As I mentioned last week, I decided to stick with what I started last year in honoring all the nominees for Best Picture. Between all nine of these films, they carry just over 50 nominations across most of the categories, accounting for 43 percent of the total nominations. That percentage isn’t as great as last year, but last year also featured one more Best Picture nominee, so I think you take that into the equation and you’re still looking at these films holding a lot of the cards when it comes to Oscar gold. And keep in mind, these films weren’t even eligible for a few of the categories like Best Foreign Language Film, Best Documentary Feature or any of the Best Short categories. Erase those nominations from the equation and that percentage would go from 43 percent to 55 percent, so I think it’s pretty easy to see why these films matter the most in the grand scheme of things and why I will be showcasing them over the next three weeks. And to help get this Oscar train moving this week is “Moneyball,” the first of two Brad Pitt films nominated for Best Picture.
That’s right, for those that didn’t notice, the other half of ‘Branjelina’ had quite the year last year with both the aforementioned “Moneyball” and “The Tree of Life” getting released. So, for this year to start with both films being so much a part of these upcoming awards is something else for the unheralded star. To many he is no more than a Hollywood name, but for those like me that have been able cut through all that, he is so much more. Pitt is talented and very smart, having produced and starred in over 48 major motion pictures since the early nineties. And to me, you can’t talk about “Moneyball” without first mentioning Brad Pitt, as it just doesn’t fly without him. Sure, the story is great and all, but had Pitt not signed on to be in this film, it probably wouldn’t be here considering it had been stuck in development up until that point. So, if there was ever an award for someone being that vital to a film’s success or demise, Pitt would in for 2011. With that said, what a film to watch unfold as very few have the dramatic intensity that this one carried at times. And that was mostly because this film defines what most of our country is trying to do in their own lives right now.
Any formula that can evaluate how successful someone will be at a certain cost could be very useful for a lot of us, which I think is part of the reason why this film has made it this far. That and a great muse, in Billy Beane, who’s own story became screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s best friend, as he was able to take the Michael Lewis book that virtually no one has read, and mold it into a big screen feature-film. Sure, he has help from director Bennett Miller, but as I have said before, how hard can it be to film talent like Pitt? Truthfully, the best compliment I can give Miller is that he took whatever Sorkin wanted from this script and did it, not altering one thing from behind the camera. Hey, sometimes that’s all it takes, so credit Miller into seeing a good story for what it was and allowing his cast to ‘do what they do.’ In the end, it equaled out to a very entertaining film worthy of the six nominations. Yes, as it is for any film within this prized category, most will focus on that nomination, but to me I think its best chance at winning an Oscar is for Best Adapted Screenplay from Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. .” In years past, this category was for one of the two best films’ that didn’t win Best Picture. But, with this many films in the mix now, that whole concept gets thrown out the window, as virtually any of the nominees could pull an upset. Having said that, I do think Mr. Sorkin has a good chance at repeating this year, having won last year for “The Social Network.” But, it is the Oscars where politics rule, so knowing he did win this same award last year, he could easily mean he is out favored by one of the other writer’s this year, who weren’t as lucky to see their film among the Best Picture nominees.
Having said all that, I do hope “Moneyball” wins something, as it deserves to be listed as a winner, not just nominee for 2011. And believe it or not, its best opportunity to do this might be with Brad Pitt, who has never won an Oscar for acting. Up against some stiff competition this year, it won’t be easy, but given how dynamic of a character Billy Beane was, I think Pitt has a fighter’s chance at taking home the gold. And at first, I never would have thought that would be the case, given Pitt doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to be in a film around baseball.But, in true Brad Pitt fashion, he took the role and absolutely ran with it. And I guess given my own passion or baseball, seeing Pitt shine like this in “Moneyball” makes me even more of a fan of his. I know, how shallow can I be? But, can you blame me when you figure the last film on anything remotely close to sports was “Fight Club” back in 1999? So, don’t be shocked if he steals one here, like Denzel Washington did for “Training Day” back in 2002 for doing something we never thought he would do.
As for the other nominations, I think it will be a long night as it just wasn’t received as well as some of the other nominees. That’s no slight on the film, which did win one of the AFI Movie of the year awards, but let’s face it, it has no real chance at Best Picture here. I wish it did, but the Academy already gave this film its reward with the nomination. And that’s a shame, because films like this don’t come along that often, especially with talent like Brad Pitt. So, while I could see it pull out an upset win for ‘Sound Mixing’ or ‘Film Editing,’ its only true chance is within the writing or acting categories, to which is holds several nominations. Yes, that means even Jonah Hill has a shot, as the Academy might favor him over Christopher Plummer, who has swept this category this entire award season for his work in “Beginners.” But, somehow I think Hill will lose as this win for Plummer would be his first in a career that spans nearly 60 years; having been nominated only once before in 2009 for “The Last Station.”
To read my full review on “Moneyball,” click here
To find out which Oscar contenders are playing in Jacksonville, click here
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