By Jessica BradyPLAY Writer
The month of December is a busy time for film critics. Major critic and film organizations release their best lists at the end of the year and Oscar buzz reaches epic proportions. These lists and critics’ awards usually predict which movies will make a big showing at the Academy Awards in February.
But while these preliminary awards and lists are fine indicators of Oscar buzz, more important are the Golden Globes, handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Jan. 15. Though often considered more of a circus than a serious awards show – largely thanks to the ceremony’s open bar – the Globes are generally a good barometer of how the Oscars will play out. This year’s nominations offered few surprises. Babel leads the nominations with seven, including Best Picture and three acting nominations, followed by other critical favorites The Departed (six nominations) and Dreamgirls (five nominations). Eastwood will battle himself for the best director award, as will DiCaprio for best actor.
The Globes also ignored several movies the critics loved. Clint Eastwood’s Japanese-language World War II drama Letters to Iwo Jima was completely left out of the Best Picture drama category. Despite the critical praise recently heaped upon it, United 93 also failed to receive a single nomination. Bill Condon, the writer/director of Dreamgirls, was similarly snubbed, as was the cast of Little Miss Sunshine, save one nomination for Toni Collette.
Iwo Jima was named best picture by both the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. It made the NBR, American Film Institute and Broadcast Film Critics “top 10” lists. Eastwood was named best director by several organizations for both his work on Iwo Jima and its predecessor Flags of Our Fathers – an Oscar nomination for either could make Eastwood unbeatable, so it remains a mystery why the film wasn’t nominated for a Globe.
Or perhaps it’s finally Martin Scorsese’s turn. The perennial loser’s The Departed, besides being a strong contender for Best Picture at the Oscars, could finally get Scorsese his long-awaited Best Director award. After winning four of the six Best Director awards from critic groups, many in the entertainment industry believe this will be his year. The cast is also receiving critical praise, though none more than Leonardo DiCaprio.
There seems to be no question when it comes to the Best Actor and Best Actress categories. The Last King of Scotland’s Forest Whitaker and The Queen’s Helen Mirren swept their categories in the critic organizations’ awards. The two appear to be unstoppable – don’t be surprised if they each win come Oscar night.
One of Whitaker’s strongest and most surprising competitors? Sacha Baron Cohen for his work in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Whitaker actually shared his Best Actor award from the Los Angeles critics with the British comedian. Cohen’s indecent and hilarious Kazakh journalist – whose skewering of American culture is perhaps appealing to foreign voters – could prove to be an insurmountable obstacle in Whitaker’s road to the Oscars. Borat also appeared on several “top 10” lists, fueling the belief that the film could receive a surprise Oscar nomination.
Other films are making small, unexpected bids for Oscar glory. Blood Diamond earned more accolades for DiCaprio and some recognition for supporting actor Djimon Hounsou. Kate Winslet is earning buzz for her work in suburban drama Little Children, as is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s recovering junkie in Sherrybaby. Little Miss Sunshine, this year’s Sundance darling and so-called “little indie that could,” is being heaped with critical praise, appearing on numerous “top 10” lists.
Of course, not every film with Oscar dreams realized its potential. Running With Scissors, Ryan Murphy’s (TV’s Nip/Tuck) adaptation of Augusten Burroughs’ quirky memoirs, was once heralded as a potential contender. After opening to lukewarm reviews, the film has not received any accolades from the major critic groups and is missing from the Golden Globes nominees. The movie’s lone nomination so far is for Annette Bening for her turn as Burroughs’ eccentric mother, Dierdre. Other former Oscar hopefuls that now appear to be lost causes include The Good German, The Good Shepherd, Catch a Fire, Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center and Bobby.
While many can make predictions and conjectures based on the end-of-the-year lists, ultimately, the Academy does what it wants. In the last 17 years, the New York critics, the Los Angeles critics and the Academy have only agreed on Best Picture once (Schindler’s List in 1993). Still, critics’ awards and the Globes are the best way to separate the serious contenders from the wishful thinkers until the Academy announces its nominations on Jan. 23.
Medill sophomore Jessica Brady is a PLAY writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
