Wauwatosa native reacts to Oscar nominations
Michael Raisler was too nervous to watch the Oscar nominations Thursday morning.
The New York-based executive producer of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" was getting ready for work "when my phone started exploding," he said, with news that the film was nominated for best picture.
The film's star, 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, also was nominated for best actress.
"Beasts," a fierce but tender Hurricane Katrina-themed tale about an off-the-grid community on a ramshackle island called the Bathtub, received four nominations, including best director for Behn Zeitlin.
"This is so beyond what we ever dreamed of," said Raisler, a Wauwatosa native and Pius XI High School alum.
"Needless to say, I'm having a pretty great day."
Raisler said he "called my parents as soon as I heard. They've always been so supportive and encouraging, ever since I was a kid, so this is really a dream come true for all of us."
He said the film's opening here "in the main room at the Oriental was a dream."
"The support for the film in Wisconsin has just been staggering. My mom keeps calling me saying, 'The store is out of the DVD again.' "
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Opening Friday, Aug. 5
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