We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

The Grinch

Dr. Seuss’s classic story about a mean-spirited grump who steals Christmas from the holiday-loving people of Whoville was told to great acclaim in 1966 with the television movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. The perennial TV staple stood for thirty-four years as the only telling of the classic children’s book when Ron Howard directed Jim Carrey in a live-action version of the story with the same title sans exclamation point. While the film did well at the box office, it was poorly received and the original TV version remains the gold standard.

Illumination, which has once before taken a Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) story and adapted to the big screen, 2012’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax decided to adapt yet another Seuss story to the big screen. In choosing The Grinch in lieu of any of Geisel’s other adventures, they set themselves up for direct comparison to the Chuck Jones-crafted animated feature. Suffice it to say critics have been less than enthused by this particular retelling, some of them wondering what the need was considering the original’s legendary status.

That presents a major obstacle to the film’s Oscar chances for a nomination. Audiences have responded positively to it, but that’s a given for almost any major animated feature, especially from a company like Illumination, which has earned countless dollars off its myriad films. Illumination is the second mark against the film’s favor. Outside of Despicable Me 2, none of their other films have earned Oscar nomination. Could this be the film to bring them back to the competition? With critical reception mediocre, the third worst in the company’s history, the film’s chances are slim. However, with a dearth of competition this year, it’s possible the film could sneak into one of the weaker spots, especially if the change to voting rules for the branch promotes more populist fare.