towards the main prize. Friday morning, the Palm Springs International Film Festival announced that “The Theory of Everything” star Eddie Redmayne is set to receive the fest”s Desert Palm Achievement Award. Why? Because he”s great!
According to the official press release, the festival honors an actor or actress each year who… well, there aren”t any exact parameters, but with Redmaybe primed for Oscar nomination love, why not highlight a talent about to blast up from respected young person to Cumberbatch-level stardom? If you want in on the ground level of the Redmaybe love, throw an award at him.
“From 'The Good Shepherd' to 'Les Misérables,' Eddie Redmayne has proven himself an actor poised for greatness,” says Harold Matzner, Chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, in a statement. “In 'The Theory of Everything,' as ALS-stricken scientist Stephen Hawking, Redmayne captivates his audience as he goes through a powerful physical transformation, from a healthy college student to a dependent wheelchair-bound middle-aged man, in what is truly a stunning performance. We are honored to recognize Eddie Redmayne with the 2015 Desert Palm Achievement Award for acting.”
Past actor recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth, Sean Penn, Matthew McConaughey, and Brad Pitt. The press release notes that, in the years they were honored, Bridges, Day-Lewis, McConaughey, and Penn went on to win the Academy Award® for Best Actor, while Cooper, Firth and Pitt received Oscar® nominations. No pressure, Eddie!
For more on “The Theory of Everything,” director James Marsh”s romantic biopic chronicling the life of Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane, check out a fact-heavy feature, our interview with the composer and cinematographer, and our review from the Toronto International Film Festival.
“The Theory of Everything” opens in limited release Nov. 7