With just days to go before the Academy Awards nomination voting period ends, Focus Features made a final push to garner Oscar buzz for Dallas Buyers Club. On Monday, during a luncheon for East Coast voters, Liza Minnelli made an unexpected, rousing endorsement of the film.
"I have nothing to do with this film except that I am a fan of how it was done, of the insight and the way they played these characters. And the fact that you were watching something that wasn't necessarily comfortable but you could not stop watching. It drew you in, whether you wanted it to or not, and that's magic. That's magic. I mean, the last one [that did that for me] was On the Waterfront! You, crazy Matthew, losing all of that weight -- it's one thing to lose all of that weight and to look like that -- that's harrowing enough -- but then to run like you did, with a body like that? And Jared, I mean, everything that you did -- all of the placements, every single second -- I felt wonderful for you, proud of you and sorry for you all at the same time, which I think one only feels for your friends. And Jennifer [Garner] was great -- she was just f---ing great! I don't know what else to say. I haven't seen a movie like that in so long, and I'm so proud to be able to tell everybody."
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the remarks came before lunch was served, and she ended with an offer of her own for the film's star, Matthew McConaughey:
"And honey, if you don't win the Academy Award, I'm giving you mine!"
