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

Justice League

Although the DC Extended Universe isn’t particularly old, the first film was released in 2013 (Man of Steel), there have now been five features released. Two of those films, Justice League and Wonder Woman came out just this year, leaving only three films to judge the franchise’s potential for Oscar consideration.

Compared to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be easy to say that this francise is the pariah of the Osars. That could be the case. Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice both failed to earn Oscar nominations. However, Suicide Squad did, becoming the first of this franchise to do so. It was only one nomination, but it won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Not even the Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to win an Oscar.

That doesn’t mean much of anything. Although Wonder Woman was both a financial and critical success, Justice League wasn’t, debuting under $100 million when most observers thought it was score much higher. Critics were unimpressed, as they have been with all of the other DCEU films, except Wonder Woman. If the DCEU is to be nominated this year, Justice League isn’t likely to be the beneficiary unless it can break into the crowded Visual Effects field.

Wonder

Adapted from a bestselling novel, Wonder is the latest attempt to turn inspirational bestsellers into major motion pictures. The genre has struggled to find success in recent years, but they have finally found a film worth the adaptation. Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as parents of a disfigured boy (Jacob Tremblay), has managed to win over the hearts of audiences who have so far seen it, giving the film a superb A+ rating at CinemaScore.

Critics were solidly in support of the film even though they aren’t proclaiming it the best of the year, but that dual support, plus the solid box office debut put the film into competition, even if only partially.

Tremblay, who was unfairly ignored for his role in Room, has a chance at cracking he weak Best Actor slate while Julia Roberts could bring her star power to the Supporting Actress competition. The film is sure to be a Best Adapted Screenplay nominee and could pull off a Blind Side-styled entry into Best Picture. It isn’t likely to win any of these competitions, but it’s now in the race.

The Breadwinner

Co-director of Oscar nominee The Secret of Kells Nora Towmey is the sole director of The Breadwinner, a story about a young girl in Afghanistan who dresses as a boy so that she can provide for her family.

This type of narrative has been employed quite frequently throughout cinema history and even in animation (see Mulan), but this film looks to explore the deplorable treatment of women and young girls throughout much of the Islamic world. It’s a timely story, which should be right up the ally of Oscar voters.

The film has received strong buzz and has been on numerous lists as a potential Best Animated Feature nominee. With GKids behind it, it should be easier to get it nominated. The problem is that the Academy changed their rules and the nominations are voted on by the entire membership rather than the narrower Features Animation branch. That could mean more broadly available films could be more easily favored than GKids films. However, I don’t see GKids going down without a fight and without any precedent availale, we don’t know if the Academy’s move will hurt or help them, especially when you consider all the indie films nominated in Best Picture since the expansion of that category.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Denzel Washington is an actor who has earned great respect over the years. Securing more Oscar nominations than any other black actor and with seven total nominations, he’s one of the all-time top acting nominees. It’s within reason that he will be the first black actor ever to win three Oscars. Prior to this film’s trailer and release, some thought it might be an opportunity.

A win doesn’t seem likely at this point, but a nomination is still in the cards. That isn’t because the performance is receiving a lot of praise. It isn’t. That isn’t because the film be a major Oscar contender. It won’t. It’s simply because the category is light on serious candidates this year. There isn’t a lot of competition and few actors have truly stepped forward to claim the mantle of contender.

Washington could pick up his eighth nomination here. That would put him into a six-way tie for 8th place in most Oscar nominations ever behind luminaries Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, Bette Davis, Laurence Olivier, Paul Newman, and Spencer Tracy. The tie would situate him alongside Marlon Brando, Jack Lemmon, Peter O’Toole, Al Pacino, and Geraldine Page.

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