Catching Up With Oscar
By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a conflict for film buffs: the Academy Awards ceremony approaches, but this wicked winter weather has put a major crimp in moviegoing.
Well, we're here to help.
In the pre-Oscar days remaining, here are the major Oscar-contending movies you'll want to seek out -- because they will be prominent on Oscar night (Sunday, March 2nd) or you'll want to see them afterward.
Virtually all of them are still on theatre screens –- which, as always, is the best way to see them. But in most cases there are video alternatives.
And if you somehow manage to catch them all, you will have seen all the best-picture nominees, all the performances by actors and actresses contending for acting Oscars, and at least some of the Oscar winners.
[Click on a linked title below to see Bill Wine's expanded review]
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Gravity, the visionary science fiction drama from director Alfonso Cuaron with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has a tied-for-the-most ten nominations, including one for best picture, one for best director, and one for Bullock as best actress. It's just out on video.
American Hustle, the Abscam comedy from director David O. Russell, also has ten nominations, including one for best picture, one for best director, and one for each of the primary cast members – Christian Bale for best actor, Amy Adams for best actress, Jennifer Lawrence for best supporting actress, and Bradley Cooper for best supporting actor. It will be out on video in March.
12 Years a Slave, the powerful and shattering drama about slavery from director Steve McQueen, has nine nominations, including one for best picture, one for best director, and three acting nominations: Chiwetel Ejiofor for best actor, Lupita Nyong'o for best supporting actress, and Michael Fassbender for best supporting actor. It will be out on video in March.
Nebraska, the father-son road-trip comedy-drama from director Alexander Payne, received six nominations, including one for best picture, one for best director, one for Bruce Dern as best actor, and one for June Squibb for best supporting actress. It's just out on video.
Dallas Buyers Club, the real-life drama about the struggle of AIDS patients to get the medication they needed, has six nominations, including one for Matthew McConaughey for best actor and one for Jared Leto for best supporting actor. It's available on video.
Captain Phillips, the real-life drama about the hijacking by Somali pirates of a US cargo ship, received six nominations, including one for best picture and one for Barkhad Abdi for best supporting actor. It's available on video.
The Wolf of Wall Street, director Martin Scorsese's biographical crime comedy, has five nominations, including one for best picture, one for best director, one for Leonardo DiCaprio for best actor, and one for Jonah Hill for best supporting actor. It will be out on video in April.
Her, writer director Spike Jonze's romantic meditation on our relationship with technology, is up for five Oscars, including best picture. It will be out on video in March.
Philomena, the real-life drama about a woman's search for the son she gave up for adoption, received four nominations, including one for best picture and one for Judi Dench for best actress. It will be out on video in April.
Blue Jasmine, director Woody Allen's drama about two sisters and the men in their lives, is up for three Oscars, including one for Cate Blanchett for best actress and one for Sally Hawkins for best supporting actress. It's available on video.
And August: Osage County, an adaptation of the dysfunctional-family play, received two nominations, one for Meryl Streep for best actress and one for Julia Roberts for best supporting actress. It will be out on video in April.
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Now, bring on those Oscars!
