
You guys… what if two women get a Best Director nomination at the Oscars this year? Will the world spin backwards? Will Diet Dr. Pepper finally start tasting like regular Dr. Pepper?
I’m asking these questions because I went to see The September Issue, the new documentary about Anna Wintour, on Saturday, and there was a preview for Amelia, Mira Nair’s biopic of Amelia Earhart.
Let’s watch the trailer, and then I’ll explain why I’m cautiously predicting such a crazy implosion of Oscar’s standard m.o.
The Movie: Amelia (opening October 23)
The Buzz: Hilary Swank plays Amelia Earhart in a big, pretty, prestige-with-a-capital-P drama.
The Trailer:
The Review:
A good trailer makes us yearn for what might be, and this one does its job to perfection. Before I saw this, I wasn’t even interested in Amelia, but now I’m eager to buy a ticket for several reasons:
(1) I’m remembering that Hilary Swank is talented
It’s easy to forget that, you know? She’s had such a strange career. She absolutely earned her Oscars for Million Dollar Baby and Boys Don’t Cry, but when she isn’t playing mannish women (or trans-men), she not only lands in projects with crappy scripts, but also flounders as a performer. Remember Freedom Writers? No? Lucky you.
As tomboyish Amelia Earhart, Swank seems to be right back in her sweet spot, and I won’t be surprised if she ends up with a third Oscar nomination. (Too bad Annette Bening isn’t in a movie this year, or there might have been a third round in their ongoing Academy cage match.) Based on what I see, it looks like she’s doing what she does best… finding shades of vulnerability and doubt beneath layers and layers of toughness.
(2) The movie looks gorgeous
Is it just me, or are the colors popping off the screen? It looks like Nair and her cinematographer have created a vision of the past that’s just a bit more vivid than reality. If that perspective holds, then Nair could be halfway to an Oscar nod.
(3) The story looks formulaic, but in a pleasing way
No doubt we’ll have seen this arc before—rebel chases dreams, fails, still inspires millions—but trailer implies the cookie cutter is delivering something sweet. There’s apromise of drama and sadness and passion, without too much sappy romance.
Should the story remain coherent and exciting, then Nair could finish in the Academy’s top five (along with Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker.) That would be awesome.
Of course, the preview could be tricking me. Lord knows, Australia looked great after a three-minute sample, but then it turned out to be booty basement.
For now, though, I’m happy to dream big and keep my expectations high.
The Rating: Four Reminders (Out of Five) That It’s “Aviatrix, not “Aviator”






5 responses so far ↓
1 Doug // Aug 31, 2009 at 4:23 pm
It could happen, though I’m skeptical. Until I learned that Mira Nair was directing it, Amelia just sounded like standard Oscar biopic fare, but hopefully there is more to it. And with Scorsese/Shutter Island pushed to 2010, the field is wider.
Are you assuming Bigelow is a lock?
2 Mark Blankenship // Aug 31, 2009 at 4:47 pm
RE: Bigelow — Truthfully, no, I don’t think she’s an absolute lock, but I do think she’s got a really good shot. Even if the film itself doesn’t get nominated, she could go in the Almodovar/Egoyan/Mereilles slot.
3 TravisN // Aug 31, 2009 at 7:42 pm
And isn’t Jane Campion still considered to be a short-lister for a nomination?
Who knows, even Nancy Meyers could end up in the discussion pool if that’s “It’s Complicated” movie ends up being good. It has Meryl, The Oscar Goddess after all.
4 Angie // Sep 1, 2009 at 8:31 am
Hey Mark, have you seen the trailer for The Men Who Stare at Ghosts yet? I saw it this morning, and I think my world was legitimately rocked.
5 Rouge Gomez // Sep 1, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Mira Nair is a wonderful storyteller who creates characters with a wonderful sense of naturalism. And ALL of her movies are beautiful to look at. If she decides to make a musical version of Trent Lott’s life, I’ll go see it!
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