Allison Daniels in Hollywood
ACCORDING to the credits, he edited the movie Fargo. His work was so impressive he has been nominated for an academy award. So who is this Hollywood hotshot Roderick Jaynes?
Well, actually he does not exist. Roderick Jaynes, it has emerged, is a pseudonym for the film’s director and producer, Joel and Ethan Coen.
The revelation poses something of a dilemma for the academy. If Fargo beats off the four other nominations in the best editing category who should collect the prize?
Two solutions have been put forward by the academy’s executive director, Bruce Bavis. The first is straight-forward. ”If the film wins we could ask the Coen brothers to collect the award,” he suggests.
The second is more audacious. ”We could simply announce that the film has won and the first person on to the stage gets the award.”
The Coen brothers have offered no explanation for their coyness but critics point out that Roderick Jaynes has appeared in the credits of other Coen films.
Hollywood’s Daily Variety believes the brothers feel the name Coen simply appears too often on the credits.