Fruitvale Station
Release date: July 12 Oscar prospects: Decent If you've read any of my 2014 Oscar preview articles, you'll know that this is a movie I've had my eye on (along with most of the Oscar blogosphere) for awhile. Even so, I can't quite put my finger on whether Fruitvale Station is a bona fide contender or simply a flashy contender. Over the last few years, with the success of such Sundance sensations as Precious and Beasts of the Southern Wild, Oscar pundits have wisely begun looking to Park City for early Academy Awards hopefuls. This year, by winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance, it was clear that Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station was the festival's primary suggestion to the Academy for year's end kudos. Fruitvale Station then had the honor of playing at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, even though it was relegated to the secondary Un Certain Regard lineup, and won that circuit's Future Award. The overall critical reception for the film at the fest though was rather lukewarm, which brings us to the film's current ambiguous status a week or two outside its official release. It occurs to me that Fruitvale Station, which tells the true tale of a young African-American man who was shot dead by Oakland Police at a subway station on New Year's Eve 2008, may have more meaning for American audiences than European critics. Even so, if the film had gotten a bit more buzz coming out of Cannes, I think most Oscar pundits would feel more confident about the film's prospects. Fruitvale Station will have The Weinstein Company at its back, which is obviously a big plus, but until we see the overall response the film receives upon release, this movie remains a big question mark. Possible nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Picture