Tag: Best Picture Oscar (51-60 of 142)

Jan 3 2011 02:40 PM ET

'The Social Network' picks up its 18th award for best picture (at least). But it hasn't won everything.

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The-Social-NetworkLast night, The Social Network took home three awards from the Online Film Critics Society: Best Picture, Best Director for David Fincher, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. (The King’s Speech‘s Colin Firth won for Best Actor; Black Swan‘s Natalie Portman won for Best Actress; The Fighter‘s Christian Bale won for Best Supporting Actor; True Grit‘s Hailee Steinfeld won for Best Supporting Actress; and Christopher Nolan won for his original screenplay for Inception.)

This marks at least 18 times The Social Network has been named best picture this awards season. To wit: Critics groups from New York (both the Critics Circle and Online contingents), Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Kansas City, Florida, and Oklahoma, as well as the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, and the Satellite Awards have all deemed The Social Network the best movie from 2010. (We won’t count the Palm Springs Film Festival’s “Ensemble Performance” Award.)

As bandwagons go, that’s a pretty darn big one. But three movies have managed to keep The Social Network from claiming total victory: READ FULL STORY »

Dec 27 2010 02:15 PM ET

Oscar ballots mailed: Where do things stand?

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social-networkImage Credit: Merrick MortonThe ballots for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards have been mailed today, beginning the all-important three-week-long period before they’re due on Jan. 14. Not much has changed in the past week since my last round of predictions (I am now putting Natalie Portman above Annette Bening for Best Actress, though I think the race is still too close to call). But I have been interested to watch as many of my Oscar-prognosticator colleagues have changed their predicted Best Picture winner from The King’s Speech to The Social Network. Several of you have wondered in the comments why I haven’t switched my No. 1 and No. 2 rankings after Network‘s virtual clean sweep of the critics awards. Believe me, I’ve wavered back and forth over the last few weeks. But I keep reminding myself that Oscar voters are not critics. If they were, then L.A. Confidential would have beaten Titanic. And Brokeback Mountain would have won over Crash. (Of course, critics and Academy members line up sometimes too, as they did last year with The Hurt Locker.) The only group to announce so far with a voting body that overlaps with the Academy is the Screen Actors Guild, and I find it interesting that Network earned only two nominations compared to four for Speech or The Fighter. I keep hearing from many Academy members who absolutely adore The King’s Speech. Can The Social Network win Best Picture on Feb. 27? Of course it can. Particularly if voters decide they want an American film to win. But until it picks up significant guild support, I’m not ready to swap my rankings.  READ FULL STORY »

Dec 22 2010 11:58 AM ET

Why I wish we could go back to having only five Oscar nominees

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10-oscar-nominationsImage Credit: How many nominees is too many? As every entertainment junkie knows, the most fun thing about the Academy Awards is talking about them. All the speculative chatter — Is it Natalie Portman’s year? Is The Social Network an Oscar movie or too much of a heady/critical darling/digital generation movie? — may be the height of trivia, but it gives us all a (tiny) stake in the outcome, and it’s also a way of trying to nail down, each year, that elusive yet revealing thing that is the Hollywood Value System. Besides, the Oscars are still the ultimate media-buzz-industrial-complex horse race. Can True Grit, after getting snubbed by the Golden Globes, snag a nomination for Best Picture? How about 127 Hours, with its rave response from reviewers, its grisly (if transcendent) final twist, and its just-okay performance at the box office? And what about The Fighter? I personally think it’s a terrific movie, but did the media oversell it as a contender?

In the past, those might have been tasty questions to chew over. This year, however, I find myself having the same Oscar conversation — or, more to the point, giving the same Oscar answer — over and over again. It goes something like this:

YOU: Do you think True Grit will get nominated for Best Picture?

ME: Yes, I do. I’m not sure it would, though, if there were only five nominees. But with ten, it probably can’t miss.

YOU: What about 127 Hours?

ME: Same situation. With only five nominees, I’m almost certain it wouldn’t be nominated. With ten, I bet it will be.

YOU: How about Toy Story 3?

ME: Definitely! And it’s great that they’re finally nominating animated films for Best Picture. Of course, if there were only five nominees, I’m not sure Toy Story 3 would make it…

Do you sense a pattern here? And, what’s more, a certain creeping rhythm of ho-hum tedium? READ FULL STORY »

Dec 20 2010 05:22 PM ET

Academy announces 248 films eligible for 2010 Best Picture Oscar

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The Academy Awards announced Monday that a total of 248 films are eligible to win the 2010 Best Picture Oscar. The number has decreased over the past two years: In 2009, 274 were eligible, while 281 made the cut in 2008. Like last year, 10 films will be nominated for Best Picture. Read Dave Karger’s predictions of who will make the cut here.

Read more:
Oscar Watch: Best Picture predictions
‘True Grit’: Will it be an Oscar player?
Will James Franco and Anne Hathaway make you more likely to watch the Oscars?

Dec 12 2010 06:21 PM ET

'Social Network' wins L.A., Boston, New York Online critics awards

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Can any movie other than The Social Network pick up a critics’ prize this year? After winning Best Picture honors from the National Board of Review and the Washington, D.C. Film Critics Association, David Fincher’s film has added three more awards to its arsenal with today’s announcements from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, and the New York Film Critics Online. Aaron Sorkin also swept the three prizes for his screenplay, as did Toy Story 3 for Best Animated Film. Black Swan‘s Natalie Portman won two Best Actress awards, while three different actors—The King’s Speech‘s Colin Firth, 127 Hours‘ James Franco, and The Social Network‘s Jesse Eisenberg—each picked up a Best Actor prize. Check out all the winners after the jump. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 12 2010 05:50 PM ET

American Film Institute announces top 10 films

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The American Film Institute has announced its list of top 10 features of the year, which reads like a tally of leading Oscar contenders: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone. The AFI jury (which included my EW colleague Lisa Schwarzbaum) also gave special awards to two films that were not eligible for the top 10: The King’s Speech (ineligible because it’s British) and Waiting for “Superman” (which couldn’t be considered because it’s a documentary). The AFI top 10 didn’t include any surprises; rather, dark horse entries like Get Low, Rabbit Hole, and How to Train Your Dragon all weren’t able to break in. Last year only five of the AFI’s top 10 films (The Hurt Locker, Precious, Up in the Air, Up, and A Serious Man) ended up scoring Best Picture nominations (An Education and District 9 weren’t eligible, while Avatar, Inglourious Basterds, and The Blind Side were just plain snubbed). This year I’d say they’re going to line up 9 for 10.

Dec 3 2010 01:08 PM ET

'True Grit': Will it be an Oscar player?

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true-gritImage Credit: Lorey SebastianEarlier this week I had the opportunity to see Joel and Ethan Coen’s eagerly awaited adaptation of True Grit, the last assumed major Oscar contender of the year. I’ll leave it to my esteemed colleague Lisa Schwarzbaum to provide a proper review in the coming days, but I’d say the Coen brothers have a second consecutive Best Picture nominee on their hands. The film is beautifully shot and—no surprise considering the cast—very well acted. It’s a hoot to see Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and a host of fascinating looking character actors act with their jowls and mutton chops amidst the Coens’ majestically shot 19th Century landscape.

So in which categories is True Grit most likely to be a major contender? I’d call it a sure thing for a Best Picture nod given that race’s 10 slots. And the Coens could certainly make it into the director and adapted screenplay hunts as well. As for the cast, Matt Damon makes the most of his one-liners but simply isn’t in the film enough to be a serious supporting actor contender. Ditto Josh Brolin, who doesn’t even appear until the last act. Jeff Bridges could end up scoring a Best Actor nomination thanks to his droll performance as marshal Rooster Cogburn, but I wouldn’t say Colin Firth needs to worry about losing to him again this year. In my mind the strongest acting candidate from the film is newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who knocks her large supporting role out of the park, exuding precociousness and confidence from her introductory scene. She had me smiling nearly the entire film and I’d imagine most Academy members will have the same reaction. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 30 2010 04:01 PM ET

Christopher Nolan on his 'last' Batman movie, an 'Inception' videogame, and that spinning top

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chris-nolanImage Credit: Melissa MoseleyChristian Bale recently disclosed that he’s approaching his third Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, as if it will be his last time playing the caped crusader on the big screen — and the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, is taking the same view. In an interview with EW, Nolan called The Dark Knight Rises “the last chapter of our Batman saga.” When the helmer was asked if any part of him wished he was tackling another original script instead of another Batman sequel in the wake of Inception’s blockbuster grosses (over $820 million worldwide) and Oscar buzz, Nolan replied: “No, it’s exactly the opposite. I feel very glad that I’m doing another Batman film. I think it would have been daunting to sit down and write an original script after Inception. I love working within the realm and rules of our Batman world. It’s kind of nice to have someplace to go that I’m super-excited about.” He added that Inception’s success allows him to tackle another Batman without any sense of needing to prove himself: “I must say that I’m glad — I’m very, very glad — to be embarking on the last chapter of our Batman saga without any sense of obligation or duty to the studio. They did very well with Inception. So I’m able to go into finishing our story in a very enthusiastic way.”

For anyone hoping that Nolan might plunge deeper into the world he created with Inception in the form of a sequel, the filmmaker says… READ FULL STORY »

Nov 17 2010 08:00 AM ET

OscarWatch: Best Picture predictions

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Image credit: Stephen Vaughan

I recently put together my latest round of Oscar predictions and I’ll be exploring one major category at a time in the coming days on our new Inside Movies blog. Let’s start with Best Picture and look at the 15 movies I think are at the forefront of the race for the 10 available slots.

BEST BETS
Inception Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending blockbuster boasts the perfect mix of brains and spectacle.
The Kids Are All Right The summer’s coolest indie is a showcase for stars Annette Bening and Julianne Moore.
The King’s Speech One of this year’s most awarded festival darlings should have no problem appealing to voters of all generations.
The Social Network David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s morality tale will ride its zeitgeisty wave throughout the season.
Toy Story 3 In a fantastic year for animation, Pixar’s lovable threequel stands out.

POSSIBILITIES
127 Hours Director Danny Boyle’s graphic depiction of the real-life ordeal of hiker Aron Ralston (James Franco) has earned terrific reviews and box office.
Black Swan Natalie Portman’s tour de force performance could power director Darren Aronofsky’s twisted thriller to the big dance.
The Fighter A host of strong performances (notably from supporting players Christian Bale and Melissa Leo) highlight the true-life boxing story.
The Town As several late-year releases inevitably disappoint, look for director Ben Affleck’s respected thriller to bounce back.
True Grit No one’s seen the Coen brothers’ Western yet, but with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon on board, how can you count it out?

LONG SHOTS
Another Year British auteur Mike Leigh is often a voters’ fave, and his latest London drama is already a festival hit.
Blue Valentine Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in an impeccably acted domestic drama — but will the gritty production be too tough for the Academy?
Get Low A dream cast (Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray) paired with top-notch production values could do the trick.
How Do You Know Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd’s comedy screams Golden Globe contender. Big success there could propel it to the Kodak Theatre as well.
How to Train Your Dragon Two animated movies out of 10 may seem like a stretch. But the spring hit remains one of the best-reviewed films of the year.

So which films am I underestimating? Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter? Other dramas like The Ghost Writer or Winter’s Bone? Or a buzzy documentary like Waiting for Superman? Let me know what you’re rooting for. And follow me on Twitter (@davekarger) for Oscar news all season long.

Oct 21 2010 09:51 AM ET

'The King's Speech' plays for the home crowd

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Image credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

It’s won the audience prizes at the Toronto and Hamptons film festivals and wowed the crowds at Telluride. Now the British drama The King’s Speech, which has already emerged as an Oscar frontrunner for Best Picture and Best Actor (Colin Firth), will finally play in the U.K. as it has its premiere at the London Film Festival tonight. Firth knows it’s an important hurdle for his lauded film. ”There are certain aspects of the home environment which are not that comfortable,” he told me earlier this week while I was at the festival. “I think your own critical community can be a lot more…critical than people elsewhere. But I tend to feel quite comfortable at the London Film Festival.” Firth stands to score his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar nomination after earning one for last year’s Tom Ford drama A Single Man (and quite possibly his second consecutive victory at the BAFTAs). Is he anxious for Ford to see his latest project? “I’m apprehensive,” he says. “I kind of wish that he could see it without having to watch me.”

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