We here at Awards Daily plan to walk the voters through this painful process of having to make a choice – and the even more painful truth that they have never, will never see all of the movies. Not to worry. AwardsDaily is here to help. We shall do our best to provide you with the best voting primer on the web starting with the hardest/easiest category of all: Best Picture.
For this category you have to have working knowledge of the preferential ballot. You will probably already have much experience with this, given that they changed that shit up in 2009 to usher in The Hurt Locker for Best Picture. Two years later, the solid ten became a random number between 5 and 9. You picked five, the Academy nominates more than five. For three straight years that number has been nine. So all that process of changing things up did was make for one less Best Picture contender in the race, and allow voters the luxury of only choosing five. Maybe the only five they saw all season.
Going in you have to know some things.
1) Rank your picks from the one you like the most to the one you like the least. If you want a film to do well but can’t bring yourself to vote for it as number one just make sure you place it higher on the ballot. Do not leave any slots blank or your ballot might get tossed.
2) If you don’t want to be a GHC (Giant Horse’s Cock) then you must never try to game the system, that is, vote against movies NOT TO WIN by ranking them lower on your ballot. If you want to be GHC, go for it. I’m sure that it might be fun to be that big, powerful and intimidating but in this silly little arena it is more like child’s play.
3) Don’t vote for Ralph Nader. You know what I mean by that. There are three films that have the best shot of winning right now. 12 Years a Slave, Gravity and American Hustle. If none of those three are you favorite, just pick some other movie for the number one spot then rank these three in order of preference because sooner or later your ballot is likely going to count only for one of those three movies.
4) Don’t just pick one through five. Rank all nine in order of preference.
5) Remember what “Best Picture of the Year” is supposed to mean. You are voting for, supposedly, the highest achievement in film all year, something that will be remembered for years to come as what your industry rewarded as best.
Now, on to the choices.
What movies are ahead? What has won what? How much money have they made? What were the review scores? Let’s go through them.
Let’s start from the frontrunner on down.
12 Years a Slave
Metacritic Score: 97 / Rotten Tomatoes: 96
Budget: $22 / Box office so far: $48 million
Accolades:
#1 of 155 top ten lists
Audience Award – Toronto International Film Festival
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Picture Winner – Producers Guild (tied)
Best Picture Winner – BAFTA
Best Picture Winner – Golden Globes
Best Picture Winner – Critics Choice Award
Best Director Winner – New York film Critics
Best Director Winner – Southeastern Film Critics
Best Picture Winner – Boston Film Critics
Best Picture Winner – Chicago Film Critics
Best Picture Winner – Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics
Best Picture Winner – Florida Film Critics
Best Picture Winner -Kansas City
Best Picture Winner – Las Vegas
Best Picture Winner -London Film Critics
Best Picture Winner -Phoenix
Best Picture Winner -San Francisco
Best Picture Winner -Vancouver Film Critics
Best Adapted Screenplay Winner – USC Scripter
How it will make history: It will become the first film directed by, written by and starring black filmmakers and actors to win Best Picture. Steve Mcqueen becomes the first black producer in history to win Best Picture. It will be the first film about slavery told from the point of view of the slaves to win Best Picture. It is the first film since 1939’s Gone with the Wind to get this close to winning Best Picture.
How it already has made history: Steve McQueen is the first black producer to win the Producers Guild. John Ridley is the first black screenwriter to win the Scripter.
Noise you should ignore: That it’s “torture porn,” it ain’t. Unless you consider Schindler’s List to be torture porn. We’re grownups last time I checked? That the ad campaign “It’s Time” forces voters to guilt-vote. Is anyone really that stupid voting for film awards? Even if the studio did think it was time, don’t you also think it’s time? Or do you want to wait another 86 years. Hey, let’s wait until it’s been 100 years maybe then it will be time? That it’s only about “slavery was bad.” Listen to those words, ONLY about. It’s not only about that – but it is a necessary component, clearly, to both our collective past, our present and our future. It is only about “slavery is bad” to people who aren’t paying close enough attention to the individual stories therein -mothers whose babies were taken from them, young girls who were made into sex slaves, free black men back then and that some of them were forced into slavery. How many Americans knew that before the film?
Major themes: An American hero, Solomon Northup, who was a free man but was forced into slavery because of the color of his skin. He lived to write a memoir and then go on to work for the abolitionist movement – all of this before the Civil War. It’s about atoning for our past by stripping it down to what it really was: crimes against humanity, a holocaust. It didn’t end when the slaves were freed and much of the repercussions exist today, 150 years later.
Gravity
Metacritic score: 96 / Rotten Tomatoes 97
Budget: $100 million / Box office so far: $268 million
Accolades:
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Picture – Producers Guild (tied)
Best Picture – Los Angeles Film Critics (tied)
Best British Film – BAFTA
Best Director – Directors Guild
Best Director– Golden Globes
Best Director – Critics Choice
Best Director – Austin Film Critics
Best Director – Central Ohio
Best Director – Dallas Fort-Worth
Best Director – London Film Critics
Best Director – San Diego
Best Director – San Francisco
Best Director – Toronto
Best Director – Washington, DC
How it will make history: It will become the first film directed by a Mexican to win either Picture or Director. It will be the first 3D technology driven film, the first film set in space, the first effects-driven film to win. It will also be the first film to win with so few actors. And finally and most importantly, the first film starring a woman — ONLY a woman (and one half Clooney). Best Picture winners usually have big casts with lots of actors.
How it already has made history: Alfonso Cuaron becomes the first Mexican to win the DGA/PGA.
Noise you should ignore: That’s it’s an amusement park ride. Lucky for Gravity there isn’t much negative that’s been said about it.
Major Themes: A woman lost in space finds the will to live and that drives her to do what’s necessary to get her feet back on the ground. It’s about appreciating what you have right in front of you.
American Hustle
Metacritic: 90 / Rotten Tomatoes: 93
Budget: $40 million / box office: $142 million
Accolades:
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Picture: Golden Globes
Best Picture: New York Film Critics
Best Ensemble: Screen Actors Guild
Best Editing: Editors Guild
How it makes history: David O. Russell finally wins the big one.
Noise you should ignore: that it departs greatly from the true story, which it does. The film isn’t trying to tell the true story. It makes that clear from the first frame. That it’s just about wigs and tans. Clearly, there is more to it than that.
Major themes: We are all pretenders underneath it all. Corruption is artifice. But really it’s just a screwball comedy at its heart.
Her
Metacritic: 91 / Rotten Tomatoes: 94
Budget: ? / Box office: $23 million
Accolades:
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Picture: Los Angeles Film Critics (tied)
Best Picture: National Board of Review
Best Picture: Austin Film Critics
Best Picture: San Diego Film Critics
Best Original Screenplay: Writers Guild
Best Screenplay: Golden Globes
Best Screenplay: Critics Choice
How it makes history: It doesn’t, particularly, though it would be a total shocker if it won.
Noise you should ignore: That’s it’s somehow sexist.
Major themes: You should throw yourself into love, no matter if it makes sense or not. Even the most predictable relationship can sometimes surprise you, sometimes break your heart. But the important thing is to be open to love – to let your heart stay open. It has less to do with the technology of our time and more to do with being a cautionary tale about isolation from humanity through technology.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Metacritic: 75 / Rotten Tomatoes: 77
Budget: $100 million / Box office: $111 million
Accolades:
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Actor: Golden Globes
Adapted Screenplay: National Board of Review
How it makes history: it would be an astonishing win with no major precursors heading into the race. It would be the only film to win after an Academy member shouted “shame on you” to badass Martin Scorsese.
Noise you should ignore: Almost everything negative you’ve heard about the film, starting with that it makes Jordan Belfort a hero. It makes him a “hero.” That’s a very different thing. That it’s misogynist. It’s ABOUT misogynists. That it glamorizes that lifestyle. It does anything but.
Major themes: No film has captured America in 2014 like Scorsese’s masterpiece. It’s about the pinnacle of gluttony and greed, of a people raised to take what they want no matter who they hurt or what debris they leave behind.
Nebraska
Metacritic: 86 / Rotten Tomatoes: 92
Budget: $12 million / Box office: $15 million
Accolades:
Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Actor: Cannes Film Festival
Best Actor: Los Angeles Film Critics
How it makes history: It is the first time Bruce Dern, in his long and rich career, would win Lead Actor.
How it already has made history: Bruce Dern’s first leading man nomination.
Major themes: Nebraska is about the American Dream gone wrong. You wake up one day and you’ve lived your entire life. The mistakes you made along the way you thought you’d get to do over. But they end up becoming the bricks that have built your life. What does it mean to become a millionaire? In the end, the money is the McGuffin. It’s really about the people in your life.
Captain Phillips
Metacritic: 83 / Rotten Tomatoes: 93
Budget: $55 million / Box office: $100 million
Accolades:
Top Ten Best Film: AFI
Best Adapted Screenplay: Writers Guild
Best Editing: Cinema Editors Guild
How it makes history: If it won it would be the second film since Driving Miss Daisy to win without a Director Nomination, and a back to back winner without one since last year’s Argo. Captain Phillips is one of the first films to equalize our relationship with our so-called enemies. The film depicts two captains from different parts of the world, different choices to make in life, and very different outcomes. It does this with compassion, indicating a changing mindset for America.
Noise you should ignore: That the real Captain Phillips wasn’t a hero.
Major Themes: heroism, compassion, survival.
Philomena
Metacritic: 76 / Rotten Tomatoes: 92
Budget: ? / Box office: $30 million
How it makes history: The real Philomena Lee has been doing groundbreaking work by bringing awareness to women who lost their babies to the Catholic Church.
Noise you should ignore: Any nonsense that defends the Church.
Major themes: acknowledging the horrors many young women endured at the hands of the Catholic Church who forced many of them to give up their babies for adoption, then made it difficult for mothers to find and reunite with those babies. It’s also loosely about homophobia in the Republican party.
Dallas Buyers Club
Metacritic: 84 / Rotten Tomatoes: 94
Budget: $5 million / Box office: $24 million
Accolades:
Best Actor/Supporting Actor: Golden Globes
Best Actor/Supporting Actor: Screen Actors Guild
(and many more by critics for McConaughey and Leto)
How it makes history: It is the last film of Focus Features’ James Schamus. He leaves quite the legacy behind.
Noise you should ignore: that the film should be dismissed because it doesn’t tell the whole story of who Ron Woodruff was, that no homophobe should be celebrated. The story is bigger than that.
Major themes: exploring the impact of the way the FDA handles medication for profit, how difficult it was in the beginning for AIDS patients to get necessary treatment, how AZT was thrown at the problem, killing way too many people before they discovered it was too late. It is also about friendship, compassion, and allowing us to be an inclusive community banding together to battle a plague.
And there you have it. Your first primer for awards season. Everything you need to know about what films you have to choose from. Hopefully you have seen them all but even if you haven’t you can make a pretty good guess and rank all of the films accordingly.
well
1- Garvity
2- 12 Years a Slave
***Note: I’m zorry to sound like the prediction indexes but i’ll be fine if either of these win, they deserve it, i’ll note down why i think one is “better” than the other.
3- Her
4- The Wolf of Wall Street
5- American Hustle
6- Philomena
7- Captain Phillips
8- Dallas Buyers Club
9- Nebraska
Why is Gravity “Better” than 12 ? (just in my humble and ignorant opinion)
(My post will rude) i think Gravity is just such a masterpiece of execution, i blows away anything done before with this kind of technology, finally a movie displays the true nature of the 3D and makes of a thrilling, exiting and kind of disturbing story, i find it like the major oportunity to REWARD a Sci/fi film in the academy’s story. Besides, this is the kind of cinema we should expect from BLOCKBUSTERS in the future, if you are going to show destruction and action scenes, make ’em spectacular in everyway and execute them like never before.
(it will get even worse) 12 years also deserves to win, it’s such a crude story, it’s almost irritating. But there’s no shame in showing history as it was, there’s no shame. there’s a message behind this human story BUT it’s not omething the academy hasn’t rewarded in th past, they have rewarded OVER AND OVER again these films that brilliantly SHOWCAST the human cruelty and how kindness and love and resistance can always win. so it won’t make any difference if this wins or not. Rewarding Gravity will be a statement to cinema, that new generation of cinema that DRAWS people TO PAY TICKETS, wich is after all what the producers live off.
My personal Top 10
1 – 12 Years a Slave
2 – The Wind Rises
3 – Her
4 – Nebraska
5 – Ernest et Célestine
6 – Blue Jasmine
7 – Gravity
8 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
9 – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
10 – The Conjuring
1 – !2 Years a Slave
2 – Her
3 – Nebraska
4 – Gravity
5 – Philomena
6 – Captain Phillips
7 – Dallas Buyers Club
8 – The Wolf of Wall Street
9 – American Hustle
Most of the movies I loved this year are not even nominated for BP — Inside Llewyn Davis (#1), Fruitvale Station, Upstream Color, Blue is the Warmest Colour, Enough Said, The Spectacular Now, Stranger by the Lake. So I am frankly lukewarm about almost all of the nine nominees, but if I were voting it would look like this:
1. 12 Years a Slave (not a masterpiece but worthy, very respectable, the best of the bunch)
2. Her (sweet, interesting, but never quite explodes into greatness)
And the rest:
3. Captain Phillips (as tightly and efficiently made as any movie I can imagine, without actually amounting to anything important)
4. Nebraska (goes nowhere, but undeniably has a special visual quality and emotional tone)
5. American Hustle (too long, messy script, but fun)
6. Gravity (I simply do not get the accolades, a perfectly enjoyable nothing with a stupid ending)
7. Philomena (the kind of movie my mother would LOVE)
8. Dallas Buyers Club (well enough done, but as a gay man I just cannot assess it purely on its own anti-historical merits)
9. The Wolf of Wall Street (three hours of sound and fury, signifying nothing)
I don’t really understand why you wouldn’t rank them in your actual order of preference. Sure, it’s possible it will make less of a difference in the end result, but wouldn’t it also be a more honest, accurate vote? I feel like this falls under the whole playing-the-system thing, to a certain extent–it’s voting for the vote to count, not for it to accurately reflect your feelings about the 9 nominees.
Anyway, my ballot would probably look like this:
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. American Hustle
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Nebraska
9. Philomena
Ranking the nominees:
9. Philomena
8. Dallas Buyers Club
7. 12 Years A Slave
6. Captain Phillips
5. Nebraska
4. American Hustle
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Gravity
1. Her
My Actual Top 10 List
10. Short Term 12
9. Mud
8. The Place Beyond the Pines
7. The Spectacular Now
6. Nebraska
5. American Hustle
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. Gravity
1. Her
1.Gravity
2.what ever
3.what ever
4.what ever
5.what ever
6.what ever
7.what ever
8.what ever
9.12 Years a Slave
so hated 12 years a slave, and so fall in with grav. if 12 years a slave win the BP, I’ll never give shit about the OSCARs ever ever again!
I can’t agree with point number 3. People should vote for what they like. Not for movies that have the biggest chances to win. For example my ballot would look like this (at the moment, I haven’t seen “Philomena” yet):
1. “American Hustle”;
2. “Her”;
3. “Nebraska”;
4. “12 Years a Slave”;
5. “Gravity”;
6. “Dallas Buyers Club”;
7. “Captain Philips”;
8. “The Wolf of Wall Street”
and yes, I know that “Her” and “Nebraska” have no chance (theoretically) but why on earth should I help “12 Years a Slave” and “Gravity” if I think that they are worse than “Her” and “Nebraska”?
This is my list:
1. Her
2. Dallas Buyers Club
3. Philomena
4. Nebraska
5. Gravity
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Captain Phillips
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
9. American Hustle
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Gravity
3. Nebraska
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Philomena
6. Dallas Buyers Club
7. American Hustle
8. Her
N/A. Captain Phillips (the DVD is sitting on my desk, but I’ve been busy…)
1. 12 Years a Slave *
2. The Wolf of Wall Street *
3. Her
4. Philomena
5. Gravity *
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Nebraska
9. American Hustle
* The ones I’ve already seen. The rest, judging from trailer, buzz/reviews and general overview of the project.
Sasha – Spike Jonze won NBR Best Director.
Most calculated and condescending script of the year: Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Just for fun, my REAL top 10:
1. Her
2. Gravity
3. The Act of Killing
4. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. Spring Breakers
6. Upstream Color
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
8. La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty)
9. Frances Ha
10. 12 Years a Slave
11. Frozen
12. Stoker
13. Fruitvale Station
14. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
15. Jagten (The Hunt)
ok, I lied. But I just had,to get it all out. Worst of the year: Iron Man 3
Another country heard from:
1) 12 Years a Slave
2) Gravity
3) American Hustle
4) The Wolf of Wall Street
(Anyone of these 4 could have been a #1…that’s how damn good they all are)
5) Captain Phillips
6) Nebraska
7) Dallas Buyers Club
8) Her
9) Philomena
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. 12 Years A Slave
4. Wolf of Wall Street
5. Captain Phillips
6. Philomena
7. Nebraska
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. American Hustle (It will be a big blot on Oscars if it wins in the year of Gravity and 12 Years!)
Damn! I just looked at my list again, and I realized I forgot to list Captain Phillips in a spot for 2nd most. (Re-do again)
Most #s / 2nd most #s
1s – Gravity / 12 Years a Slave
2s – The Wolf of Wall Street / Gravity
3s – American Hustle / The Wolf of Wall Street
4s – 12 Years a Slave / American Hustle
5s – Captain Phillips / Her
6s – Dallas Buyers Club / Captain Phillips
7s – Nebraska / Philomena
8s – Her / Nebraska
9s – Philomena / Dallas Buyers Club
Okay, let me re-do that, since it may be a little hard to follow:
Most #s / 2nd most #s
1s – Gravity / 12 Years a Slave
2s – The Wolf of Wall Street / Gravity
3s – American Hustle / The Wolf of Wall Street
4s – 12 Years a Slave / American Hustle
5s – Captain Phillips / Her
6s – Dallas Buyers Club / Nebraska
7s – Nebraska / Philomena
8s – Her / Nebraska
9s – Philomena / Dallas Buyers Club
I had to change a couple guesses around, but I can see this happening.
Once again, my “Bryce”-style overall top ten for the year:
1. The Act of Killing
2. All Is Lost
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Computer Chess
6. American Hustle
7. Gravity
8. Captain Phillips
9. Inside Llewyn Davis
10. Frances Ha
(Children of Men would probably be my #4 for the decade.)
Here’s how I see the voting:
(Most #)
1. Gravity (most 3s as well)
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (most 4s as well)
3. American Hustle (2nd most 4s as well)
4. 12 Years a Slave (2nd most 1s as well)
5. Captain Phillips
6. Dallas Buyers Club
7. Nebraska
8. Her
9. Philomena
But, hell, I don’t know. It’s just fun to prognosticate. I think the likeliest winners will be:
1. Gravity
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. 12 Years a Slave
Just to join the party:
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. 12 Years a Slave (any of these four would be worthy winners in my book)
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Philomena (there’s a massive gap between this and the next three)
7. Captain Phillips
8. American Hustle
9. Nebraska
My Top 10:
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. Short Term 12
4. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. Frozen
6. Saving Mr. Banks
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
8. 12 Years a Slave
9. Blue Jasmine
10. Blackfish
All the 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s…. Add up to Best Picture. 🙂
I think that the movie with probably the 2nd most number 1s, the most number 2s, and either the 1st or 2nd most number 3s will win.
Just a hunch.
If I was voting with my heart:
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. American Hustle
4. Gravity
5. Nebraska
6. Philomena
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Her
9. Captain Phillips
If I was voting as a member of the academy deadset on getting 12 Years a best picture win (or being a GHC as Sasha calls it)
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Philomena
3. Nebraska
4. Captain Phillips
5. Her
6. The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Gravity
9. American Hustle
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Gravity
3. American Hustle
4. Her
5. Nebraska
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
9. Philomena
Honestly, of the nommed, 12 Years, Wolf and Dallas are the only films I really care about. Not outraged by the thought of any of the others winning…. like and admire them, but.
An AH win would bug me, but only because it would be one more in a string of narcissistic winners. A step up from them, but still an actors circle jerk.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if HER wins BEST PICTURE, wouldn’t it be the first film set IN THE FUTURE to do so?
My ranking:
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Her
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Gravity (all 4 worth winning)
5. Captain Phillips
6. Nebraska (Not sure which one of these 2 to fill the 5th spot, actually)
7. Philomena (all these 7 I’d nominate)
8. American Hustle (I’m not a 12 Years/Gravity fanboy, but I just didn’t think AH is worth of a nomination)
9. Dallas Buyers Club (very average film)
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Her
4. Nebraska
5. Gravity
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Philomena
9. American Hustle
About to catch up on ADORE. James Frecheville and Xavier Samuel are gay for each other right?
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Dallas Buyers Club
4. Gravity
5. Philomena
6. American Hustle
7. Nebraska
8. Her
9. Captain Phillips
I just stumbled on this recent (Feb 5) compilation of all the BP winners from the beginning to last year (love these things). It’s been added to/adapted over the years.
Whatever your feelngs about some past winners, you’ll notice a distinct dip in calibre in the last three entries. Whatever film wins this year will be a much-needed boost to the list. We can only win, but by how much?
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC4sFayDjL0
if I were Russell I would have switched [I Feel Love] out for something else if I could have
Yet another reason why I abhor the comparisons between American Hustle and Martin Scorsese’s work. American Hustle is David O. Russell’s pompous, narcissistic attempt to ape Scorsese’s style, since he’s realised he was getting nowhere with his own style. And it comes off as just that – an attempt, but, since Russell’s not being true to himself as an artist, he falls painfully short of the standard achieved by Scorsese so often in his career. His music choices in American Hustle were obvious, and were an obvious component of his vain, transparent wish to replicate another (superior) director’s work.
1. Gravity
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Nebraska
4. Her
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Philomena
8. American Hustle
9. Captain Phillips
1. Gravity
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Her
4. Captain Phillips
5. 12 Years A Slave
6. Dallas Buyers club
7. Nebraska
8. American Hustle
9. Philomema
I recently changed the order a little bit (had to let a few things sink in first).
1. Gravity
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Philomena
5. Captain Phillips
6. Nebraska
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Her
9. American Hustle
I’ll play.
1. Her
2. Philomena
3. Gravity
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Captain Phillips
6. American Hustle
7. 12 Years a Slave
8. Nebraska
9. Dallas Buyers Club
Comment regarding “her”: “How it makes history: It doesn’t, particularly, though it would be a total shocker if it won.”
I agree about the SHOCK factor if her took the big prize. The Oscar-street-web-talk is surrounding Gravity, 12 Years & AH – though would like to point out that ‘her’ COULD make history, similar to Captain Phillps, 2nd year running (think ARGO/Affleck win best picture without director nomination). Spike Jonze isn’t nominated for Best Director (though he should be – tough category) AND if her wins ALL 5 categories nominated wihtout acting nominations could be historic. I don’t see it winning best song so at best I think it could get 4 out of 5. Best score could go any which way this year.
I admit – the no-editing-love (how AH gets a nomination here over her is just not cricket) is a worry factor though of recent years editors have proved to win from films that HASN’T won Best Picture! Think – The Social Network, The girl with the Dragon Tattoo and even The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007.
From scrolling through this blogs comments you will also notice how her is mostly in the top 4 of people’s choices. This is a big plus for her, no? I believe her is a dark horse. Even with films lovers I’ve spoken to in person, online, wherever most have put her as their favorite out of best picture line up.
This is my list of where I would like the top 9 Best Picture films to be (though am aware of how the ball game works):
1. her
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Philomena
4. Gravity
5. 12 Years a Slave
6. Nebraska
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Captain Phillips
9. American Hustle
7.
2.
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Captain Phillips
7. American Hustle
8. Philomena
9. Nebraska
People are talking about it here, so let me chime in and say that I thought “Children of Men” was a brilliant film. Surely, one of the best films of the last decade. And contains stellar top-notch acting from Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and especially Michael Caine and Peter Mullan. It, too, should have been nominated for Best Picture the year it was released, but was unfortunately overlooked. Sound familiar?
If I were voting, I would rank the nominated films in this order:
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. 12 Years a Salve
3. American Hustle
4. Nebraska
5. Gravity
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Philomena
9. Her
I’m not really part of the masses, I guess, as my 4 favorite films of 2013 are not even nominated for Best Picture:
1. The Great Beauty (a beautiful time capsule of a film . . . it should be sent into space for other civilizations to discover)
2. The Great Gatsby (should have had a December release – would have done better)
3. August: Osage County
4. Blue Jasmine
Maybe gay guys don’t like GRAVITY because they have no desire to hear a woman fake an orgasm for an hour and a half?
I have to agree with those applauding the use of “I Feel Love” at the beginning of BEHIND THE CANDELABRA. That was awesome. So when I heard it in AMERICAN HUSTLE, I thought it was unfortunate since it’d already been used better. I don’t know how it works when you get permission/pay to use a song, but if I were Russell I would have switched it out for something else if I could have.
I am planning on re-watching 12 Years a Slave tonight, since I just bought it on iTunes, but as of now, here’s again how I rank mine.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Gravity
3. Nebraska
4. Her
5. 12 Years a Slave
6. Captain Phillips
7. American Hustle
8. Dallas Buyers Club
Philomena
My Overall Top 10:
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Inside Llewyn Davis
3. Gravity
4. Nebraska
5. Her
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Rush
8. Captain Phillips
9. All Is Lost
10. World War Z
@Bryce I once did a Top Ten Favorite Movies of the Decade (2001-2010) a few years ago. Children of Men was at #10. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago and each viewing I fall in love with it more and more. I think if I did it over again, it would be higher on my list (there are a few I had on there that I was like, what was I thinking?). Also, now that I think about it, Y Tu Mama Tambien was #4 🙂
Well, if we’re doing the ranking lists again, here’s mine, although I’ve done this on other threads so people are probably bored with mine by now:
1) 12 Years a Slave
2) Her
3) The Wolf of Wall Street
4) Captain Phillips
5) Gravity
6) American Hustle
7) Nebraska
8) Dallas Buyers Club
(Haven’t seen Philomena)
Since Cuaron’s previous film keeps getting mentioned I started to wonder how it fared in my considerations that year (turns out to be a year of powerful Cinema!) And here’s what I found:
Top 10 Films of 2007
1. PAN’S LABYRINTH, Guillermo del Toro
2. CHILDREN OF MEN, Alfonso Cuaron
3. THE LIVES OF OTHERS, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
4. THIS IS ENGLAND, Shane Meadows
5. THE HOST, Joon-ho Bong
6. VOLVER, Pedro Almodovar
7. THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, Ken Loach
8. PAPURIKA, Satoshi Kon
9. THE DEPARTED, Martin Scorsese
10. 300, Zack Snyder
And let me do my current tops, Bryce-style:
Nominees:
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Philomena
Gravity (all worthy winners up to here)
Her
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Nebraska
American Hustle
My top 10 – The Hobbit 2 will most definitely be in there once I finally get to see it, though:
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Dirty Wars
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Frozen
5. August: Osage County
6. Philomena
7. Saving Mr. Banks
8. The Great Gatsby
9. The Conjuring
10. Gravity
Wooooow… It finally happened! 🙂 Although I guess it’s probably more a concession that McQueen simply isn’t winning BD than anything else, and I think Sasha might still think Gravity is the real favorite for BP. Either way, it’s still something that she’s finally predicting a split, whether or not she actually believes in it.
Anyway, I love Sasha! I love that she always goes to the stats, like me! She too firmly believes in the lessons history can teach us.
“If the awards precursors hope to influence the Academy into picking 12 Years a Slave for Best Picture and very little else — by the looks of it that is exactly how it might go down — then you’re looking to go all the way back to 1936 when Mutiny on the Bounty won a single Oscar for Best Picture while John Ford’s The Informer won Director and three other Oscars.”
So not just Grand Hotel… I actually knew that at one point, but, like many other things, I forgot it. 🙁
“Do the voters have the option to put GRAVITY at #1 and the leave everything else empty? Valid choice and should be let known!”
They probably do, Bryce (who knows how many actually do it – the law of probability dictates there would be at least 1-2), but, in the preferential system – as far as Gravity’s chances are concerned -, this would be exactly the same as voting for all 9 and just placing Gravity 1st. It would only influence things if Gravity was eliminated and then, like someone said earlier, it would do no more than to lower the total number of votes required to win. So, yeah, kind of pointless, indeed, unless you’ve actually only seen Gravity of the 9 nominees, and really liked it, or have seen 2-3 more and absolutely hated all of them with a passion.
“I like that it is like a painting” (Gravity)
It is that – the comparison is inspired! Sadly, there’s also an annoying guide there telling ridiculously dumb and pointless stories about Mardi Gras and just randomly barking at the Chinese person in the back. 🙂 EVERY TIME. Kind of takes away from the experience…
But I’m glad there are so many people out there who can get past the flaws. It’s a form of validation for me, as I do that too, quite a lot, for many movies that have glaring flaws but are amazing in many other aspects, as long as, for me, they compensate for their flaws – like (two obvious examples) Les Miserables or Titanic. Gravity, on the other hand, doesn’t do enough for me, personally, to love it like I love those two, but it does compensate for the most part, and I agree that it’s a flawed masterpiece.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Her
3. Gravity
4. Dallas Buyers Club
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. American Hustle
7. Captain Phillips
8. Nebraska
9. Philomena
Since it -somehow- because a list thread I might as well
Ranking the nominees:
1. GRAVITY
2. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
3. HER
4. 12 YEARS A SLAVE
5. AMERICAN HUSTLE
6. NEBRASKA
—-just because I have to—-
7. PHILOMENA
8. DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
9. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
My Actual Top 10
1. GRAVITY
2. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
3. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
4. NEIGHBORING SOUNDS
5. HER
6. SPRING BREAKERS
7. THE GREAT BEAUTY
8. MUD
9. TO THE WONDER
10. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
And if you’d rather have an American-only AMPAS line-up:
1. GRAVITY
2. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
3. HER
4. SPRING BREAKERS
5. MUD
6. TO THE WONDER
7. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
8. BEFORE MIDNIGHT
9. THE COUNSELOR
10. COMPUTER CHESS
1. Nebraska (So enjoyed this film)
2. Dallas Buyers Club
3. American Hustle
4. Wolf of wall street (even though I rank it high, its not a film I would probably see again)
5. Gravity
6. Philomena
7. Captain Phillips
8. 12 Years a Slave
9. Her
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Her
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Gravity
5.Nebraska
——————-
6. Captain Phillips
7. Philomena
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9.American Hustle
Thanks Robert A.!
I really liked _Her_. It’s just that I hold Spike Jonze in such high esteem (Malkovich, Adaptation, and Wild Things were each my #1 of each respective year), and found _Her_ didn’t quite reach those heights. Maybe it’s a matter of unusually high expectations. But I didn’t find that it haunted me or perplexed me in new ways; I have re-watched Malkovich, Adaptation, and even Wild Things many times, and have found them each to be puzzling and fascinating and more and more brilliant with each viewing. I am not sure there is that much more *there* in _Her_, even as it is a lovely and timely and beautifully-shot romance. It’s my #11 for the year.
julian the emperor, I totally agree about _Nebraska_. Much more so than Jonze with _Her_, I found it to be a real drop in quality for Payne, which largely has to do with Bob Nelson’s script, which is less perceptive, less poignant, and less funny than Payne’s other work.
(Hadn’t made the connection between _Shame_ and _Her_, but I can see it now that you mention it!)
@ Jerry Grant i agree with your comparisons with the filmmakers’ prior works. Though I loved Gravity, I think Children of Men was more Cuaron’s masterpiece, though Gravity was his most beautiful work. Also, I think Sideways was Payne’s masterpiece but I still consider Nebraska to be one of his best, even over Election (of course, I think I may be partial to certain scenes in Nebraska that wouldn’t affect too many others).
My list of the ones I’ve seen so far from 2013:
1. Gravity/Nebraska
2. Prisoners
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Captain Phillips
6. Blue Jasmine
7. American Hustle
Have seen Her and Dallas Buyers Club but will not put them on my list. Still have to see All is Lost and Philomena among others.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. American Hustle
4. Gravity
5. Her
6. Captain Phillips
7. Nebraska
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. Philomena
Did you guys see the directors’ roundtable where Spike Jonze kind of lets everyone know how much McQueen’s SHAME was an inspiration and/or influence on his HER? One of the (very) few moments of this season worth treasuring. If you haven’t seen it, go!
1. Her
2. Gravity
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Captain Phillips
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. The Wolf of Wall Street
7. American Hustle
8. Philomena
9. Nebraska
(Note: Actually, I only find the first four films worthy of a nomination, the rest of the ballot should have been filled out with Frances Ha, Before Midnight, Blue is the Warmest Color, Inside Llewyn Davis and The Great Beauty)
Saw Nebraska last night. What a disaster. What’s wrong with Alexander Payne, has he completely lost it??
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Philomena
4. Captain Philips
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Gravity
7. Her
8. Nebraska
9. American Hustle
“Thing is, _All Is Lost_ is even more that way. Without the visceral thrill and technological marvels, but more poetry, more muted, more problematic. I still think _Children of Men_ is Cuaron’s better and more profound film.”
This! 100 times this!
Jerry Grant, I agree with just about everything you write, which surely means you’re a man of rare erudition and discrimination. Now if you only liked Her better, you’d be batting 100%. 🙂
Gay people not liking Gravity? Hadn’t heard that one.
Maybe it’s because the experience is like really exaggerated car trouble. Bad for women, which would explain Cuaron centering the story on Bullock, but worse on gays because, unlike most men, we don’t know shit about cars. Worse than bottom-shaming.
Frankly, I don’t know how anybody can “hate” Gravity, whatever their proclivities. It’s a gorgeous piece of work.
thats how i’d vote
1/her
2/12 years a slave
3/gravity
4/nebraska
5/american hustle
6/ cpt phillips
7/wolf of wall street
8/dallas buyers’ club
9/ philomena
(happy that HER would be a serious player for best film here in the AD ballots)
Any film that utilizes I Feel Love the best electronic song ever recorded elevates itself in my book.
1. Her
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Nebraska
5. Gravity
6. Dallas Buyers Club
7. Captain Phillips
8. American Hustle
9. Philomena
To give my two cents on Gravity’s reception in the gay community, I saw it with a group of gay men and everyone was really impressed with it at the time. I don’t think it ended up in many of our FAVORITES of the year though (number 5 for me here, more like 10 when considering films not nominated for BP).
My ballot would be
1 12 Years a Slave
2.Gravity
3 Her
4 Nebraska
5 American Hustle
6.Dallas Buyers Club
7 Captain Phillips
8 The Wolf of Wall Street
9 Philomena
1 12 Years a Slave
2 The Wolf of Wall Street
3 American Hustle
4 Gravity
5 Her
6 Dallas Buyers Club
7 Captain Phillips
8 Nebraska
9 Philomena
1. Gravity
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. American Hustle
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Her
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Nebraska
9. Philomena
1. Gravity
2. Her
3. Nebraska
4. Philomena
5. Captain Phillips
6. Dallas Buyers Club
7. American Hustle
8. 12 Years a Slave
9. The Wolf of Wall Street
It’s amazing how many of us put
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
9 of the 20 or so listed.
My listing would be
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Captain Phillips
American Hustle
Gravity
Nebraska
Philomena
Her
Dallas Buyers Club
As for Russell’s work, I like _Flirting with Disaster_, _Silver Linings Playbook_, and _American Hustle_ about equally. _Hustle_ might actually come out on top, but not by much.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. American Hustle
4. Gravity
5. Captain Phillips
6. Her
7. Philomena
8. Nebraska
9. Dallas Buyers Club
I agree with Rob’s description of _Gravity_. Thing is, _All Is Lost_ is even more that way. Without the visceral thrill and technological marvels, but more poetry, more muted, more problematic. I still think _Children of Men_ is Cuaron’s better and more profound film. (Just as _United 93_ is Greengrass’s better and more profound film than _Captain Phillips_, and _Being John Malkovich_, _Adaptation_, and _Where the Wild Things Are_ are all better and more profound films than _Her_, and _Election_ and _Sideways_ are far better than _Nebraska_.) Suffice it to say: I did not think this year represented the best work of the considered filmmakers (except McQueen, Chandor, Bujalski, Baumbach).
1. Her
2. Gravity
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. 12 Years a Slave
********************
5. Nebraska
6. American Hustle
7. Philomena
8. Captain Phillips
9. Dallas Buyers Club
1. 12 Years A Slave
2. Wolf Of Wall Street
3. Her
4. Captain Phillips
5. Philomena
6. American Hustle
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. GRavity
9. Nebraska
1. 12 Years A Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Captain Phillips
4. Gravity
5. Her
6. Nebraska
7.Dallas Buyers Club
8. American Hustle
9. Philomena
Ryan,
I picked up what you were saying in the podcast about the film allowing for projection of interpretation, and I agreed with you. I like that in a film. Most of Kubrick’s films are like that. The difference between Cuaron and Kubrick is that Cuaron put all that under a layer of a thrill ride, and Kubrick never hid from it.
(On a side note completely irrelevant to this conversion. You brought up Rothko. I was born within an hour of Rothko’s estimated time of death.)
I was born within an hour of Rothko’s estimated time of death.)
Well, don’t get a big head about it, but you’re probably Mark Rothko reincarnated then.
I voted for Ralph Nader. :p
Here would be my ballot if I had one.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. American Hustle
3. Nebraska
4. Her
5. Dallas Buyer’s Club
6. 12 Years a Slave
*****This is my cut off for worthy Best Pictures*****
7. Captain Phillips
8. Gravity
9. Philomena
You can always click my name to find out what I really thought about them.
Oh wow, I didn’t know we share the same alma mater Dr. Rob. Cool beans!
Beautifully stated and representative of my thoughts exactly. Gravity is the most resonant film of 2013 for me bar none, both intellectually and emotionally. A sublime Rorschach tapestry.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Gravity
4. Nebraska
5. Her
6. Captain Phillips
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Philomena
9. American Hustle
I second that, Marshall. Behind the Candelabra’s opening was pretty cool.
I posted my preference list in the simulated ballot post, but I’ll repost it again if anyone (*crickets*) is curious:
Gravity
Wolf of Wall Street
12 Years a Slave
Her
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Philomena
American Hustle
As for gays and Gravity, my gay friends, who are predominantly an academic/technically-minded bunch and who all are, to varying degrees, sci-fi fanatics, loved Gravity. Blown away by the visuals and Bullock, but also picked up on/appreciated the visual metaphors and constant DNA of dualism and dichotomy. They also quite enjoyed Wolf of Wall Street. But they were split on American Hustle and weren’t all that interested in 12 Years a Slave.
The brilliant use of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” in a disco with real disco dancing and not done to mock disco.
As fun that scene was, my vote for best use of “I Feel Love” in 2013 is still the intro to Behind the Candelabra. Perfect introduction to the film.
I am a mathematician, earning my doctorate from Arizona State, many years ago. But along the way I did earn a BA in English Literature. (No I am not doing this to drop my degrees into the conversation.) Of all my classes I have taken as a mathematical student, the most important and useful class was a class in literary criticism. The instructor never lost the idea of the broader context of criticism in general. What I took from the class is that there are many different perceptions to any one thing.
So, I find it fascinating when I hear a discussion of an evaluation of an artistic piece, what people find important and what aspect is ignored.
When I was in that conversation about Gravity, I essentially remained quiet and observed. When I was asked my opinion, I voiced that I thought it was one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. They were generally shocked. I found a very simple story rich with philosophical undertones, and one where the viewer can project on to it a much deeper yet quite personal meaning. I like that it is like a painting, or a short poem having the viewer being an active participant completing the experience. Needless to say my opinion was collectively negated by the review of the awful script. I didn’t care; I still don’t. It will always be a personal piece for me.
I found a very simple story rich with philosophical undertones, and one where the viewer can project on to it a much deeper yet quite personal meaning. I like that it is like a painting, or a short poem having the viewer being an active participant completing the experience.
Rob, This sounds so much like what I was trying to say about Gravity on this week’s episode of the Oscar Podcast. I was talking about how Gravity had a meditative hypnotic effect on me, and compared it to going to a museum and sitting in front of a Mark Rothko painting. I’m not sure if that even made it onto the podcast because sometimes Sasha protects us by editing stuff out where we sound too crazy.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Gravity
3. Her
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Nebraska
7. Captain Phillips
8. Philomena
9. American Hustle
Her is my #1, but I’d put 12 Years and Gravity at the top for solidarity. I’m a GHC for the Hustle. Sorry, not sorry.
“It is the first film since 1939′s Gone with the Wind to get this close to winning Best Picture.”
What does this even mean? Kinda reads like half a thought, like something’s missing.
surprised that HER has more Best Picture citations than the too-much-ballyooed AMERICAN HUSTLE. i have a feeling that Oscar-wise, the comb-over epic will end up like COLOR PURPLE and THE TURNING POINT.
When it’s laid bare like this, 12 Years a Slave for the BP Oscar by a long shot.
‘oh man did they all—in unison—hate the film’
The notion of people actually hating such a well-made film outrages me. I could hate a film like, say, one of the Scary Movie films, or one of the Twilight films, because they’re actually shit. But something as well-crafted as Gravity, or any of the films nominated in any of the categories at this year’s Oscars, constitutes far too much quality in far too many aspects of filmmaking to be worthy of genuine hatred from any rational, open-minded, artistically-literate person. And I’m not interested in the opinions of any other type of person.
How I would rate them
1. Gravity
2. Captain Phillips
3. American Hustle
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Nebraska
6. Philomeona
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Her
9. The Wolf of Wall Street
I haven’t put my list anywhere, so here’s mine:
1. Gravity
2. 12 Years
3. Her
4. Captain Phillips
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Philomena
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
8. Nebraska
9. American Hustle
Bryce,
Most of my close friends that saw American Hustle loved it. But what was the number one thing that was discussed? The brilliant use of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” in a disco with real disco dancing and not done to mock disco.
1. Wolf Of Wall Street
2. Her
3. 12 Years A Slave
4. Gravity
*****At this point in the ballot, I’ll note that all of my top four meet my ‘standard’ for Best Picture. While I like the other five nominees, if any of them were to actually win, I’d be annoyed since there were clearly a lot of better choices.*****
5. Nebraska
6. American Hustle
7. Philomena
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. Captain Phillips
Cyrus,
Technically you can, but once Her is eliminated your ONE vote for Her would be discarded as there is no other place for it.
HER
HER
HER
HER
HER
HER
HER
HER
HER
Can we also vote like this because I really loved Her!
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Captain Phillips
3. Gravity
4. Her
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Philomena
7. Nebraska
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. American Hustle
Would Gravity be the first Science Fiction film to win Best Picture? I’m just thinking about past films, even 2001: A Space Odyssey wasn’t nominated for best picture, and films that were nominated for picture (ET, A Clockwork Orange, Avatar, District 9, Her, I hope I haven’t forgotten one) never came this close to winning best picture before (an argument could be made for ET and Avatar though). If Gravity won, it would be the first Sci-Fi film to win Best Picture which would be a pretty impressive achievement, unless i’m mistaken.
I agree with everyone decrying the hypothetical voter I describe. Just saying, it could happen.
Ryan, Rob,
All my friends (gay and straight) loved AMERICAN HUSTLE and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, and 12 YEARS would be a close 3rd just because not everyone has seen it yet.
Very few of my real friends are hipsters, but a lot of my FB acquaintances are, and oh man did they all—in unison—hate the film. Bypassing the visuals, they focused on the “recycled” story. They either missed or complained about the philosophical life/death/rebirth symbolism Cuaron scattered about and failing to grasp the concept of a minimal narrative.
Bryce,
It has been unpopular with the hipster gays. Not enough irony.
I would like to add to Gravity’s history making: That it is a film that requires theatrical viewing to fully appreciate. Every other film translates to the small screen easier. One would think that the narrative of theater attendance would be pushed by the studio.
It has been unpopular with the hipster gays.
oy, what are you guys doing associating with hipster gays? As I suspected, if none of your friends like Gravity then you need some new friends.
Why would gay people hate Gravity? The theoretical force of gravity does not discriminate, treating everybody equally.
Why is pointing out that GRAVITY is just a theme park ride writ large “noise you should ignore”? It’s a very legitimate criticism of the film, as far as I’m concerned, and precisely why it isn’t the best film of the year.
Ugh, I can’t wait for American Hustle to go away. It was fine, but…no. It’s faux-Scorsese, faux-edgy, faux-madcap–and with The Wolf of Wall Street, we’ve got the real thing, so why bother with this?
Why is pointing out that GRAVITY is just a theme park ride writ large “noise you should ignore”? It’s a very legitimate criticism of the film, as far as I’m concerned, and precisely why it isn’t the best film of the yea
But is it really? I mean REALLY? To me it’s more like a video game, the kind they make now that gamers think have actual stories to them – Gravity has some story but really it’s about her getting home and winning the game. I loved it though. A masterpiece…
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Gravity
4. Her
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. American Hustle
7. Captain Phillips
8. Nebraska
9. Philomena
I would go like this
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Her
4. Gravity
5. Captain Phillips
6. Nebraska
7. Philomena
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. American Hustle (not that I think it shouldn’t win, I just think it shouldn’t be nominated)
I would rank mine the same way Bennett.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Gravity
4. Dallas Buyers Club
5. Captain Phillips
6. Her
7. Nebraska
8. Philomena
9. American Hustle
Wow as of late all of my comments have been met with swift strong disapproval from my fellow readers, can’t wait for this to be over.
all of my comments have been met with swift strong disapproval
nah, I’m not seeing that. untense, Bryce
“Do the voters have the option to put GRAVITY at #1 and the leave everything else empty? ”
What a sad thought that is.
I guess if they watched it with earplugs or no sound
so that they escaped the dialogue.
Is it just me or is GRAVITY kind of unpopular among the gay community? Has me really disappointed in my people.
Is it just me or is GRAVITY kind of unpopular among the gay community?
I have not found that to be true, Bryce. All the gay guys I know like Gravity and they all like Sandy.
Without even doing casual survey, I know the 2 best-liked movies among my circle of gay friends are The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle, followed by 12 Years a Slave, The Counselor, Her. Although most of the crowd I run with are Black and Latino, nobody seemed to be very eager to see Fruitvale Station until I made them watch it and then they’ve all really liked it.
Bryce, if your own gay friends don’t care much for Gravity then what do you find they like better?
By the way, I should say I have former friends who like American Hustle because I don’t like to be around those guys anymore. ha, kidding, not kidding, kidding.
Is it just me or is GRAVITY kind of unpopular among the gay community? Has me really disappointed in my people.
It makes up for it in internet fanboyism overall, however.
“Do the voters have the option to put GRAVITY at #1 and the leave everything else empty? ”
In a year like this? Seriously.
I suppose if one saw nothing else, but then that person shouldn’t be voting.
Do the voters have the option to put GRAVITY at #1 and the leave everything else empty? Valid choice and should be let known!
Do the voters have the option to put GRAVITY at #1
that can be done, but it would be a very strange thing and pointless thing to do.
such a petulant demonstration would almost look like a protest vote to abstain from giving a shit about any other movie, so I’d really have to wonder about the mental state of that voter.
Nice to see your around here, Nat. Sure, there have been other BP winners with female leads, but almost all of those had male co-leads, and the few that didn’t (e.g. Broadway Melody, All About Eve, Terms of Endearment) there were female co-leads. Gravity would make history as the first BP winner with a bonafide solo female lead, i.e. the female lead carries nearly 100% of the film by herself.
And, then, I suppose:
1. Gravity
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Nebraska
4. Her
5. Captain Phillips
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. American Hustle
9. Philomena
Wouldn’t “Her” make history by being the first Sci-Fi film to win?
Good rundown but i’m thrown by Gravity making history as first winning film with a female lead or the first effects driven film. Ummmm… the first has happened lots of time. Less than films with male leads but still. The second, doesn’t Titanic sort of count?
Good rundown but i’m thrown by Gravity making history as first winning film with a female lead or the first effects driven film. Ummmm… the first has happened lots of time. Less than films with male leads but still. The second, doesn’t Titanic sort of count?
Nat – I mean the sole woman. No other cast members except one half a part by Clooney. Actually I don’t think it’s ever happened, male or female.
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Gravity
3. American Hustle
4. Nebraska
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Her
7. Dallas Buyers Club
8. Captain Phillips
9. Philomena
I would definitely not vote for Ralph Nader but I would certainly vote for Libertarians. Even though they have next to no chance of winning a major election in the foreseeable future, their voices desperately need to be heard: Less Taxes, More Freedoms!!!
1. Dallas Buyers Club
2. Captain Phillips
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Her
5. Nebraska
6. The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Gravity
8. Philomena
9. American Hustle