Oscar Season
by Ricky Hargrove
While there are some that regard November and December as joyous and relaxing months filled with merriment and bliss, I find myself to be fervent and anxious. The reason is not due to the last minute shopping or the sometimes forced hospitality that accompanies the holiday season, but it is rather due to the plethora of Oscar-caliber films hitting the theaters. For me, the fall season does not start because of colder weather or something scientists call an “equinox;” the fall season starts once the real Academy Award contenders come out. Sure, there are always those films that do not fit the mold and come out in the summer (last year’s Crash came out in May), but most of the films that you will see as nominees on February 25, 2007 will be films that were released in the fall/early winter season.
September was able to both disappoint and pleasantly surprise me in one fell swoop. The disappointment began on September 22nd with the release of a movie that I thought had “Oscars” written all over it. Starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Anthony Hopkins, All the King’s Men had me giddy for weeks before its release. Surely a movie with such talent could pick up a little Oscar buzz, but alas, it came up with close to none.
One pleasant surprise I got from the month was the smaller film, The Last King of Scotland. I had heard about it and knew it would be decent, but I figured that the duo of Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy was not big enough to hold a film on its own. I was proven wrong, however, as now many people have Forest Whitaker as the one to beat this February, and I have even seen some have The Last King of Scotland in their top five for the big prize.
Another surprise was the movie entitled The Queen which too could pick up a Best Picture nomination or at least the Best Actress nod for Helen Mirren. Another September contender and personal favorite would be The Science of Sleep for the Original Screenplay award, but I would not put a whole lot of faith in that.
The lineup for October excited me more than any other month. Four films in particular stood out from the rest: a Clint Eastwood/Paul Haggis reunion, a new Martin Scorsese crime thriller, a film that was already being buzzed as a masterpiece starring tabloid star Brad Pitt, and a film using the ancient love-triangle formula. When either Clint Eastwood or Paul Haggis makes a movie, you can be sure that the Academy is paying attention, and when they collaborate, they will pretty much ensure some nominations. Flags of our Fathers will more than likely be no exception, although it is rumored to not be as strong as their Million Dollar Baby or even Paul Haggis’s Crash. Even so, it should pick up Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nods. Ryan Phillippe could possibly get a Best Actor nomination, but it is more likely that his costar Adam Beach will get the Best Supporting Actor nomination.
The Departed should also be in the running for the big awards. Martin Scorsese should pick up a Best Director nomination, but if history repeats itself as it always does for him, he will not win. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson should get their deserved recognition as well.
The third major film of October and another personal favorite is Babel. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has a gift of bringing out the absolute best in his actors, as he has done in both Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Expect to see at least one of the four main characters (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, or Rinko Kikuchi) receive an acting nomination. Count on the film reaching the top five in both the Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay departments.
Little Children is the fourth major film. Starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, and Jennifer Connelly, it should pick up some acting nominations as well as the big prizes. Other October Oscar baits to think about are Augusten Burrough’s autobiography-turned- film Running with Scissors, dry-humored Sofia Coppola’s reunion with perky Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette, Anthony Minghella’s Breaking and Entering (third film he has done with Jude Law), Derek Luke’s raw performance in Catch a Fire, the critical darling The Prestige, and the controversial copycat Infamous.
The biggest movie of November will more than likely be Emilio Estevez’s multi character Bobby. Mr. Estevez could get a directing nomination as well as a writing one, while the movie as a whole could reach the coveted top five. As for the acting nominations, there are close to ten worthy actors in the movie. Whether or not one will shine through and impress the academy remains to be seen.
A Good Year and Déjà Vu should not be forgotten due to their lead actors (Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington respectively). Darren Aronfsky movies should always be considered in the Best Original Screenplay branch, so don’t forget to consider The Fountain. Stranger than Fiction could be this year’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with Will Ferrell being the Jim Carrey of the 2004 race, but it will more than likely fall short of that hype. The hype that should not be ignored, however, is that of which dealing with Penelope Cruz in her work with the genius Pedro Almodovar in Volver. She practically has her place in the top five locked, and Almodovar may get the good treatment the Academy gives foreign language films to make themselves appear more artsy. The other supposed gems of the month include: For Your Consideration, The History Boys, The Hoax, and possibly even Borat.
With December comes the most hyped movie of the season, Dreamgirls starring Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson. If it is as good as the hype says, Bill Condon should pick up directing and writing nominations, while Beyonce may get her first acting nod. Some of the loudest hype, however, goes out to Eddie Murphy for his supporting work in the film, so expect to see him to get recognition. Having said all that, Dreamgirls looks to be the one to beat this year in the Best Picture category.
Another contender for some of the main awards is Steven Soderbergh’s black and white, post-World War II murder mystery The Good German, with possible acting nominations going to the very Academy friendly George Clooney, extremely talented Cate Blanchett, and/or the potential great Tobey Maguire. Will Smith may also see a Best Actor nod for his role in The Pursuit of Happyness depending on how cliché the movie turns out. Robert DeNiro takes a seat in the director’s chair for The Good Shepherd, a drama dealing with the formation of the CIA. Matt Damon could see another nomination for his role in the film, as could Angelina Jolie. December rounds off with other movies like Blood Diamond, The Nativity Story, The Painted Veil, Pan’s Labyrinth, Notes on a Scandal, and Miss Potter which all have the power to pull an upset.
As a whole, I would have to admit that this year seems weaker than previous years. Had you thrown in runners-up like Mystic River, The Aviator, or Brokeback Mountain, I am sure they would be winning this year. Even so, we do see some breakthrough performances due to the lack of contribution by the major players. This Super Bowl of movies should prove interesting and I encourage all to read up on it.
