New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

The Rest

Not much else that has been released has any chance at anything other than the usual visual effects lineup populated by summer blockbusters - expect movies like Captain America and perhaps Transformers to land token nods there.

There is some buzz right now for the teen drama The Fault in Our Stars starring Shailene Woodley. I don’t buy it for one instant. Although the movie did well with audiences and received generally good reviews, I just do not see the stodgy Academy members bothering to watch this. To be sure, Woodley could pull a Jennifer Lawrence-type nomination in recognition of her proven box office draw for Divergent together with her more serious work. But unless other more serious work turns out weak, I doubt she will be invited to the party.

Potential Nominations: Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay.

One movie that figured to make a splash in last year’s race was Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was moved up to the spring at the last minute and disappeared from contention. Still, it is Anderson’s most successful movie in a while and the praise for it was unending. On the other hand, the Academy has proven time and time again that it does not like Anderson’s quirky style. Sure, the writers’ branch has always shown him love, but he has always walked away empty-handed. Again, barring a complete dearth of options, this movie is the longest of shots.

Potential Nominations: Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes (not really but I had to fill something in), Best Art Direction (this it has a fair shot at), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design.

And the second highest-grossing movie of the first half of the year is the final flick I could think of landing any serious nominations: The LEGO Movie, simply because of how popular it was. But it is not Up or Toy Story 3 or WALL-E-level respected, so don’t expect much outside of the obvious nomination.

Potential Nominations: Best Animated Feature.

Continued:       1       2       3       4