Game on!
If I were a betting person I’d be choosing between three movies when it comes to Hollywood’s top prize in the annual Oscar derby.
Here is what it will (probably) come down to on Sunday, March 2, 2014.
* 12 YEARS A SLAVE, the brutal, unrelenting and devastating true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom.
Abducted as a free black man from upstate New York he was sold into slavery where he faced incredible cruelty—as well as unexpected kindness.
The Steve McQueen directed film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti and Brad Pitt. (Pitt also co-produced the drama.)
Look for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director nominations here.
12 YEARS A SLAVE opens as a limited three theater engagement this Friday, November 1st in Kansas City.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
* SAVING MR. BANKS—Walt Disney’s struggle some 50 years ago to bring uncompromising writer P.L. Travers‘ popular book Mary Poppins to the big screen.
Tom Hanks as Walt apparently nails it and Emma Thompson playing P.L. Travers is a sure bet for a Best Actress nomination according to those who have already seen the movie.
SAVING MR. BANKS is shooting for the Christmas box office with a Friday, December 20 opening planned for Kansas City.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
* AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY—The dark, touching story of the strong willed matriarch of the Weston family whose lives have diverged. That is until a family crisis brings them all back to Osage County, Oklahoma and to woman who raised them.
It’s another incredible performance by Meryl Streep supported here by the likes of Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Sam Shepard and Chris Cooper.
Based on the Pulitzer and Tony winning Broadway play, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is currently set to open in a handful of major cities on Christmas Day in order to qualify for this year’s Oscars, then “platform out” to the rest of the country after the nominations are announced. I’ve seen the film and am expecting Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor and a couple of Best Supporting Actress nominations here!
I would think that the film will be in Kansas City theaters by mid-January.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Speaking of awards, here is the upcoming GOLDEN GLOBES and ACADEMY AWARDS calendar:
* The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will announce its nominations on Thursday, December 12.
Actual GOLDEN GLOBES night on NBC is Sunday, January 12, 2014. Your hosts again, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
* Nominations for the OSCARS will be announced on Thursday, January 16 followed by the 86th annual ACADEMY AWARDS from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 2, 2014.
The OSCARS will be hosted on ABC by Ellen Degeneres.
And the movie to win it all?
That could depend on which studio has the deepest promotional and marketing pockets.
Oh no, say it ain’t so, but guess what, it often is.
I enjoyed Mud. I think it deserves a best picture nod.
“Mud” was the best movie I saw all year.
JMO
True. “MUD” was a fine movie. But don’t forget that the ‘Academy’ has short memories and it’s been a while since “MUD” was released theatrically!
Also don’t forget that it will have some tough competition—movies you haven’t seen yet.
But I do think that “MUD” could very well make it into the NOMINATIONS in several major Oscar catagories.
Eggs McBenedict Cumberbun!!
12 years a slave will have the inside track since it has everything Hollywood loves, it trashes America and makes them seem hip and compassionate.
“Trashes America”? You do realize that we’re talking the totally divided and relatively infant America of the 1840s? God forbid criticizing those slave owners.
Yeah, I don’t get the comment either, JA must have access to some pretty tasty crack you and I don’t PB.
I believe John is speaking of this–
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/10/hollywood_and_the_new_racism.html
It is an excellent article in my opinion.
What do you think?
Here is a great quote in that article.
“These films comprise Hollywood’s contribution to the liberal effort to maintain the “freeze” in black-white relations that has existed since the end of the civil rights era. At that time — the late 60s and early 70s — the vision of the early civil rights crusaders became corrupted by opportunism and a thirst for retribution. Equality became affirmative action, hope became cynicism, understanding was transformed into the bitter myths of the Black Studies covens. The result has been a decades-long ice age in racial relations in which, even as blacks have entered the middle class in growing numbers, the psychic distance between the races has grown to monstrous proportions.”
Good article? Seriously? From what I can gather, the guy didn’t even SEE the film and is basically guilty of the flip side of the very same agenda he’s attacking. Classic.
Jeezuz, how many films/books/music have glorified American values over the years? Using the author’s “logic”, films that depict any less than ideal view of our nation’s history should never be made. Anyway, whether you buy into that nonsense or not isn’t even really the point here as this thread was supposed to be about the movies themselves (are they well amde, worth seeing, award worthy, yada yada) and not any supposed political agendas the makers wished to address. There are plenty of paranoid political blogs/sites where the tin-foil hat crowd can share those crazy viewpoints.
FWIW, I didn’t really have much desire to see this movie because of the subject matter, but if it’s monetary success can further rile up the likes of The American Misnomer, then I just might rethink that decision.
My vote would be for The Way Way Back. I think both Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell could garner acting nominations and I think Faxon and rash are locks for best screenplay. That was the best film so far this year.
Hey Shawnster—I agree with you about ‘THE WAY, WAY BACK.” It was my favorite movie this past summer.
But it’s hard to judge the very best—until you actually see them!