Monday, May 26, 2008
French classroom drama wins Cannes’ top prize
CANNES, France — The French film “The Class,” a frank tale about classroom life using real students and teachers at a junior high school, won top honors Sunday at the Cannes Film. The win was a unanimous decision among the nine-member Cannes jury, said Sean Penn, who headed the panel.
Benicio Del Toro won the best-actor prize for “Che,” Steven Soderbergh’s four-hour-plus epic about Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara. Sandra Corveloni was chosen as best actress for “Linha de Passe.”
The Cannes jury awarded special prizes to Clint Eastwood, who directed the competition film “Changeling,” and Catherine Deneuve, who appeared in two films at Cannes this year.
Today’s birthdays
Actor James Arness is 85. Sportscaster Brent Musburger is 69. Singer Stevie Nicks is 60. Actor Philip Michael Thomas (“Miami Vice”) is 59. Actress Pam Grier is 59. Country singer Hank Williams Jr. is 59. Actress Genie Francis (“General Hospital”) is 46. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait is 46. Singer Lenny Kravitz is 44. Actress Helena Bonham Carter is 42. Actor Joseph Fiennes (“Shakespeare in Love”) is 38. Singer Joey Kibble of Take 6 is 37. “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone is 37.