Meet This Year's Best Picture Contenders
As we head into the holiday season, we also head into the heart of film awards season. And once again, we are looking at a rather unpredictable year. Though cinemas have mostly reopened this year, the Oscar race is once again being impacted by the pandemic, with many films failing to reach the large audiences that would have greeted them in a normal year—or reaching them directly in their homes rather than on the big screen.
But the uncertainty doesn't mean we don't have a general idea of which films will contend for best picture nominations at the upcoming Oscars. We have surveyed industry experts, calculated the Metascores, and examined the top performing films at this year's major film festivals to come up with a list of 20 potential best picture contenders from 2021, plus a few bonus wildcards.
What is it? A behind-the-scenes look at one eventful week on the set during a taping of I Love Lucy in 1952, based (somewhat) on true events.
Why is it a contender? It's written and directed by Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin, whose previous film (another true story tale, The Trial of the Chicago 7) was a best picture nominee. And it has already attracted a lot of attention for the somewhat unlikely casting of Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball. The cast also features two more previous Oscar winners in Javier Bardem (playing Desi Arnaz) and J.K. Simmons (as William Frawley, aka I Love Lucy's Fred), plus, for good measure, a Tony winner (Nina Arianda, playing Vivian Vance/Ethel).
What are its chances? Unknown, given that it hasn't screened for anyone yet (though it is expected to be unveiled to the industry this weekend). And the fact that Kidman is mostly hidden in an early teaser could be a worrying sign—or it could be clever marketing. But if Ricardos is halfway decent it could easily crack the best picture field given the talent involved. And Amazon will no doubt mount a major for your consideration campaign on its behalf given that the streamer's other potential Oscar contenders this year have been met with lackluster reviews (George Clooney's The Tender Bar) or befuddlement (Annette).
When can I see it? December 10 in theaters, December 21 on Prime Video.
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|