Does DREAMGIRLS still have the chance to win Best Picture?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 6:17pm

All of a sudden the buildup for the release of DREAMGIRLS is a bit dissapointing. No awards for Best Picture so far (that I know of). And not even a mention in the Top 10 of the Year from the NBR. Reviews also are a bit more mixed than expected (I don't see why; it's the best movie of the year). With all of these omissions for the film from Top 10 Lists et al, do you all still think DREAMGIRLS has a chance to take the cake at the Oscars this year (it will undoubtedly nab a nomination and it should win)? Anyway, either way, don't let all of these shocking omissions kid you; this is a phenomenal film that any musical theater or film fan in general should rush to see. It just may be the best movie musical ever made. I, personally, think that with a strong ad campaign, it could win Best Picture at the OSCARS (look at Chicago; it didn't get menitoned by the NBR either and won the Oscar for BP). Wins for Costume Design, Song, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Best Art Direction seem like definite wins at this point. Also, I think the fact that it has mostly all of its Golden Globe nominations (Best Picture, Song, Supp. Actor/Actress) in the bag won't hurt.

What do you guys think??

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 6:37pm

I think it will still take it.

I certainly hope so.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 6:49pm

The film itself has gotten mixed reviews so I highly doubt that it will win Best Picture, espcecially against some critical raves this year.

Also, if you think for a second it will win Costume Design over Marie Antoinette your crazy...

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 7:04pm

Not that this means anything but Chicago's "Best Picture" path was this...

Golden Globe - Chicago, Best Picture: Musical or Comedy (winner)

Broadcast Film Critics - Chicago won (Dreamgirls is currently nominated for their Best Picture this year, but it has not been awarded yet)

Chicago Film Critics - Far From Heaven (Chicago wasn't nominated in their top five)

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics - Chicago

Florida Film Critics - Adaptation

Online Film Critics - Lord of the Rings Part 2 (Chicago wasn't nominated in their top five)

National Board of Review - The Hours (Chicago was in their top ten, Dreamgirls is not this year)

Los Angeles Film Critics - About Schmidt (Chicago won nothing that year)

New York Film Critics - Far From Heaven (Chicago won nothing that year)

Boston Film Critics - The Pianist (Chicago won nothing that year)

[Liverpool]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 7:49pm

Calling the reviews mixed is a little rough. There have been a small number of negative reviews but the mjority have been raves.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 7:51pm

I hope so

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 8:00pm

it is not currently the frontrunner, but it could still win. I think the race is currently between it, the departed, and letters from iwo jima. the other contender would seem to be babel.

I think those 4 are most likely to get the nomination with these films possibly getting in:

flags of our father
the queen
united 93

and there's always the potential for a shocker.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 8:39pm

I'd say LMS could be one of the possibilities, too.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 8:46pm

yes, yes. that film could def pull out a nom.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 12/15/06 at 11:42pm

Chrash had pretty mediocre reviews last year. I wouldn't count Dreamgirls out at all. Besides, politics play more into who wins than reviews anyway.

[roquat]

Posted: 12/16/06 at 12:07am

THE QUEEN and UNITED 93 are definite possibilities; each was beloved by critics, but it remains to be seen whether enough people saw them. THE DEPARTED will probably give Scorcese his long-awaited Best Director Oscar, which will be regarded as sufficient. The only other big, ambitious projects coming up are GOOD SHEPHERD and PAINTED VEIL (both of which look, in the trailers, a little too obviously Oscar-shilling) unless NOTES ON A SCANDAL or THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA pull off an upset.

As for the "mixed" reviews of DREAMGIRLS, most of them seem to be of the good-but-not-as-good-as-we-hoped nature (this is what comes of overhyping!) Poor Henry Krieger is certainly taking a beating, though ("The music...is awful!"--New York Magazine).

I wouldn't put TOO much stock in the Golden Globes--they nominated BOBBY, which was soundly hated by all twelve people who saw it, and also gave Pia Zadora an overwhelmingly unearned "Best Newcomer" award back in the '80s.

[InTheAudience]

Posted: 12/16/06 at 3:19am

according to the buzzmeter on goldderby.com it is still a frontrunner

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 4:38pm

What about THE HISTORY BOYS does anyone think that has a chance?

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 4:42pm

To win? Probably not. I'm guessing it will be a cult classic, though.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 5:12pm

Golde Globe only I suspect. DREAMGIRLS will have to become very, very popular with audiences, which it may do.

I think with no obvious front-runner now, THE QUEEN may pull ahead, and pull the vote, simply because it's the freshest, most-viewed and accessible "artistic" picture. THE DEPARTED is too dark, and a 9/11 pix just doesn't seem likedly to stir the voters, many of whom don't want to go there (and likely won't see the picture), despite the early wins for UNITED 93. I know plenty of people in the biz who refused to see either 9/11 film.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 5:50pm

Well, "Chicago" never reached the #1 spot at the Box Office and the overall critic ratings were a B+ (Just like "Dreamgirls) . . . so I still think it has a chance.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 6:19pm

Doubt it as especially it has not been getting absolute raves

It will be either

Flags Of Our Fathers
The Departed
The Queen
United 93

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 6:33pm

IWO JIMA will completely overshadow FOF.

[Luscious]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 6:40pm

If it goes to United 93, I'll puke. Hope it doesn't even get nominated.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 7:13pm

I'm with you Luscious about UNITED 93. As I posted elsewhere, I believe it the most unfairly praised film of the year, accurate to a point, no doubt -- but also unquestioning, devoid of revelation or a strong point of view. No, "9/11 was a tragic day and these people were heroic" isn't enough of an artistic POV for me; I knew that, and the passenger's heroism was portrayed in a character vacuum. I wanted to know at least some of the people individually who acted bravely as a group. The terrorists, curiously, are the only people drawn with dimension. It may avoid melodrama and exploitation, but to me, that those backdoor compliments are its only achievement. It's artistically shallow, and though noble in intentions and well -made, it's still just too documentary-esque, and doesn't dig.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 7:18pm

I really hope DREAMGIRLS wins. It deserves it.

I think the nominees for Best Picture at this year's Oscars will be:

The Departed
Dreamgirls
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Queen

with the final spot open to either Little Miss Sunshine, Flags of Our Fathers, or United 93.

I saw it again this afternoon at the Ziegfeld and I loved it even more the second time around. It's the most entertaining, enjoyable film in years and it deserves to win the Oscar this year. The fact that it will undeniably become a huge commercial hit doesn't hurt either. With a strong ad campaign behind it, it will be the film to beat IMO. Seeing it a second time reassured me that this is an epic film. It's incredible.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:32pm

Yes.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:47pm

I'm with Auggie and Luscious about United 93.

Updated On: 12/17/06 at 09:47 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 12:03am

Oh great. Yet another year where people are going to rail on and on and on and on and on about a film they just don't understand why it's getting critical aclaim and award recognition. YAWN and BLAH. You can't and won't like everything. So why spend all your energy bitching about it?

ANYWAY, I just saw Dreamgirls, and O. M. G. It could definitely win--it just depends on Iwo Jima and The Departed.

Jennifer Hudson deserves to win. I agree with whoever said it's a film debut as grand as Babs'. I thought Beyonce was fantastic as well as Eddie Murphy. Great ensemble! But, I wanna root for Anika Noni Rose who was the surprise for me(Not her talent--I saw COC). I hope she gets a nomination, too. She was perfection.

The cinematography was glorious. The costume design and art direction was stunning. It was very well made all around.

I think its biggest obstacle is coming after Ray and Walk The Line. Will the Academy be able to enjoy yet another "musical biopic" film?

ETA: Seeing it at the Ziegfeld was a fun experience--it felt like a live show--everyone was applauding and cheering entrances, songs, the "curtain call", etc. It was thrilling.

Updated On: 12/18/06 at 12:03 AM

[roquat]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 1:01am

I can't join the UNITED 93 backlash. As far as I'm concerned, everyone in the film (especially the real-life people playing themselves) was portrayed with just the right amount of dimension, without falling into TV-style "character development."

And hasn't Clint Eastwood bummed us all out enough? After MYSTIC RIVER got showered with a staggering amount of unearned praise, I would have thought we'd had enough of his humorless, macho "profundity."