'House of Sand and Fog' Oscar promotion denounced as 'attack ad'

By John Horn
Los Angeles Times

	Renée Zellweger
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HOLLYWOOD — An Oscar advertisement promoting "House of Sand and Fog" is being denounced for breaching campaign protocol by implicitly asking people to vote against "Cold Mountain" co-star Renée Zellweger.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it is considering a number of penalties against DreamWorks, which released "House of Sand and Fog" and purchased the advertisement in last Friday's trade newspaper Daily Variety. The academy's penalties could include steps as minor as canceling some of DreamWorks' Oscar-night tickets to as major as disqualifying one of the studio's films from awards eligibility.

The one-page DreamWorks advertisement was taken out to promote Iran's Shohreh Aghdashloo, nominated for best supporting actress for her performance opposite Ben Kingsley as his character's wife, Nadi, in "House of Sand and Fog." But unlike other Oscar ads, this one specifically and repeatedly mentions Aghdashloo's main rival for the award, "Cold Mountain" co-star Zellweger.

The DreamWorks advertisement includes excerpts from four newspaper, magazine and television reports that say Zellweger "will win," but Aghdashloo "should win." Every excerpt but one includes Zellweger's name.

	Shohreh Aghdashloo

"It's certainly a new and unwelcome step downward in campaigning," said Bruce Davis, the academy's executive director, who called it "an attack ad." He said he had spoken with several Oscar voters last weekend who reacted to the ad "with varying degrees of surprise and amazement."

DreamWorks apologized for the advertisement, saying it was never intended as a criticism of either Zellweger or her film. "The ad was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened," said studio co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. "In a year in which everyone has pledged to take a higher road, we made a very bad and ill-advised mistake."

The ad and its condemnation will probably have an insignificant impact on Oscar voting and on Aghdashloo's prospects, as most academy members already have submitted their ballots. Polling closed Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Oscars will be held Sunday.

The academy in July adopted new rules in the hopes these campaigns would turn more diplomatic. But Davis says that some awards promoters can and have interpreted the regulations as loosely as is expedient. "Discussing concepts like fair play and decorum with certain marketing people is like discussing salad with your cat," Davis said. He said the timing and the nature of a penalty against DreamWorks, if in fact there will be one, has yet to be determined.

Zellweger, who has been nominated for three consecutive Oscars, is aware of the ad and "disappointed" by it, a spokeswoman said. Her "Cold Mountain" performance has won an array of awards, from the Golden Globe to the Screen Actors Guild award.

The flap places DreamWorks in an especially awkward position as Zellweger performs one of the lead voices in the studio's animated film "Shark Tale," due in October.

"We can be accused of stupidity, but not maliciousness," DreamWorks marketing head Terry Press said. "It's an ad promoting Shohreh. We didn't take out an ad saying, 'Don't vote for Renée Zellweger.' If we're in business with Renée Zellweger, why would we do this?"

Miramax, which released "Cold Mountain" and has feuded with DreamWorks in past Oscar races, declined to comment.

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