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Reagen Sulewski: This wouldn't be the first movie to defy critical disdain and become an Oscar nominee, and there's ten films this year, so... but no. You can get over the critics hating your movie, but critical *and* commercial flop? If that happens, you're done. Swank could still be in the running for Actress (with so few great female roles, anything prominent has a shot), and maybe something like Cinematography or Costume, but we've mostly heard the last of this film.

Tom Macy: I'm really surprised at how universally panned this was. I thought Hilary Swank's presence alone would at least garner some "great performance, bad movie" buzz. I also am shocked at the by-the-numbers-oscar-bait rap that's it's getting. I would have thought with Mira Nair at the helm they'd be more to it than that. Which makes me sad. Then again, you could point to Vanity Fair, another visual epic of hers with a big name that completely fizzled. The box office doesn't surprise me. I think they were going for a word-of-mouth fueled roll-out, as is typical this time of year. But judging by the words-of-the mouths I've encountered, it's all down hill from here.

Brett Beach: I am quite shocked that Mira Nair, director of vibrant and sensuous fare such as Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair, appears to have delivered a neutered by-the-numbers bio pic. Maybe if they had had Hilary Swank's Amelia team up with Amy Adams' Amelia? There's my high concept offering of the week. The sacrificial lamb to the gods of Oscar campaigns has been offered and the race can begin in earnest. The Weinsteins must be breathing a big sigh of relief.

Max Braden: Swank is an Oscar name, and this is the kind of safe, studio, epic style movie that would normally be an obvious choice, but the voters would have to be aware that they'd be voting for nostalgia and not quality. Even Swank's die hard fans should admit that this wasn't her best work. If they compare her to Cate Blanchett's winning role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (who Swank sometime sounded like she was trying to mimic), Swank is going to come up short. The movie's best award hope would be to run unopposed. I don't think the "everyone gets a Best Picture nomination" format this year is much help either.

Jason Lee: This film's Oscar chances, in a sad mirroring of the titular character's fate, have nosedived into the ocean. I see no Best Picture and no Best Director - and only a sliver of a shot at Best Actress.

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