3. Michael B. Jordan - Fruitvale Station
The uncontested sensation of Sundance this year was Fruitvale Station (formally known simply as Fruitvale), but even more than the film itself, its star, Michael B. Jordan, proved to be the big winner. Plaudits and accolades were coming from all corners of the critics community for his performance, even from critics who weren't so hot on the movie itself. The fact the Weinstein Company picked up the film for distribution spells exponentially good news for the young actor's Oscar chances as well, as even when they fail getting a Best Picture nod, the Weinstein Company is fairly talented (others might use a more pejorative adjective) in getting their actors Oscar nominations. If you're unfamiliar with Mr. Jordan's work, he has been most famous up to this point for his role on television shows. Some may know him for his work on the TV show Friday Night Lights, while others may be more familiar with his stint on HBO's The Wire. I've never watched an episode of Friday Night Lights, but I am quite acquainted with his role in the first season of The Wire (an excellent show, which if you haven't seen, you need to check out as quickly as possible). Even at his young age, he did stand out as an excellent actor, so it's not too surprising to see his positive career trajectory. The key to how legitimate Mr. Jordan's chances are will most likely come down to the reception the film gets. It doesn't have to be a success on the same level that say Beasts of the Southern Wild was last year, but it certainly needs to make a dent in 2013's cinematic conversation. The film's controversial subject matter, which deals with a real shooting of a young African-American man at a BART station in Oakland, may have some effect on the film's awards prospects, and whether that be positive or negative is hard to tell at this point. The film is set for a limited release beginning July 26, so this mystery should be solved soon enough.