This is again, taking a set of criteria and applying it to a certain year. Here's my take on 2002, discuss amongst yourselves
2002:
- Chicago, Rob Marshall
-Won best picture
-Actors, directors considered locks and got a screenplay nom
-Won art direction awards
-Considered more successful mainstream improvement to
- Pianist, Roman Polanski
-Won screenplay, actor and director awards despite Polanski’s PR problems
-Untouchable for critics to knock
-Won
- Gangs of
-Hailed by Ebert as #1
-Had most nominations
-Had some supporters who felt it was Scorsesee’s return to form
-Oscar buzz for Sorsesee as best director
- The Hours, Tom Daldry
-Won drama award but considered just a little bit too oscar-buzzy
-Won actress award and had 3 solid performances all oscar worthy
-Adaptation nomination
-NBR Review award
- Lord of the Rings: The
-Nominated for best picture
- Far From Heaven, Todd Haynes
-EW Predicted it in final 5
-Won snub poll of 6th contender
-Named as #1 movie of the year by Lisa Schwarzbum
-Many top 10 accolades
-Positioned Julianne Moore for a win and best screenplay award for a win
- About Schmidt, Alexander Payne
-Alexander Payne’s best performance of Nicholson which got him an academy award
-Runner-Up in NYC Film Critic Awards
- Road to Perdition, Sam Mendes
-Received with great buzz and hailed by Washington Post’s Tom Shales as a must-see even if it didn’t live up to expections
-Buzz for against-type Tom Hanks role with Jude Law and Daniel Craig and Paul Newman in great supporting roles
-Big Production feel with cinematography and art direction awards going towards a lock
-One of approximately 7 or 8 films on the imdb 250 from the year
- Adaptation, Spike Jonze
-Worthy followup to John Makovitch by Jonze/Kaufman team that was even more mainstream in some cases
-Nominations abound for acting parts
-Screenplau contender
- Catch Me If You Can, Stephen Spielberg
-Held its own against many of the great December releases during Oscar season
-Considered for golden globe nominations for Spielberg and generated oscar buzz
-Box office success
2 comments:
All excellent picks. This was an unusual year in that there were so many truly competitive films that could have made it in. Since my post, I have rethought all of my choices.
If I had to pick five, it would be from this pool of eight:
About Schmidt, Adaptation, Bowling for Columbine, Far From Heaven, Frida, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Road to Perdition, Talk To Her.
I wouldn't rule out Catch Me If You Can, however, My Big Fat Greek Wedding outperformed it domestically and captured far many more guild mentions. I would say Minority Report also had a chance at getting in, but the chance was so slim, it's almost not worth mentioning.
If I had to commit ...
Adaptation would be my definite #6.
Far From Heaven would be my #7. With all of its guild mentions, it's almost negligible that Quaid didn't get nominated. The supporting actor category was so competitive and Ed Harris was already nominated for playing a gay role. Silly, but I can see the AMPAS deliberately not nominating another actor for going gay, as there is already someone in the category for a slightly higher profile film.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding would now be my #8. Just so many guild mentions, it's hard to ignore. And Nia Varalos' lack of nomination can quite easily be explained by an ultra competitive year in the Best Actress category and the fact that she had already been nominated for screenplay.
#9. Road to Perdition. Didn't meet expectations and I'm soft on it being #9, but still, I can't not seem to leave it out.
#10 would be About Schmidt. Again, too many guild mentions to ignore. It's absence in the adapted screenplay category is very strange though, which makes this #10 slightly soft. There was so much academy love for Frida from so many different categories. Really hard to ignore.
Bowling for Columbine could have quite possibly made it in, but it would have been a long-shot. But, I could totally see it happening.
Talk to Her: I'm not as convinced as I was previously. It would have obviously had a chance, but now I'm not so sure of its certainty.
Will comment more for you later in the week.
Sorry for my last comment. I thought these were exclusively oscar-related. I'm a knucklehead AND a dummy.
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