As presumed, any scenario edging out the late Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella would have been anathema to the Academy and their Mirage Enterprises colleagues alike, but the Oscars' ironclad "three-producer" rule would have necessitated choosing one or the other of co-producers Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris — both responsible for much of the actual work rushing The Reader to eligibility in 2008. Then there was the Rudin Factor, bolstered by recent rumors that the man who yanked his name after a grievous tiff with Harvey Weinstein wasn't prepared to leave awards season empty-handed, or at least without another invitation to the annual nominees luncheon.

But Rudin is officially out for good, and Gigliotti and Morris will join their late counterparts in spirit on Feb. 22 per a release distributed this afternoon:

Because four producers were listed on the credits form submitted for Oscar consideration and Academy rules allow for only three producers – except in “a rare and extraordinary circumstance” – to be nominated and potentially receive Oscar statuettes, a meeting of the executive committee was necessary. In the end, the committee determined that the circumstances of The Reader – in which the two original producers (Minghella and Pollack) both died partway through the process – met its definition of “rare and extraordinary” and that all four submitted individuals should be named as nominees.

We agree — it's only fair. And anything that keeps Martin Vega extra busy is fine by us.

• ‘The Reader’ Goes Forward With Four Producers [Carpetbagger]

Today, however, brings renewed optimism from Harvey, who planted a sigh of relief in Variety that The Reader has legs:

After a successful screening in New York of The Reader, the Weinstein Co. has decided to release the film for Oscar contention this year. ...

[G]iven the strong reaction to the test screening, the Weinstein Co. has decided to go full throttle on securing a release date and mobilizing the marketing materials.

We can't say we're holding our breath, but along with Revolutionary Road, Rudin's got both of Winslet's Oscar turns for '08 — plus a wealth of Minghella/Pollack memorial goodwill to spare within the Academy. It's a no-brainer, but still — is this the same "full throttle" that so, ahem, mobilized the Weinsteins' Grace is Gone and Factory Girl? And who would survive a New Year's death-match between Harvey and Rudin if the throttle dies, anyway? So many questions!

[Photo Credit: Flynet Online]

• Minghella-Pollack film eyes Oscar run [Variety]

"We have a sense of humor and that's lacking in this business. People take things too seriously—some people are just whacked out. It should be a lot of fun, if I can make people smile."

After the jump, smile along with the highlights from Bart's first day — including a revisionist Sydney Pollack obit and Variety's latest round of Che-hating.

On Sydney Pollack: "Sydney Pollack was a gracious man and an accomplished director, but he never knew how to work the press. That was reflected (inadvertently) in the tributes extended by critics and film writers following his death last week."

On Che and Steven Soderbergh: "Che was a Communist thug who, through myth-making like Soderbergh's, has been transformed into an iconic hero, especially around Europe where Che caps and T-shirts are a major industry. ... Perhaps Soderbergh's next film will be a biopic about Stalin that, oops, forgets to mention certain trivialities like mass murder.

On Sex and the City: "Witness the shrill critical contradictions being hurled at each other by two journalistic doyennes. 'A movie for grownups of all ages,' enthuses Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times. 'Vulgar, deeply shallow and totally "ick," ' rants Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. ... Sarah [Jessica Parker]'s not 'deeply shallow,' nor is her movie. In fact, I think any critic who uses that expression needs a better editor."

Hilarious! Traffic City, here we come!

• PeterBart.com [Variety]
• Variety Chief's Blog Spicing up Life [Portfolio via Anne Thompson]

Pollack was an even more prolific producer, sharing credits on nearly four dozen titles including last year's Best Picture nominee Michael Clayton — in which he also acted opposite George Clooney. His other acting credits include Husbands and Wives, Eyes Wide Shut, and most recently, Made of Honor. Pollack was a partner of the late Anthony Minghella in Mirage Productions, which pushed virtually all of the directors' respective projects over the last 10 years as well as the upcoming Kate Winslet film The Reader; it remains to be seen what will happen with Mirage's first-look deal with The Weinstein Company and other projects in development.

• Sydney Pollack, 73; Oscar-winning director and producer [LAT]