Roundup: Indies miss out as Academy reveals 289 Oscar-eligible titles

Posted by · 2:51 am · December 17th, 2013

The annual list of films eligible for general-category Oscar consideration is always a bit of a dispiriting one. Every viable contender is on the list, as well as plenty of non-viable ones, but many of the year’s best films from the foreign and independent spheres aren’t. That’s not the Academy’s fault — a film has to be submitted to be considered — but it does reveal how the expense and effort of an Oscar campaign is all too often beyond the means of the little guys. So it is that this year’s list of 289 eligible titles includes “Grown Ups 2,” but “Upstream Color,” “Mother of George” and “A Hijacking,” for example, are all officially out of contention. [AMPAS

David O. Russell is ambivalent about the classification of “American Hustle” as a comedy at the Golden Globes. [New York Times]

With the dust settled on Jennifer Lawrence’s win for an “enormously fun” turn in Russell’s last film, Mike D’Angelo looks back on the 2012 Best Actress race. [The Dissolve

Sally Hawkins on “Blue Jasmine,” the similarities between Woody Allen and Mike Leigh, and being a “Star Wars” extra. [Variety]

Julie Andrews lends a hand to the “Saving Mr. Banks” campaign. I suppose she would. [Hollywood Reporter]

R. Kurt Osenlund rounds up the worst movie posters of 2013. [Slant

Glenn Whipp reports from an Academy screening of “American Hustle” over the weekend. Turns out they love Jennifer Lawrence. Who knew? [LA Times]

Evangeline Lilly’s Best Actress Oscar campaign gets a major boost from the BFCA! Or, you know, not. [The Wire]

A lovely appreciation of the late Joan Fontaine by Farran Nehme. [Self-Styled Siren]

Malcolm McDowell, meanwhile, writes a colorful tribute to his “Caligula” co-star Peter O’Toole, chicken gizzards and all. [The Guardian]




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