'Hugo,' which leads this year's Academy Award nominations with 11, joins 'The Artist' (10 nods) and 'The Descendants' (5) as a top best picture contender.
|
|
The two-horse Oscar race has a third entrant: "Hugo."
Director Martin Scorsese's first family film collected a leading 11 nominations Tuesday for the 84th Academy Awards, propelling the 3-D orphan story into a pitched contest with the black-and-white, nearly silent film "The Artist" and the Hawaiian drama "The Descendants" in the best picture race.
Though Oscar voters showed regard for some unusual entries, such as the experimental "The Tree of Life," they sidestepped some of last year's more challenging performances and troubling films. And though many of the nominations tilted toward uplifting movies, voters denied the bawdy "Bridesmaids" a best picture slot.
Films made outside the major studios fared well. Producer Graham King bankrolled "Hugo"; a French financier underwrote "The Artist" (which collected 10 nominations); and specialty label Fox Searchlight produced the domestic drama "The Descendants" (which had five nominations). In the animated feature race, Pixar Animation Studios' "Cars 2" and Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" were denied nominations, while a two-person movie outfit landed a pair of obscure films in that category.
Oscar nominations are coveted in part because they help sell tickets, and the accolades for "Hugo" arrive at a crucial time for the ambitious, approximately $170-million production. The movie has taken in just $83 million at the box office worldwide since it premiered two months ago.
"I think this could help the audience understand that it's an enjoyable and very moving experience -- that it has some depth to it," Scorsese said. Added King: "I knew this was never going to be an easy film to make or an easy film to market. But we wanted to make it that badly."
"Hugo" isn't the only best picture selection needing a box-office bump. In last year's race for the top trophy, three adult dramas -- "True Grit," "Black Swan" and "The King's Speech" -- all went on to gross more than $100 million in domestic release. While some of this year's selections have yet to expand into wide release -- "The Artist" is playing in just 662 locations, for example -- only "The Help" has surpassed the $100-million mark.
Under new voting rules that allow for between five and 10 films to be nominated for best picture, nine movies made the cut. Joining "Hugo," "The Artist," "The Descendants" and "The Help" in the field are Woody Allen's time-travel comedy "Midnight in Paris," Steven Spielberg's historical drama "War Horse," the 9/11 story "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" and two Brad Pitt films -- the baseball tale "Moneyball" and director Terrence Malick's nonlinear family drama "The Tree of Life."
"I'm just so happy that these films are being recognized," said Pitt, nominated in the lead actor race for "Moneyball." "Both films are complex -- built around complicated material. It's not only a thrill, but it means that more films like this will have an easier time getting made."
Click here to read more.
