Six Degrees of Sherlockian Separation  - 2008
By Don Hobbs

Sunday, February 24, 2008 is Oscar Night! In keeping with tradition, I will once again associate in six steps or less a Sherlockian connection to all of the nominees for the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. So, with the spotlights glaring and the red carpet unfurled, let's step inside this year Six Degrees of Sherlockian Separation.

Best Picture
Atonement (2007) Directed by Joe Wright.

1. Also directed Pride & Prejudice (2005) with Donald Southerland.
2. Donald Southerland starred in Six Degrees of Separation (1993) with Stockard Channing.
3. Stockard Channing was also in  Moll Flanders (1996), which was the last film of Jeremy Brett.
4. Jeremy Brett starred in the Granada series as Sherlock Holmes.

Juno (2007) Directed by Jason Reitman.

1. Juno star Jennifer Garner also starred in Catch Me if You Can (2002).
2. Catch Me if You Can featured Martin Sheen as Roger Strong.
3. Martin Sheen played the role of  Captain Benjamine L. Willard in Apocalypse Now (1979). Robert Duval played Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in the same movie.
4. Robert Duval played Dr. John H. Watson in The Seven Per-Cent Solution (1976).

Michael Clayton (2007) Directed by Tony Gilroy.

1. Tony Gilroy also wrote the  screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Albert Finney played Dr. Albert Hirsch in The Bourne Ultimatum.
2. Mr. Finney also had an uncredited role in Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (1975).

No Country for Old Men  (2007) Directed by Ethan Coen.

1. Ethan Coen wrote and directed The Hudsucker Proxy (1994).
2. John Mahoney acts as Argus Chief Editor in this film and in the film Russia House (1990) he played Brady.
3. Russia House’s main character was Bartholomew ‘Barley’ Scott Blair played by Sean Connery.
4. Sean Connery was Daniel Drayot in The Man Who Would Be King (1975).
5. Michael Caine, who was Peachy Carnehan in this film, played Sherlock Holmes in  Without A Clue  (1988).

There Will Be Blood (2007) Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

1. Paul Thomas Anderson also directed Boogie Nights (1997). Julianne Moore played Amber Waves-Maggie in this movie.
2. She played Clarice Starling in Hanibal (2001) opposite Anthony Hopkins, who played Hanibal Lecter.
3. Mr. Hopkins played Frank P. Doel in 84 Charing Cross (1987) along with Connie Booth as The Lady from Delaware.
4. Connie Booth also play Laura Lyons in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983).

Best Actor
George Clooney

1. Danny Ocean in Ocean’s Eleven (2001) also starring Carl Reiner as Saul Bloom.
2. Carl Reiner was Walt Whitaker in The Russian Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966). Alan Arkin was Lt. Rozanov is this film.
3. Mr. Arkin played Dr. Sigmund Freud in The Seven Per-Cent Solution (1976).

Daniel Day-Lewis

1. Played Jonny in  My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). Gordon Warnecke was also seen in this film as Omar.
2. Gordon Warnecke played Tusa in an episode of Doctor Who –“The Trial of a Time Lord” (1988).
3. Tom Baker played Dr. Who for 173 episodes from 1974 to 1981. He was Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982).

Johnny Depp

1. Played Private Gator Lerner in Platoon (1986)also in this film, Forest Whitaker played Big Harold.
2. Forest Whitaker played Idi Amin in The King of Scotland (2006). Adam Kotz played Dr. Merrit in the same film.
3. Mr. Kotz was Local #2 in Without A Clue (1988).

Tommy Lee Jones

1. He starred as Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive (1993). Harrison Ford was Dr. Richard Kimble in this movie.
2. Harrison Ford was Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).  Peter Cushing played Grand Moff Tarkin in the same film.
3. Peter Cushing was Sherlock Holmes in the 1968 British Television series.

Viggio Mortensen

1. Starred in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) as Argon. Christopher Lee was also in this film playing the role of  Saruman.
2. Christopher Lee played Sir Henry in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959).

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett

1. She was also in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) in the role of Galadriel with Christopher Lee as Saruman.
2. Christopher Lee played Sir Henry in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959).

Julie Christie

1. Ms. Christie portrayed Queen Aislinn in Dragonheart (1996) , the film that featured Sir John Gielgud as King Arthur (voice only).
2. Sir Gielgud pay Lord Salisbury in Murder by Decree (1979).

Marion Cotillard

1. She starred in Big Fish (2003) as Josephine beside Albert Finney, who played Ed Bloom.
2. Albert Finney had a cameo appearance in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother(1975).

Laura Linney

1. Ms. Linney was in Love Actually (2003). This film also featured Emma Thompson.
2. Emma Thompson starred as Elinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility (1995). Mr. Dashwood was played by Tom Wilkinson.
3. Tom Wilkinson played Jake Normington in an episode of Inspector Morse.
4. Inspector Morse was portrayed by John Thaw in 33 episode from 1987 - 2000.
5. John Thaw played Jonathan Small in the Granada "Sign of Four."

 Ellen Page

1. She also starred in a film titled An American Crime(2007) with Catherine Keener.
2. Catherine Keener was in Being John Malkovich (1999). In that film Dr. Lester was portrayed by Orsen Bean.
3. Orsen Bean was also in Anatomy of Murder (1959) along with George C. Scott, who played General Claude Dancer.
4. George C. Scott  Justin Playfair. a character who thought he was Sherlock Holmes in  They Might Be Giants 1971.

There you have the listing of this year's nominees and their relation to the Sherlockian film world.

Happy Collecting!!