Wednesday Oscar Watch

Welcome to a newly-restarted feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe. It’s a bit early to be able to accurately predict the eventual Oscar nominees, but around this time, plenty of likely contenders are being released. I’ll be looking every Wednesday at the awards chances for all of the films released the previous week. Additionally, to make up for lost time, I’ll also be taking a look at the films released earlier in the year, one or two months at a time. Chime in with your thoughts on the Oscar chances for these films in the comments section. Also, if I’ve missed any films from the previous months, please say so!

Films released September 23rd, 2011

Moneyball
This baseball movie has received surprisingly strong reviews, and there is some Oscar talk circulating for star Brad Pitt and the film itself. For every “Seabiscuit,” there’s an equal “Secretariat” that doesn’t materialize. It may be a crowd pleaser with mass appeal, but I suspect that, by the end of the year, it may fall to the wayside when more dramatic and spectacular fare emerges.

Films released May 2011

The Beaver (May 6)
Mel Gibson didn’t win his Oscar for acting, and Jodie Foster didn’t win hers for directing. There’s some pedigree to be found here, but Gibson is too far from forgiveness, and this film flew too under the radar for anyone to end up considering or remembering it.

Thor (May 6)
This Marvel megafilm could contend in a few of the technical categories, most notably Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup. It’s also a possibility for Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing.

Bridesmaids (May 13)
If there was still a ten-wide Best Picture field, this comedy smash could squeak onto the list. I’m not sure will it manage enough number one votes, and despite their current popularity, Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy aren’t going to be scoring Oscar nods anytime soon. Save this one for the Golden Globes.

Midnight in Paris (May 20)
Woody Allen has thirteen Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay to his name, and he’ll likely be adding a fourth for his latest, well-reviewed film. The movie could net a Best Picture nomination if voters want to reward what’s been discussed as a great comeback for the director.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)
The first three installment in this series scored several technical mentions, and this fourth film has a decent shot at nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup, but that’s likely going to be it.

The Tree of Life (May 27)
Director Terrence Malick directs his fifth film, and out of his first four, he earned major Oscar attention for only one of them, “The Thin Red Line.” His latest project was highly controversial and extensively artsy, and it stands a chance for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor (wherever Brad Pitt gets pushed), Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain), and a whole slew of technical categories, most notably Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. I predict that it will end up with just artistic mentions, but we’ll see.