Fruitvale Station is about to blow up because of the cultural relevancy. The timing of the release could not have been better to get a bigger discussion about a small indie film.
I'm thinking Gravity or Elysium but not both will get in for Best Picture. Elysium has more successful Oscar contenders but perhaps too familiar a story to crossover. Gravity is far more ambitious but Alfonso Cuaran is totally hit or miss with the Academy.
I do think that Mud could sneak in unexpectedly as a Best Picture +1 contender (ala Extremely Loud... or The Blind Side). The reviews and viewership are there. It's whether or not the voters are passionate enough by the end of the year to go all-in on something that quiet and contemplative.
One thing that's becoming very clear is that Animated Feature is a total crapshoot this year. The eligible releases, so far, have been underwhelming. That could mean just nominating blockbuster sequels to films they actually liked the first time around or a wild field with a lot of foreign and indie animation...
So let me be the first to congratulate Planes on its Best Animated Feature nomination.
Updated On: 7/21/13 at 08:21 PM
