2015 Oscars Preview

2015 can't possibly be as strong as last year, but it's getting there

2013 was an absolutely stacked year for movies. 

You had Alfonso Cuaron's groundbreaking space thriller Gravity that dominated the Academy Awards and took home seven Oscars. You had the best picture-winning 12 Years a Slave that masterfully depicted slavery in a way we had never imagined. 

There was Matthew McConaughey's breakthrough in Dallas Buyer's Club and there was Spike Jonze's captivating modern love tale in Her. There was Captain Phillips and Before Midnight. There was American Hustle, Nebraska, and The Wolf of Wall Street, who were nominated for a combined 21 Oscars and didn't win a single one. 

What gives, huh?

A Martin Scorsese film didn't win an Oscar of any kind. That's when you know. 

Naturally, 2014 wasn't going to compete. It couldn't have. And it hasn't. But now the year is dwindling down and a few strong Oscar contenders are emerging. 

The year started slowly, with George Clooney's The Monuments Men leading the way as a promising Oscar contender that disappointed big time. 

In March, Darren Aronofsky debuted his modern take on the classic tale of Noah that sparked some controversy to say the least. The critics were more forgiving though, and Noah might grab a couple nominations, especially in visual categories. Aronofsky certainly didn't follow the biblical guidelines of the story in full, but he created one hell of an aesthetic experience. Oh, and Emma Watson. Because Emma Watson.

If any film from the early part of the year is going to make an appearance at the Academy Awards, it'll be The Lego Movie, but that can only win so much. It grossed over $250,000,000 and made even more from promotional products, but even last year's smash hit Frozen only won a couple Oscars, and one was for a song. It seems unlikely that "Everything is Awesome" will win one for The Lego Movie, but it could very well win Best Animated Film of the Year. 

In the summer came The Fault in Our Stars, and even though director Josh Boone did John Green justice with his heartfelt adaptation, it probably won't win much. The most likely nomination might be the Green-infused screenplay. Shailene Woodley deserves a best actress nomination, but it can't be expected. 

It wasn't until July and Richard Linklater's Boyhood that a definite Oscar contender emerged. The 12-year epic will surely garner interest from the Academy, especially because it's not Linklater's first rodeo. His script should earn him a second straight nomination, this time for Best Original Screenplay. It's also quite possible that he'll earn a nomination for best director, seeing as most don't work over a 12 year span. And don't be surprised if the "Boy" in Boyhood Ellar Coltrane earns a Best Leading Actor nomination. He was quite literally growing up twice during filming. Not to mention Best Picture. Look for Boyhood to make some serious noise. 

Fast forward a few months to October and David Fincher comes calling. His latest entry to the dark crime genre Gone Girl will earn him some nominations, especially on the production side of things. Ben Affleck probably won't win his first Oscar as an actor, but he should earn a nomination for his role. The real question is: Will this finally be the year Fincher wins Best Director? Richard Linklater and Christopher Nolan might have something to say about it, but 2014 seems likes a decent year to do it. 

A nomination for Affleck is debatable, but there's not even a question about Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. His role might have been the best of his career, which is saying a lot. Don't be surprised if he wins. Dan Gilroy's dark satire of the modern media might earn a few more nominations in categories like Sound Mixing or Sound Editing, but it won't light up the show too much. 

And then there's Interstellar. Will it be this year's Gravity? Probably not, but let's just say Nolan picked a good year to debut his daring space adventure. Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best cinematography all seem like definite nominations, and it doesn't stop there. Matthew McConaughey could see his second straight Best Leading Actor nomination and Hans Zimmer seems like the current favorite for Best Score. 

While Interstellar probably won't win seven Oscars like Gravity did, it should definitely be nominated for at least that many. At this point, Nolan's epic seems like the overall frontrunner. 

The year is far from over, though, and there are a few titles set to be released soon that might join the conversation. Jennifer Lawrence is back in the latest The Hunger Games project, and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy is set to close in December. You also can't overlook Ridley Scott and Christian Bale in the upcoming Exodus: Gods and Kings. 

There have certainly some great films so far in 2014, and as long as you aren't expecting anything like last year, it should make for an entertaining awards season. 

-EE