Posted

in

by

Tags:


We had two films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

Cars 3

Returning to the world of Cars, 11 years after narrowly losing Best Animated Feature to the now-largely-forgotten Happy Feet, Pixar is hoping to return to the Oscar race with only the second film they’ve made more than one sequel to. The other, Toy Story 3 was an industry darling, handily winning the Best Animated Feature Award, possibly because the first two films came out before the category existed.

The problem is that in 2011, Cars 2 set a precedent that Pixar hasn’t been able to escape since. After that picture, no sequel or prequel to a Pixar feature has scored an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Not Cars 2, not Monsters University, not Finding Dory. That kind of history is hard to ignore and may hinder Cars 3‘s chances.

That said, competition so far this year hasn’t been stellar. Although Pixar has another film up its sleeve for the fall in Coco, Disney/Pixar has managed multiple nominations in a single year before, so it’s still entirely possible. While the critics weren’t as vicious to Cars 3 as they were with Cars 2, the original is still much better received. That said, reviews aren’t everything in Animated Feature and it’s still possible the film could register, but the curse, if there is one, may have to be tested when The Incredibles 2
releases next year or, at the worst, when Toy Story 4 comes out in 2019.

Maudie

Premiering at Telluride last year, it’s taken awhile to get Aisling Walsh’s artistic drama Maudie into U.S. theaters. The film, which follows the life of respected artist Maud Lewis as she finds her place within a untrusting community.

Starring Oscar nominees Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, the similarities to Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar winner My Left Foot aren’t inconsequential. Day-Lewis won the first of this three Oscars for the role of Christy Brown. The trailer suggests that Hawkins gives a sterling performance, but the film doesn’t have what My Left Foot did: Harvey Weinstein.

Back then, Miramax was just starting its role of Oscar contenders, with this film specifically. Maudie is a Sony Pictures Classics release. They’ve been around awhile. That it waited until this year to release suggests they don’t have a lot of faith in the film, the June release seconds that notion. While the movie looks like it has the potential to be an awards magnet, the trajectory and release window suggest it will be utterly forgotten by then.

Verified by MonsterInsights