2002 Fall and Winter Film Preview: Sept and Oct Releases
We seem to say it every year, but it's probably going to continue to be true this year as well ... we probably have not seen our major Best Picture nominees yet this year. They will most likely come from the final four months of the year, the time when the studios typically release their "Oscar quality fare", and we typically get some of the best films.
The final four months of 2002 will be no exception, and once again, we will have a December chock full of some incredibly high anticipated films. As is typical of this time of year, as summer leaves us and the fall begins, it's time to present my annual preview of the fall and winter film movies to come, and begin looking ahead at what films and performances from this group could end up being our Oscar contenders, which ones will strike gold at the boxoffice, and which ones will be complete duds.
It's going to take me three articles to accomplish this task this time, devoting a single article to the months of November and December. This week, I'll begin my 2002 Fall and Winter Film Preview with the months of September and October. Keep in mind that all my predictions for possible Oscar success are based solely on advance buzz, the pedigree of the creative individuals involved, and the film's premise.
This September doesn't look to be a huge month film wise, but there are a couple of notable films which have the possibility of being Oscar contenders. The biggest possible Oscar contender will be the 19th century war drama, The Four Feathers, from director Shekhar Kapur, who last directed Elizabeth to a Best Picture nomination. Heath Ledger and Wes Bentley star in this adaptation of the 1902 novel, a violent yet epic adventure tale being compared already to one of the most legendary epics of all time, Lawrence of Arabia. It tells the story of a man who goes undercover in North Africa to help his regiment. Based on advance buzz, this one does look promising, and the Academy certainly likes war epics.
On the comedy side, Reese Witherspoon looks to have another winner on her hands with Sweet Home Alabama, an old fashioned romantic comedy where she plays a woman who becomes engaged to a rich New York socialite, only to find she still needs a divorce from her redneck husband in Alabama. Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas co-star as the love interests.
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