Fans of David Michod’s “Animal Kingdom” have been holding out hope for a campaign and maybe even a potential underdog nomination for Jacki Weaver, whose supporting performance in the film has been one of the high marks of the year thus far. And given how thin that field continues to appear, it’s worth it to go all out.
Sony Classics is certainly aware of this. And the studio is frequently out of the gate early with screeners for its contenders (which really did “Frozen River” a lot of good a few years back). Today a mailer arrived with screeners of Michod’s film and Rodrigo García’s “Mother and Child,” but most interesting was the accompanying garment.
That’s right, Jacki Weaver has her very own, mommy dearest-like T-shirt. Simple, but indicative of a real affinity for the performance and clearly a starting gun for the actress’s awards campaign. AMPAS members received both screeners today but, of course, not the shirt. Check out a quick iPhone snap shot after the jump.
[Photo: Sony Pictures Classics]
Comments
21 responses to “Jacki Weaver gets a T-shirt (and, it seems, a campaign)”
HA. I did my early ballot this morning and included Weaver. Partly because she was amazing in Animal Kingdom and partly because Supporting Actress is a bit weak.
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Miranda Richardson, Made in Dagenham
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Seems probable.
Academy members got the screeners but not the T-shirt. I think that might be publicity swag.
Of course not, Peter. That would be against rules. Though I should probably clarify that in the post here.
Shouldn’t Steinfeld belong in the Leading Actress category?
I saw Animal Kingdom and was really disappointed. In fact, I downright hated it. Weaver and Pierce were okay, I guess, but I couldn’t get over how terrible the main actor was. He was as stiff as cardboard and had the manerisms of a forklift. The plot was also pretty terrible. Seriously, I cannot think of a worse way to make a movie about a young man stuck in the middle of a war between his extended family and the cops after his mother dies.
Jacob: Regarding Seteinfeld, we’ve actually been over this a number of times but, speaking solely for me, I have her in supporting because I anticipate a Paper Moon scenario. And the studio isn’t completely sure yet either, mind you. (Most haven’t even seen the film.)
Mmm, right. Because of the most recent trailer, it looks like she’ll be championed as a Lead Actress with a strong supporting cast, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
I predict a Whale Rider scenario for Hailee Steinfeld.
Just as possible.
I would love to see Steinfeld get a Lead nom.
I thought Weaver was terrible
I’m really looking forward to seeing this one.
Although my favorite crazy film mother is and will forever be Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream.
Could watch that performance over and over and over and over….
i hope the critics ressurect A PROPHET and Sony Classics gives it an awards push. with the exception of THE SOCIAL NETWORK, A PROPHET is the best film i’ve seen this year, and one of the best of the new century, in my opinion.
any chance of a CITY OF GOD type revival, where the first year it was eligible for Foreign Language Film, and the following year in the regular categories?
Unfortunately, since A Prophet was nominated for foreign film last year, it is ineligible for all awards this year (even though it was released in February). If it had not been nominated, it would be eligible.
#stupid
Weaver getting a nom would make me very, very happy. Ben Mendellsohn getting one would too, but I can’t see that happening since Best Supporting Actor has no such sparseness problem this year.
Weaver is fantastic! Best female performance I’ve seen so far this year. I want that shirt!
“I thought Weaver was terrible”
Well that’s just absurd. But thanks for taking time out to state a clear minority opinion with no backup information whatsoever.
I want that t-shirt, by the way.
Best female performance of the year, bar none. Jacob, I think it’s more Sony Classics realising Weaver is its strongest best for marketing muscle (the “evil mommy” act and all) so they pushed her to the front of the American campaign (her “you’ve done some bad things, sweetie” line is used twice which is the first time I can recall such a thing. trying to develop a catchphrase, obviously), but she’s not a lead actor at all.
I thought that Animal Kingdom was a wildly mediocre film. Other than two fine performances by Ben Mendellsohn and Jacki Weaver, there wasn’t anything about the film to recommend it. Just another forgettable gangster film.
Animal Kingdom is definately NOT a mediocre film; I think it should be up for Best Picture, as it was electric and completely mesmerizing from beginning to end. Weaver definately deserves a supporting nom, but Ben Mendelsohn OWNED this film and deserves a Best Actor nod for it; any other year, he’d be a shoo-in, but with the competition hot and heavy this year, i’m not holding out much hope…
It makes me so happy that Jackie Weaver might be getting an Oscar nod :) Animal Kingdom is my favourite film of 2010. Chilling performances. I’d really love to see more Australian films recognised overseas. Hopefully our film industry is starting to pick up, we’ve had a few good films out the past few years
[…] saw the movie and I think it kind of highlighted her and got people talking about her and it was actually written about,” Mr. Bernard said. “We wanted to get a highlight on her, we didn’t want to do it in a […]
[…] Kris Tapley over at In Contention recently received some promotional swag along with his screener of the film ahead of its DVD and Blu-ray release: a t-shirt with Jackie Weaver‘s menacing matriarch offering the film’s most memorable line. […]