Entertainment
What Are 2014's Best Picture Oscar Nominees About? Here's Your Cheat Sheet
Oscars season is in full swing, folks. And you know what that means: OSCAR PARTIES. Truly the greatest reason for the season: Academy Award bingo, red carpet drinking games, and Best Picture-themed snacks for all! This year's nominees for Best Picture are in quite a tight race. Mega blockbusters paired with indie darlings and historical dramas make for one of the finest batch of nominees in ages.
Though there were some glaring omissions in the nominations, we're pretty pumped to see how it all goes down on the big night. If you're headed to an Oscars party or just want to chime in on your Sunday brunch convo with friends, you might want to know a thing or two about all of 2014's Best Picture noms. But we get it: You're a busy person and couldn't make it out to see all nine of the big flicks. Don't sweat it. We've compiled a handy dandy cheat sheet of talking points, summaries, and predictions to help beef up your Oscar lingo. Study up and enjoy the show!
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'American Hustle'
AKA the one with all the hair. This is the movie your film snob friends are going to HATE. It’s basically the Argo of this year’s nominees — it’s full of star power, slick writing, and all the pizzazz that makes Hollywood so Hollywood-y. The plot centers around a con man played by Christian Bale and his equally scheming wife played by Amy Adams who get looped into an FBI plot by Bradley Cooper. Jennifer Lawrence is a Jersey lady goombah. If anyone asks, you thought Amy Adams gave the film’s best performance.
'Captain Phillips'
You’re still in shock Tom Hanks didn’t get nominated for this. IN SHOCK. I mean, those last 15 minutes are just so harrowing. His performance WRECKED you. Talk about a snub. You’re still excited that Barkhad Abdi got a Supporting Actor nod playing the leader of the Somali pirates, especially since this was his debut role and prior to this he was a cab driver. Also, if you don’t actually know what this movie is about at an Oscars party, people will probably think you’re a jerk, because it’s based on a fairly recent news event: the 2009 hijacking of the US ship MV Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates.
'Dallas Buyers Club'
Matthew McConaughey has really had a career renaissance, hasn’t he? I mean you thought he could have been nominated just as accurately for his performance in Mud, but you’ll take the nod for Dallas. In fact, this movie is a major comeback vehicle for Jared Leto as well. McConaughey plays a redneck electrician who, when hospitalized for a work injury, finds out he’s HIV positive. After facing himself and his own homophobia, he goes on to help fellow AIDS sufferers (including a transgender woman played by Leto) by smuggling AZT into the US.
'Gravity'
You know, the one about space! The script was just so-so and some of the decisions surrounding Sandra Bullock were a bit questionable (her skimpy costumes… in space. Really!?). But visually, the film was stunning and would be a deserving win for Best Director and most certainly in the special effect arena. It was a game-changer for the filmmaking industry.
'Her'
Most of the talk about the movie has been surrounding whether Scarlett Johansson should have been nominated for her performance. She plays the voice of a computer which Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with after going through a rough divorce with an actual human person. It’s quiet, touching and super Spike Jonze-y.
'Nebraska'
This one will also induce eye-rolls from film buff friends. Bruce Dern and Will Forte (Yes, of Saturday Night Live) play an estranged father and son who reconnect in order to collect a big lottery win. Dern’s character is also an alcoholic who is suffering from Dimensia. It’s a slow, quiet dramedy that is the stuff Sundance dreams are made of. A strong film, but truth be told, it took the place of other films that were snubbed and could have offered more diversity to the category. Nevertheless, it’s always good to see smaller films recognized by the academy.
'Philomena'
The one with Judi Dench and yet another testament to the strength of British filmmaking. You know, that whole relying on classically trained, repertory-working actor thing. It won’t win, but, you know, Judi Dench. It’s also based on a true story of a woman who tries to find her son nearly 50 years after he was wrongfully taken away from her.
'12 Years a Slave'
A harrowing story of a free black man (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) from upstate New York who is captured and sold into slavery, and his incredible, painful fight for freedom. This pretty much has to/should win Best Picture. Gut-wrenching performances, a strong script, fantastic directing and the most well-rounded ensemble of all of this year’s nominees are only a thread of what make this film so powerful. Sure, it was hard to watch, but it was an important film about some of our history’s darkest hours.
'The Wolf of Wall Street'
This one just may pull the rug out from 12 Years a Slave. Maybe. The Academy loves Scorsese, but has never been all too kind to Leonardo DiCaprio. But its recent mega-push to Academy voters has been almost as gratuitous as the drug use and nudity in the film. No. Wait. Nothing is.
