Did you pick up any animus between the screen writers of Up In The Air last night at the Golden Globes?

I hear Sheldon Turner had to sue Jason Reitman to get his co-writing credit.

One other GG item:

When T Bone Burnett accepted the Golden Globe for Best Song last night, he called out to winner Ryan Bingham to come on up to be recognized. The actor/singer (whose tune “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart won him the Globe) was sitting in the bar. “I just got up for a second, and a friend of mine was there,” he told PopEater during the post broadcast press conference. “Yeah, I blew it. I’m sorry.”

Going in I was anticipating a strong Oscar worthy performance from Jeff Bridges (I was not disappointed) but the surprising strength of Crazy Heart is the original music and Bridges’ musical talent. Music is usually the weakness in these types of moves but here I wishing for more concert footage. The story looked typical and predictable as it roll out at a very nice pace. I wouldn’t call the ending a twist but I would call it unpredictable. Crazy Heart will be in my top ten for 2009. [ RT ]

There is, what the New York Times calls, “a juicy business back story” when it comes to Crazy Heart.

The story of washed-up country singer, starring Jeff Bridges, was made for about $7 million by Country Music Television, a unit of Viacom. Viacom’s Paramount Pictures division had the right to distribute the film, but it was not interested.

The agent of the movie’s writer and director, Scott Cooper, got permission to sell it to Fox Searchlight Pictures (who paid half of what the movie was made for). Believing that had something here Fox Searchlight promptly moved the release date to mid December. Bingo! The buzz started. Bridges, a four time nominee, being well liked didn’t hurt. Now the original backers of “Crazy Heart” have asked its producers to remove all Viacom-related credits. “In a nervous corporate world the only thing worse than losing money on a worthy little movie might be having one’s name on a film that scores for a competitor.”

Jeff Bridges and ‘Crazy Heart’ Shake Up Jittery Oscar Campaigns

A few weeks ago “Crazy Heart” was just another invisible movie, one with so little promise that the company that made it refused to put it into theaters. Now, suddenly, this low-budget film about a washed-up country singer finds itself at the heart of the Oscar race, with some awards watchers calling its star, Jeff Bridges, a likely best actor candidate. ● More from: NYTimes.com

So far Up in the Air’s George Clooney, A Single Man’s Colin Firth and Morgan Freeman’s role as Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus are the closest things we’ve got to locks at this point in the Best Actors race. Sounds like we have to add Jeff Bridges to the mix.

Jeff Bridges and ‘Crazy Heart’ Shake Up Jittery Oscar Campaigns

A few weeks ago “Crazy Heart” was just another invisible movie, one with so little promise that the company that made it refused to put it into theaters. Now, suddenly, this low-budget film about a washed-up country singer finds itself at the heart of the Oscar race, with some awards watchers calling its star, Jeff Bridges, a likely best actor candidate. ● More from: NYTimes.com

Crazy Heart trailer

The first trailer for Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, has arrived online and you can see it here.

Crazy Heart

“Crazy Heart” enters the Oscar race relatively late in the game, but Searchlight — the distrib behind last year’s Oscar champ “Slumdog Millionaire” — moved this recent indie acquisition to 2009 because it believes it has potential.

Pic’s standout element is the lead performance of Jeff Bridges, who plays a broken, hard-living country musician who connects with a journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal, in the running for lead actress). Bridges has four acting nominations on his resume — “The Last Picture Show,” “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” “Starman” and “The Contender” — but no wins. ● More from: Variety

Jeff Bridges’ Crazy Heart to shake up the Oscar season

Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges in what’s said to be a career-best performance, in mid-December for awards consideration. Bridges is a four-time past nominee (his first nomination was 37 years ago for The Last Picture Show) and seems like the kind of guy who’s due for major recognition. And early screenings of the film have indicated that Bridges’ turn as an alcoholic crooner could just do the trick. ● More from: EW.com

‘Crazy Heart’ gets December release

Bridges-Gyllenhaal starrer to have awards run

With no other releases left for the year, Fox Searchlight will now open Jeff Bridges-Maggie Gyllenhaal starrer “Crazy Heart” on Dec. 16 in time for an awards run. ● More from: Variety