Chair and Professor of Film Studies Jeanine Basinger was announced as the inaugural honoree of Daily Variety’s “Mentor of the Year” award, the film and entertainment industry’s leading publication announced in its March 27 issue.
“Who knew?” Basinger said during an interview with The Argus. “[The award] is nice for Wesleyan, because it gets everyone to focus on how great our Wesleyan students are, what a wonderful education they get overall and how important the liberal arts education is to success in Hollywood.”
Variety introduced the award this year to honor leaders in entertainment education.
“The award started with [Basinger] in mind,” said Executive Editor of Variety Steven Gaydos in an interview with The Argus. “We will do this every year.”
As her career at the University approaches 40 years, Basinger has mentored numerous and successful students of the film industry. She links the “Wesleyan mafia” in Hollywood, as well as non-University-affiliated luminaries in film.
“She brings together towering talents,” Gaydos said. “What do Michael Bay and Clint Eastwood have in common? It’s Jeanine.”
Basinger’s list of mentees also includes writer/director/producer Martin Scorsese, writer of “A Beautiful Mind” Akiva Goldsmith ’83 and film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.
Variety celebrated Basinger’s new title with a series of articles, including a look at the second phase of the University’s Center for Film Studies, which will be completed this summer and named the Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, and a list of more than 30 notable film and entertainment professionals who offered praise of the professor. Director of “Sideways” Alexander Payne, for example, named Basinger “the sexiest women over 70 that I’ve met.”
“Well, isn’t it true?” Basinger responded, laughing. “When you’re an old lady like me, you’re happy to hear that.”
Despite the recent honor, Basinger’s superstar status does not make her inaccessible to current University students. She opens her office to students for five hours each Wednesday and teaches classes on Sunday. Basinger is deeply passionate about teaching.
“She is a very powerful women,” said Elaine Lai ’08, Film Studies major. “I appreciate her no-bullshit attitude in class.”
Still, given all that she has accomplished and continues to accomplish, when asked what she is proud of, Basinger responded humbly.
“I am proud of my marriage and my family, my ability to make and keep friendships, I’m proud to be from South Dakota,” she said. “I’ve worked hard at my job, and there have been positive results for other people.
Basinger was quick to credit others for her success, as well, such as University Professor of American Studies and English Richard Sloktin.
“[Slotkin is] a friend to me, a mentor to me and a support for me,” she said. “His contribution to film studies is huge.”
After speaking on the award, Basinger’s attitude was back-to-work.
“[Receiving the award was] nice, but I have a lot of work to do,” Basinger said. “I keep reminding people that I can’t go on forever. Sooner or later, I will be retiring—and we’ll have a huge party when that happens.”
Daily Variety, as Gaydos calls it, is the “bible of show-business.” Founded in 1905, it has recently been moving beyond the original focus of an industry publication. For example, it features a “People to Look Out For” award that predicted the success of Adrian Brody years before he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for 2002’s “The Pianist.”
The magazine and coverage of Basinger’s award can be accessed online at www.variety.com.
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