Hard to believe that the year 2000 has passed so quickly, and we're down to only three more months worth of movies to consider for the Oscar prize. As I've mentioned before, 2000 has been a pretty terrible year for movies, so I think it's fair to say that the top Oscar contenders will come from the September-December time frame, with a couple of notable exceptions.
I still feel that ERIN BROCKOVICH is in the running, if only for a Best Actress nod for Julia Roberts. And the just released NURSE BETTY may have a lock for Best Actress for Renee Zellweger, I certainly thought it was her best performance to date. WONDER BOYS also has a good shot, particularly since it's being re-released in theatres this fall to remind Academy voters of how good it is. The screenplay and Michael Douglas's performance have great chances at being nominated, and it may even make it to Best Picture. And GLADIATOR, along with some other summer films, should get some nods, especially in technical categories, although Russell Crowe may get a nod for Best Actor for GLADIATOR. But let's look ahead at what films I think have the best chances ...
Let's start with this month, September ... really only two films look good Oscar wise. Denzel Washington's new film REMEMBER THE TITANS, which opens this weekend, looks like a good uplifting sports movie, but may only have a shot for Washington's performance. I have a feeling this film may end up being forgotten come Oscar time. But one film that I think will NOT be forgotten is Cameron Crowe's ALMOST FAMOUS. I have not seen such universal critical acclaim for a film since AMERICAN BEAUTY last year, and we all know what happened with AMERICAN BEAUTY. It opens in wide release next weekend (the 29th), but already the critics are coming out in near unanimous acclaim for this highly personal film from Cameron Crowe. I can't wait to see it. I have yet to hear one bad review. And this film just has that Oscar buzz feel to it ... I have a feeling we may see this film up for Best Picture, and Crowe getting a Best Director nod. The performers are almost all unknowns, but it will be interesting to see how successful the film is at the boxoffice after all this critical acclaim. It's basically Crowe's own story of a young boy's loss of innocence when he tags along with a rock band in the 70's to report for Rolling Stone. I hear that the 70's have never looked so good on film, and that the story and performances are incredible. We shall see.
