Frears a jolly good fellow

Stars Al Pacino, Judi Dench and John Hurt. Director Martin Scorsese. Screenwriter Lynda La Plante. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Cinematographer Jack Cardiff. And producers David Puttnam and Harvey Weinstein. No, it’s not the team behind the Postman Pat sequel (don’t be daft…Jack Cardiff’s dead for cripes sake). They’re all former laureates of the BFI Fellowship. And now Stephen Frears will join them on the roll of honour.

Leicester’s third most famous export (after Gary Lineker and bland red cheese), director Stephen Frears has been announced as the latest Fellow of the British Film Institute. An award that was established to recognise individuals’ “outstanding contribution to film or television culture”, Frears has worked on big and small screen projects for the last 45 years.

With two Oscar nominations chalked up against his own name, for directing The Grifters and The Queen, Frears has helmed seven films in all that have been nominated for Academy Awards – most recently the superb Philomena.

Here’s the full list…

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985, 0 wins, 1 nom) – Frears’s first major big screen success, it was Hanif Kureishi’s bold and sensitive screenplay that was beaten to the big one by Woody Allen himself for ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’

Dangerous Liaisons (1988, 3 wins, 7 noms) – A film that was gloriously decorated in more way than one; it’s responsible for Frears’s biggest haul with three Oscars wins, which includes victory for set decoration. Gettit? Gettit?

The Grifters (1990, 0 wins 4 noms) – Possibly the biggest con job of all was convincing the Academy that this overwrought, overrated picture should earn any nominations, let alone Frears’s first for directing.

Dirty Pretty Things (2002, 0 wins, 1 nom) – Audrey Tautou and Chiwetel Ejiofor starred in this thriller, but it was writer Steven Wright that was nominated, losing out to Sofia Coppola for ‘Lost in Translation’

Mrs Henderson Presents (2005, 0 wins, 2 noms) – “You see Bob Hoskins’s cock” is how my brother described this to me. It’s still unconfirmed as to whether this was the one line itch for the movie. Judi Dench was nominated for her lead role, and the costumes were given a nod too.

The Queen (2006, 1 win, 6 noms) – Helen Mirren regally rinsed the competition, picking up the only acting Academy Award in a Stephen Frears film. And he picked up his second directing nomination.

Philomena (2013, 0 wins, 4 noms) – Said we: “a human interest story of the highest order and if, as Sixsmith grouchily asserts at the head of the tale, such stories are for weak-minded, ignorant people then my old boss is completely correct – I’m about as weak-minded and ignorant as they come”