Welcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.
There have been a few major announcements this week, so let’s dig in. We wander a bit this time, but on the docket today:
• The Producers Guild of America went largely populist with its list of feature nominees. Anne and I discuss the implications.
• With “The Hurt Locker” firmly holding the major guild quartet (since we can probably safely assume WGA), we get into its potential to win the big prize, perceived two-horse race or not. And we think it owes the critics for that.
• The Directors Guild of America also announced nominees, confirming the top five Best Picture contenders. But is this the Oscar line-up?
• The Scripter nods were also unveiled, which leads to some debate over eligibility concerns (which also plays a roll in the forthcoming WGA announcement).
You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with a little of the brilliant (and undervalued) score from “The Hurt Locker” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.
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19 responses to “OSCAR TALK: Ep. 17 — Guilds, Scripters and ‘Hurt Locker’ running strong”
I don’t think marriage changes much the essence of the relationship but it’s always good news so, congratulations!
About the adapted vs original thing, I believe it’s about formality. I mean, from what i know, PTA didn’t actually adapt Oil! but just used it as a base or influence. (I haven’t read it)
And Heavenly Creatures was considered original because there was not a specific source (book or film). But the story was pretty much true. They had even used the diary of one of the girls.
congrats on the engagement Kristopher Tapley.
As for The Hurt Locker, Sasha Stone jumped on the win BP/BD train today. I still think its way too small in win, particuarly in the face of Avatar. But it’ll at least make the next few weeks interesting. I think Avatar needs a win outside of the PGA to cement it’s frontrunner status.
I agree that The Hurt Locker will have the critics to thank if it wins. Critics have unusually shown an emphatic consensus this year (as in all the big guys went for it) and thrown their complete weight behind it, so much so as to put it within touching distance. The Academy better take notice of a film that is so absolutely the singular critics favorite. I think its between The Hurt Locker and Up In The Air. Basterds and Avatar won’t win. My bias against Avatar aside, honestly consider Avatar winning picture, it does not even seem plausible to me.
And congratulations.
Congratulations on your engagement!
I can’t see The Messenger making it. Not to have it all boil down to just financials, but it hasn’t even made a million dollars at the box office. If The Hurt Locker is a film not that many have seen, The Messenger is a film no one (in the public) has seen, and it’s hard to see such an unknown film making it to the top.
Up in the Air is doing really well, what is Anne talking about? It’s got nearly $50m already on a $25m budget, it’ll be making sheer profits by this weekend. Considering how huge the box office was over the holidays, with so many films making HUGE money, it still managed to do find an audience. No one was expecting it to be making $25m weekends, especially when it was in less than 2,000 theaters (it’s expanding this weekend too).
Poland’s got a kid, Tapley’s gettin’ hitched, I’m just waiting for Wells to do something crazy next. ;)
Congrats Kris!
If no one has seen The Messenger how is Woody Harrelson being nominated?
And how has The Hurt Locker broken through the Iraq movie curse? Sure all the critics love it, but the movie has only made $12 million dollars. That is ridiculously low for such an acclaimed film.
And though I’ve always been a fan of Anne Thompson, I don’t think she realizes that for every person who loves A Serious Man, there are also viewers who can’t stand the film. It’s actually a polarizing film.
A point she’s made herself plenty of times, davey.
@ daveylow’s questions: The same reason Patricia Clarkson got nominated for Pieces of April or Alec Baldwin for The Cooler, both relatively underseen films. Woody Harrelson had a great year, has recieved critical raves for The Messenger, is “due” for an honor fourteen years after his last nomination, and since Christoph Waltz is such a front-runner it leaves the other four slots more open for an underdog like him to get in.
The Hurt Locker hasn’t really broken the “Iraq War movie curse financially, but it certainly has broken barriers in the sense that it is the first film on the subject that doesn’t suck.
I do agree with you on A Serious Man, though. It’s definitely a love-it-or-hate-it type movie, which is Oscar poison unless there are enough members on the “love it” side.
It’s one thing for a Best Supporting Actor nomination to happen for such a small film, that’s certainly well within the realm of possibility (and at this point, very likely) but Best Picture is just a whole other beast, where things like financial success comes into play (whether we like it or not).
Aw, congratulations on your engagement, Kris!
I’m a little late to the party, but congrats, Kris!
How has Christoph Waltz possibly peaked early? He has thus far completely plowed his way through the critics awards, at least.
Even if he had peaked early, noone else has gained any significant momentum since then; maybe just Harrelson’s NBR win.
As for BP, I have this weird, weird feeling about Hurt Locker. I have this weird hunch that it could very well jump the hurdles presented by minimal box office.
Ps-[Opens bottle of expensive bubbly for Kris]!
Because there are two more months left in the Oscar season?
By the way, thanks for the well-wishes. Much appreciated.
Congratulations on the great news.
Tom Hardy for best actor for Bronson!! No better acting role this year, forget Clooney trying to be Cary Grant and Firth, Hardy all the way!!