15 Predictions For 2014 Movies Everybody Got Wrong

7. Unbroken Is A Guaranteed Best Picture Nominee

The Prediction: A biopic of legendary Olympic athlete Louie Zamperini, directed by Angelina Jolie, shot by Roger Deakins and boasting a cast of hungry up-and-comers? The second the first trailer for this inspirational drama hit the web, Unbroken was considered a front-runner for 2015's Best Picture Academy Award. The Reality: The movie began screening for press in November and was embargoed until the end of that month, when word finally broke out that, in fact, Unbroken was merely a satisfactory war drama and not the Earth-shatteringly emotive, thought-provoking film many were expecting. The film ultimately opened to heavily mixed reviews (49%), praising the visuals and Jack O'Connell's lead performance in particular, but also criticising its relatively generic style, failing to distinguish itself from other similar movies as a result. The reviews proved a major shock for anyone following the awards circuit with any interest, for though the film did land on Top 10 lists of both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review, it's had an incredibly muted presence in terms of major precursor awards, and will struggle to scoop more than a few technical Oscar nominations.