87th Academy Awards (2014): The Contenders

While my The Hopefuls article lists my individual predictions in various categories, here’s a simple list of current and past contenders for 2013, categorized based on their chances.

  • Strong: Based on strong buzz from festivals or performance with critics, box office or audiences, these are the top tier contenders this year.
  • Good: While they haven’t earned the level of buzz the Strong films have, these are still serious threats for nomination.
  • Average: Either through week performance at the box office or with critics, these films could build a strong campaign that results in multiple nominations, but the Strong and Good have better chances.
  • Minor: At some point, these films were either major players that suffered from box office problems or poor reception from critics that still remain contenders in some categories, but which have been significantly weakened by various factors.
  • Failure: The box office was bad, the reviews were terrible or a combination of other factors have turned these once-contenders into failures. There is still the possibility that some of the creative or tech categories could be in reach, but they’ll have to find a weak field in which to compete in order to get there.
  • Uncertain: There are so many factors working for and against these films, it’s hard for me to know for sure whether or not the Academy will embrace them.
  • Pending: Films that haven’t been released yet or are pending festival showings, these movies are major contenders on paper and minimal buzz keeps them in contention, but flops at the box office or with critics could send them spiraling into failure territory.

Each film also lists the areas at the Oscars they are most likely to compete in. These are bundled groupings to indicate their strength in the general areas of the Academy Awards as outlined below.

  • Major: Picture, Director and Acting Categories
  • Support: Writing, Music, Editing and Cinematography Categories
  • Creative: Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling Categories
  • Tech: Visual Effects and Sound Categories
  • Animation: Animated Feature
  • Documentary: Documentary Feature
  • Foreign: Foreign Language Film (requires submission by country of origin)
  • Individual: Those that don’t have a lot of chances in the broader categories above, but could be threats in individual categories.

The Contenders

PENDING

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (; Rated: ) – Tech
     (Released: May 2 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Annie (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 24 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Big Hero 6 (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Nov 7 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Book of Life (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Oct 3 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Boxtrolls (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Sep 26 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Captain America: Winter Soldier (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Apr 4 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Jul 18 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Dracula (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Oct 3 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Edge of Tomorrow (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Jun 6 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Exodus (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 12 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Fury (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Nov 14 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Godzilla (; Rated: ) – Tech
     (Released: May 16 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Good Dinosaur (; Rated: ) – Animation, Tech
     (Released: May 30 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Guardians of the Galaxy (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Aug 1 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Hercules: The Thracian Wars (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Jul 25 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Hobbit: There and Back Again (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 17 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Home (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Nov 26 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (; Rated: ) – Animation, Support, Tech
     (Released: Jun 20 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Nov 21 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Interstellar (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Nov 7 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Into the Woods (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 24 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Jupiter Ascending (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Jul 25 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Lego Movie (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Feb 7 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Maleficent (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Jul 4 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Million Dollar Arm (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative
     (Released: May 16 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Mr. Peabody and Sherman (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Mar 7 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Muppets Most Wanted (; Rated: ) – Animation, Support
     (Released: Mar 21 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Nut Job (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Jan 17 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Planes: Fire & Rescue (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Jul 18 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Pompeii (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Feb 21 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Rio 2 (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Apr 11 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Tomorrowland (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 12 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Transformers 4 (; Rated: ) – Tech
     (Released: Jun 27 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
Unbroken (; Rated: ) – Major, Support, Creative, Tech
     (Released: Dec 24 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
The Untitled Minions Project (; Rated: ) – Animation
     (Released: Dec 17 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )
X-Men: Days of Future Past (; Rated: ) – Creative, Tech
     (Released: May 23 – Box Office: $ – Rotten Tomatoes: % – MetaCritic: )


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