Oscar Movie Preview | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Oscar Movie Preview

What's big and what's just bait?

13
Oscar Movie Preview
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website

If you remember from last week, I looked at a few potential winners and losers on the blockbuster front in the upcoming months. This week, we'll look at the inverse: Oscar movies! The Toronto International Film Festival has wrapped up, and this year's winner of their People's Choice Award is the musical La La Land. Also mentioned last week, the People's Choice Award winner has (off-and-on) had a history of being big at the Academy Awards. Without further ado, let's get cracking!

WINNERS

La La Land: It's not just winning big at Toronto. Just watching one of the trailers is enough to win you over. The color washes alone, reminiscent of any of the classic Technicolor films of Hollywood, are enchanting. Plus, not only have stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling worked together in the past, Stone has proven that she can sing as well as Gosling. This will be sure to melt even the hardest of Oscar voter hearts.

Loving: Well, this is timely: In an era where massive protests arise when black people are continuously killed by police, and same-sex marriage is the new normal, here arrives a biopic involving the Lovings, a white man and a black woman who got married at a time when such marriages were illegal in the state of Virginia, leading to a landmark Supreme Court case. If the reviews are anything to go by, we might be looking at a highlight with this one.

The Founder: Another biopic, this time about Ray Kroc and he turned McDonald's into...well, you know. Will it be an awards favorite? We'll see. That said, given how Michael Keaton made the comeback of a lifetime with Birdman, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to consider that he'll make the waves in the Best Actor category.

LOSERS

American Pastoral: Never heard of it? By the end of this year, you probably won't remember it existed. Given its credentials (including a cast with star power, source material from noted author Philip Roth, and the directorial debut of Ewan McGregor), you'd think there'd be more promise, but the reviews so far are saying otherwise.

Allied: Again, some major credentials: the newest film by Robert Zemeckis, Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as the stars, a WWII film. The one major thing going against it, perhaps, is timing. It has yet to be seen whether or not the reviews can separate the film from all the developments the divorce heard 'round the world (though, as this Salon piece correctly points out, it's wrong to point fingers at Cotillard for instigating this divorce; at this point, we should let the divorce unfold before us and see what happens). Time will tell.

Fences: Again, credentials: star power, Denzel Washignton directing, a biopic set in the 1950s with Washington as the star. Everything you just read should have Oscar voters drooling. However, given that Washington's previous efforts with directing were both films that fell short as far as the Academy is concerned, it remains to be seen if this one will prove Washington is a director to watch.

Again, this list is brief. You can add your objections and suggestions in the comments. Until then, let Oscar season commence!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

183822
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

10351
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

454644
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

24580
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments