From: Sent: To: Subject: Peggy Siegal 3/7/2013 2:03:11 PM [email protected] Fw: Oscar Diary I am struggling thru this. It is so late already. I am so stressed out. will finishe is in a day or two. • I can not write about the Katzenberg party. Maybe can just mention is happened in my hotel. But the reason to go was to support Katzenberg and network. More to come. Peg Original Message -- From: Peggy Siegal Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2013 08:51 AM To: Peggy Siegal Subject: Oscar Diary It's Thursday morning on Wilshire Boulevard and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has just opened it's doors for ticket pick-up for the 85th Oscar telecast. Forty voting members, the distinguished director Norman Jewison and I are on a long single file line that snakes thru the lobby patiently waiting to go upstairs to pick up our tickets. My seats were awarded via a lottery system. We clutch our photo suddenly, a messenger slips in wearing a smart khaki windbreaker and cuts through the line. to the uniformed guard in a stage whisper, "Dreamworks" He announces , and as if Steven spielberg himself had just delivered the Gettysburg address, 1s ushered upstairs. That is the final act of social justice of the "Lincoln" campaign. I am sleep deprived and jet lagged having just spent six hours on a flight sitting next Paula Wagner who been to L.A. and it's like voting for a ghost, even on her 86th birthday. This is the year I got phone calls in September from top studio executives announcing each are winning Their euphoric giddiness is due to the quality of the films resulting in the priciest oscar campaigns on record and astounding audience support at the theaters. Seven of the nine best picture nominees have taken in well over $100 million at the domestic box office to date, but it's the worldwide numbers in the millions that are staggering. Universal's "Les Miserables" Twentieth Century Fox's "Life of pj" caused a tsunami at $597 ' niango Unchained" whipped up $395, scored $412, the Weinstein Cos. Dreamworks' "Lincoln" delivered at $254, Warner's "Argo" captured $219, Weinstein's "silver Lining Playbook" danced to $187 and Sony's "Zero Dark Thirty" killed at $107 million. In comparison, Sony Classics' "Amour" received $19 and Fox Searchlights' "Beast of the southern wild" worked up $19 million. Hugh audiences having actually seen the films this year have an ear for the nuances of the Oscar race anc everyone including Ben Affleck follow the bloggers religiously. So by Thursday morning on line at the Academy the informed buzz was as follows: "Argo" takes best picture because is was most entertaining. The director snub to Ben Affleck was a Godsend as George clooney's advice came from far away Berlin where he was in pre-production on s president Sue Kroll kept the campaign clean and calm on the home front. "Lincoln's" victory is Daniel Day Lewis from day one of shooting, no pun intended. The suggestion that our answer to Lincoln was interesting. Voters knew Obama screenings White House, but they weren't invited. the media ate up. surprise appearance on their broadcast. Dreamwor press were the biggest winners with Ril ran an impeccable patriotic campaign that The best director race had the most drama. Hollywood dreaded Spielberg loosing to Ang Lee. (Eventually everyone was thrilled Steven was anointed president of the Cannes Jury for 2013 the day after the awards The voters knew beloved Ang Lee's three year boat ride was the technical miracle. Fox's $595 million international box office blew in the win. Harvey Weinstein having three horses running is always the most talked His loquacious Quentin Tarentino was a lock for screenplay. Best supporting actor was a total toss up with a sentimental edge HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031118

to Robert DeNiro. We even applauded Bob putting his handprints in cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. Throgant dentis continued inter gation. Even MeAt Prestent carch Do could not here ariethe ir arrogant denial of enhanced interrogation. Katherine Bigalow and Amy Pascal. Additional chatter was the renewed last minute love for "Les Miserables". Clearly the most film in the race, this 27 year old theatrical musical seen by 60 million fans is now the talk of thing Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Segfried, Eddie Redmayne, Sasha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter and Samanthe an historic one time live pertormance as part of sunday': television broadcast. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's will attempt to razzel dazzel us with ai homage to movie musicals for three plus hours at the Dolby theater. Barket reince the els enda creleed by dreamppearances senger eate hi the Xiety and a blood bath for , I hit the parts circuit overdressed for life. Daisy... I can do this...fairly easily now...but I have a lunch at 12:30pm and important meetings. I am so distraught about all this pressure. I am calling you now. Peggy HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031119