Oscar 2005 – Who’re Ya Gonna Vote For?
Yes, it’s only October, but movie awards season is only a couple of months away. Ever since the Oscar ceremony was bumped up a month earlier than usual a couple of years ago, Oscar prognosticators have been coming out of hibernation earlier and earlier every year. “Oscar-type” are also coming out earlier and earlier to take the advantage of building its buzz all throughout awards season.
Several movies have already come out as strong contenders in the major categories if the critics are to be believed. More will come out in the months that will follow. This would surely make for another interesting Oscar race. Here’s my not-so-very early take on a few of the major categories:
Best Actress
Don’t be surprised to see the “Deperate Housewives” Emmy winner FELICITY HUFFMAN among the list of Best Actress contenders. Her role, as a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual trying to have a relationship with her teenage hustler son in “Transamerica” has already earned her a Best Actress prize at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her Emmy win is but an indication that she has lots of respect within the industry.
Also on the shortlist of possibilities is three-time Oscar bridesmaid JOAN ALLEN who emerged as a contender early in the year for her performance in “The Upside of Anger”. As Diane Lane has proven for “Unfaithful”, an early release is not necessarily a handicap.
GWYNETH PALTROW has earned some great notices for her work in the film version of the award-winning play “Proof”. The question is: Will it go by way of “Shakespeare in Love” or “Sylvia”? Paltrow’s fellow Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love” co-star JUDI DENCH might be included in the same category for the sophisticated British comedy “Mrs. Henderson Presents”. CHARLIZE THERON is hoping de-glamming for the second time around will earn her a second-nomination (and a possible second win) as a sexual harrassment victim in “North Country”.
Playing real life characters can be an advantage in winning Oscar or at least securing a nomination. REESE WITHERSPOON, as June Carter Cash in the upcoming Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” is counting on this possibility but her role might get campaigned as Supporting but early reviews suggest she is almost as much a lead as Joaquin Phoenix (see below).
Snubbed for her well-received works in “Being John Malkovich”, “Vanilla Sky” and “Gangs of New York”, CAMERON DIAZ will be counting on her role as the beautiful and glamourous half of two sisters will get her that ever elusive Oscar nom for “In Her Shoes”.
She’s might have to compete with her co-star who plays the frumpy, plain half of the sisters, TONI COLLETTE for a spot (though it probably won’t be necessary since word is Collette will be entered in the Supporting Actress race). She dazzled world audiences with her martial arts skills in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero”, if she dazzles audiences in her first major English-speaking role in the film version of the best-selling novel “Memoirs of a Geisha”, ZHANG ZIYI might that Oscar nod she deserved for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.
One of JULIANNE MOORE’s past Oscar nominations is for “Far from Heaven” in which she plays a repressed 50’s housewife. She will be hoping a similar role in the film “The Prize Winner from Defiance, Ohio” will get her a fifth. Rounding out the Best Actress possibilities are CLAIRE DANES who has the title role in the film vestion of Steve Martin’s acclaimed novella “Shopgirl” and NATASHA RICHARDSON who plays opposite Best Actor contender Ralph Fiennes in “The White Countess”.
Best Actor
Last year, 4 out of the 5 Best Actor nominees were nominated for playing real people. Looks like this year will be another showdown of such a race. Jamie Foxx won for “Ray” a biopic about a beloved respected musician, Ray Charles. JOAQUIN PHOENIX is probably hoping to ride on the same boat with his portrayal of beloved, respected musician Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line”.
Another strong contender for playing real-life character is DAVID STRATHAIRN who is winning raves and has already won the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival for his portrayal of legendary newscaster Edward R. Murrow in “Good Night and Good Luck”. His director in that film, GEORGE CLOONEY, could be competing for the prize since he is also a possible Best Actor candidate for playing real-life CIA agent Robert Baer in “Syriana” (Clooney could get as much as 5 nods this year between his directing, acting, producing and writing works in both “Syriana” and “Good Night and Good Luck”).
Another strong contender for an Oscar nomination is PHILIPP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, the highly respected veteran character actor could finally get that Oscar nomination for his acclaimed work as real life writer Truman Capote in “Capote”. “Black Hawk Down”, “Chopper” and “Hulk” star ERIC BANA could find himself in the shortlist as an assassin of Palestinian terrorists in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich”. RUSSELL CROWE will also hope that his recent incedent involving phone throwing and the dismal box-office will not stop him for getting a fourth Oscar nod for playing Jim Braddock in “Cinderella Man”.
This does not mean of course that fictitious characters are totally out of the race. RALPH FIENNES has double chances for nominations this year. One is for the Merchant-Ivory production “The White Countess” in which he plays a blind man (disability is a plus for getting Oscar nominations) and for the title role in the well-received adaptation of the John LeCarre novel “The Constant Gardener”.
TOMMY LEE JONES could direct himself to a third Oscar nomination for “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” which already won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Teen heartthrob HEATH LEDGER could add the credit Oscar nominee to his resume in his role as a closeted gay cowboy in director Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” which is already receiving high praise. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy won a total of 17 Oscars among them but VIGGO MORTENSEN did not receive a nomination for his role as Aragorn.
Here’s hoping he gets one as vicious assassin turned quiet family man in David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence”. JEFF DANIELS, a talented but vastly underrated actor, is getting raves for his work in the quirky dramedy “The Squid and the Whale” and only time will tell if those raves turn into an Oscar nomination. Rounding out the list is hot, up and coming Brit actor CILLIAN MURPHY as a transvestite in “Breakfast on Pluto”, Academy favorite SEAN PENN in the remake of “All The King’s Men”, Heath Ledger’s “Brokeback Mountain” love interest JAKE GYLLENHAAL in “Jarhead”, COLIN FARELL who’s hoping to redeem himself for “Alexander” by playing John Smith in Terrence Malick’s “The New World” and BILL MURRAY in Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers”.
Best Picture
Controversy is the name of the game in this year’s Best Picture race. Quite a few potentially controversial films are strong contenders for the race. The first is “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN” Ang Lee’s feature film about the love story between two cowboys based on a short story by Anne Proulx. In a time when Red States rule the roost, the gay content of the film may come under the firestorm of controversy. Speaking of Red States, Republican-bashing again appears on celluloid in “GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK”, George Clooney’s sophomore directorial effort about the Communist witch hunts of the 1950’s.
Another Best Picture contender is Steven Spielberg’s “MUNICH”, based on a true story of a group of assassins tasked to kill the Palestinian terrorists who killed several members of Israle’s Olympic team. A potentially hot button film that would attract both national and international critics from both sides of the mid-east conflict. Terrence Malick’s “THE NEW WORLD” attracted some controversy early on for allegedly depicting a love scene between Colin Farell and the underage actress playing Pocahontas. But it all seemed to have calmed down. Being Terrence Malick’s follow-up to “The Thin Red Line” should prove to be a contender for the legendary director.
Less controversial entries could include the highly-anticipated big-screen adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE” which hopes “Lord of the Rings”-style success both Oscar-wise and box-office wise; “WALK THE LINE”, the Johnny Cash biopic may get the votes which propelled “Ray” into the Best Picture race. “THE SQUID AND THE WHALE” could be this year’s “Sideways”, the quirky little dramedy that could. Ron Howard’s “Raging Bull”-lite “CINDERELLA MAN” is hoping to overcome disappointing box-office sales to secure a spot in the Best Picture race.
One of the best reviewed films of the year “WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT” may become the second animated Best Picture nominee but with the installation of the Best Animated Feature category, this does not seem too likely. Oscar loves prestige costume flicks which makes Rob Marshall’s “MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA” another strong contender. Paul Haggis’s race relations drama “CRASH” is hoping voters will still remember the small film despite being released relatively early in the summer. Woody Allen hasn’t made a splash at the Oscar nomination-wise in quite a while.
Rave reviews at Cannes for his latest “MATCH POINT” could put him in the Oscar limelight once again. David Cronenberg’s “A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE” is dividing audiences and critics into love it camps and hate it camps. If there are more Oscar voters in the love it camps, expect this to factor in the race as well.
Other possible contenders may include James Ivory’s “THE WHITE COUNTESS”, Peter Jackson’s remake of “KING KONG”, “SYRIANA”, “ALL THE KING’S MEN”, Sam Mendes’s Iraqi war movie “JARHEAD”, Stephen Frears’s “MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS”, Cameron Crowe’s “ELIZABETHTOWN” and Fernando Meirelles’s “THE CONSTANT GARDENER”.
This is not the most definitive list. There may be a small film there that may show up out of nowhere. There may be a big film out there we are underestimating or a film in this list we are overestimating. Keep watching. It should be another fun Oscar season full of surprises.
