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QUIZ

Statuesque

Test your knowledge of Canadians at the Oscars

By Kevin J. Siu

Now and again, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does this country right: witness Canuck expats Mary Pickford and Norma Shearer’s back-to-back leading actress awards, the National Film Board’s late-’70s three-peat, last year’s overdue best foreign language film nod. (Boo-yah!) Sometimes, though, Oscar gets it totally wrong: James Cameron over Atom Egoyan in ’97? Yuck. (Oh hold up, Cameron’s from Kapuskasing, Ontario.) Go ahead, test your knowledge of Canada’s history at the Oscars…

1. Only one of the following Canadian actors has ever been nominated for an Oscar. Who is it?
	Christopher Plummer
	Donald Sutherland
	Gordon Pinsent
	Jim Carrey
	Dan Aykroyd

2. Denys Arcand’s Les invasions barbares (The Barbarian Invasions), the winner of last year’s Best Foreign Language Film award, was the sequel to what Oscar-nominated film?
	Gina
	Le déclin de l’empire américain (The Decline of the American Empire)
	Jésus de Montréal (Jesus of Montreal)
	Love & Human Remains
	Stardom

3. In 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Blame Canada, from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, was nominated for Best Original Song. The tune was scheduled to be performed at the ceremony by Robin Williams, but show organizers called for changes to a handful of lyrics – including the phrase, “that bitch Anne Murray.” What happened?
	The lyric was changed to “that babe Anne Murray”
	The lyric was changed to “that bitch Rich Little”
	The song was performed, line intact, with Murray’s blessing
	The line was bleeped out
	The song was cut from the broadcast

4. Golden Age musical star Deanna Durbin and child actress Anna Paquin received Oscars 55 years apart. What’s their Canadian connection?
	They were both born in Winnipeg
	They have both appeared in Norman Jewison films
	They both trained at Stratford
	They are both second cousins of Meatballs director Ivan Reitman
	They both dated William Shatner

5. Before winning three awards for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy (and after playing saxophone with Lighthouse), Toronto-born composer Howard Shore was the musical director for what sketch comedy show?
	Wayne & Shuster
	SCTV
	Saturday Night Live
	The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
	In Living Color

6. Before My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which scored her a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, what was Winnipegger Nia Vardalos’ greatest claim to fame?
	She was the Snapple Lady
	She played Vera’s ankle on the final episode of Cheers
	She wrote the screenplay for Look Who’s Talking Too
	She was the voice of one of the cars on Team Knight Rider
	She sang back-up for The Pursuit of Happiness

7. The 1995 Oscar-winning NFB short Bob’s Birthday, by Alison Snowden and David Fine, led to what animated series?
	Bob the Builder
	Bob and Margaret
	SpongeBob SquarePants
	The Family Guy
	Aqua Teen Hunger Force

8. The patriarch of this Hollywood family was born and raised in Toronto, making his debut on the city’s stage before heading south:
	The Fords
	The Hustons
	The Coppolas
	The Fondas
	The Stillers

9. Cobourg, Ontario’s Marie Dressler was blacklisted from Hollywood for 10 years before returning to film in 1927 — and winning 1931’s Best Actress award for her role in Min and Bill. What was her “crime”?
	She was a card-carrying Communist
	She spread salacious rumours about Louis B. Mayer
	She publicly questioned the artistic merit of “talkies”
	She couldn’t dance
	She supported the chorus girl strike of 1917

10. In his acceptance speech for the 1997 Best Picture award for Titanic, James Cameron requested a moment of silence for the 1,500 crew and passengers who died in the ship. What did he say next?
	“I’m the king of the world!”
	“Now let’s party ’til dawn!”
	“Titanic 2: Believe that”
	“Shame on you, Mr. Bush. Shame on you”
	Nothing