Today many are noting, some making a fuss, that that Warner Bros. are pushing “The Hangover” for Best Picture consideration in ads that are running on Variety (see below). However, it’s not really that odd. Studios typically campaign beyond their reach and hell, it’s a 10 film Best Picture race so of course they’re going to try and push hard for films that might not normally get Best Pic Oscar consideration.
On their For Your Consideration site, Warner Bros. seems to be realistic and are only pushing hard on four films, “Invictus” “Where The Wild Things Are,” “The Informant” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Curiously, “The Hangover is absent from this page, so perhaps this is a new last minute addition (or they felt since no other categories are available to them, they might as well push the mega-grossing $459 million dollar box-office achieving film [worldwide] for the big one and go for broke).
Sony are pushing on their FYC site, “Julie & Julia,” “District 9,” “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs,” “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” and “2012,” but before you laugh your ass off at the latter two, they don’t specify exactly what they are campaigning for, but considering ‘This Is It’ didn’t make the Oscar documentary short-list, it’s probably safe to say that it’s vying for Best Picture (and “2012” probably is too which is a laugh, unless you’re Oscar brain surgeon Tom O’Neil who clearly self-lobotomized himself earlier this fall).
Over at Paramount however, we do find a huuuge laugh. Naturally the studio is pushing, “Star Trek” “Up In The Air” and “The Lovely Bones,” but they’re also pushing “Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen” for Best Picture, Michael Bay for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Visual Effects (the latter of which probably will get at least a nomination).
But Best Picture and Best Director? Ha. Why? Probably because ‘Transformers 2’ made megabucks and cause they can. Or maybe even Michael Bay asked for it considering the shit-ton of loot that piece of crud made? It’s possible. Also, it’s sort of funny to note that yes, “Up In The Air” is vying for all the usual suspect spots, but Paramount is also asking consideration for 15 awards. Whoa, slow down there tigers (especially on the awful score and visual effects, really?).
Universal is pushing “Public Enemies,” “Brüno,” “Funny People” and “It’s Complicated” and the laughter in that group is Best Director, Best Picture and Best Actor for “Brüno.” One would assume if they actively campaign for those positions (or any categories in that film, really), they are just actively burning and throwing away money (not that it was terrible, but sorry, no chance dudes). Yes, “Funny People,” is going for Best Director and Best Picture, but you should expect that even if it’s a long shot.
We couldn’t find an official 20th Century Fox or updated Fox Searchlight FYC site (though we didn’t try that hard to be honest), but presumably they’ll be going whole hog for “Avatar” and “500 Days Of Summer” should have a decent shot at nabbing an Original Screenplay nomination. Wait, got it, Fox Searchlight are pushing ‘Summer,’ “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Crazy Heart” (natch), “Amelia” (a waste of money) and “Adam.” All of that makes (mostly) perfect sense.
Sony Pictures Classics’ FYC site isn’t really clear yet as to what they’re aiming for exactly (probably Best Picture in several categories, though they all feel doubtful), but they are offering free screenplays of “Moon,” “Sugar,” “An Education” and three films not even released in theaters yet, “The Last Station,” “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (though it’s been all over the festival circuit) and “The White Ribbon” if you want to spoil them for yourselves.