For running back Najeh Davenport, going to the movies is more than a hobby. It has become a passion and a potential post-football career.
Davenport earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from the University of Miami (Fla.) He played a nightclub owner involved in an extortion plot in "Full Clip," a DVD released in August of 2004.
Since the season ended, Davenport has written a dramatic screenplay, which he deemed appropriate for an independent film festival. He declined to disclose further details for fear of someone poaching his idea.
Davenport prefers science fiction movies, but he will see just about every movie that comes out on the wide screen.
"You'll find me at the movie theatre at least twice-a-week," he said.
If you're keeping track, he most recently saw "Date Movie," which he deemed "alright" and rates "The Matrix" as his all-time fave.
With the Academy Awards ceremony coming up on Sunday, packers.com decided to ask our resident movie expert for his opinion on this year's nominated flicks.
Best Picture Nominees:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
Najeh's choice: "Crash was excellent. A lot of times, people think that the stuff that happenes in movies can only happen in a movie. Nothing ever goes wrong like this in real lif e . Things that do go wrong have this miraculous ending. But Crash showed something that really happened to five or six people and how they were effected by race over a couple days . ... It's not too often you find a 'real' movie."
Best Actor Nominees:
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk The Line
David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck
Najeh's choice: Phoenix
Best Actress Nominees:
Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Keira Knightley - Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron - North Country
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Najeh's choice: Witherspoon. "I just like her. From the movies she used to do, I've always liked her."
Best Supporting Actor Nominees:
George Clooney - Syriana
Matt Dillon - Crash
Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt - A History of Violence
Najeh's choice: Giamatti. "He's a funny dude, but he switched over from comedic relief to something more serious."
Best Supporting Actress Nominees:
Amy Adams - Junebug
Catherine Keener - Capote
Frances McDormand - North Country
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
Najeh's choice: McDormand
