With only days to go to the Oscars, the movie media in Hollywood are going all out to predict the winner of the best film award. Despite 10 films in the line-up, nobody is giving any film other than Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq war drama, The Hurt Locker, and her ex-hubby James Cameron’s 3D epic, Avatar, a chance.
War films at the Oscars have only won the best film Oscar three times – the ultra realistic Vietnam war drama Platoon (1986), the George C. Scott vehicle Patton (1970), and the film with the longest wedding scene in film history, The Deer Hunter (1978). So, with this kind of record, how much chance does The Hurt Locker, a film about bomb-disposal experts in Iraq, really have? A pretty good chance judging by the multiple awards it has won to date, including the BAFTA best film award.
Sci-fi films have an even poorer record – no nominated sci-fi film has ever won. This includes the likes of 2001 A Space Odyssey, Star Wars and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. However, Avatar did win the Golden Globe best film award and this is usually a good indicator of who will score at the Oscars.
There is some speculation in Hollywood that Bigelow will win the directing Oscar and Cameron the best film Oscar.
All will be revealed on 7 March when the Oscar winners will be announced.
(Sources: Variety, Los Angeles Times)
