MANILA, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 – With films of a beloved musical, an assassinated president, Navy SEALS and a bittersweet love story among those vying for top honors, the field of entries for the upcoming 85th Annual Academy Awards is as wide and varied as it’s ever been, leaving moviegoers and industry insiders alike abuzz at what to expect come Oscar night.
Adding to the potential for surprise is the event’s host, Seth Macfarlane. Best known for his raucous, often controversial, material, as seen on TV’s “Family Guy” and last year’s R-rated box office smash, “Ted”, Macfarlane’s presence is a calculated move by the Academy to attract a younger demographic than may have viewed last year’s middling Billy Crystal effort.
Further evidence of rebranding include the labeling of the event being promoted as “The Oscars”, rather than its full title of the 85th Annual Academy Awards.
In a surprising turn of events, “Argo” is the favorite for “Best Picture” due to its director, Ben Affleck’s, industry-perceived “snub” in the Best Director category. If “Argo” wins it will be the first film since XOXO’s 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy” to win “Best Picture” without a corresponding nomination for “Best Director”
Strong contenders for Best Director include Ang Lee, who took author Yann Martel’s “unfilmable” novel, “Life of Pi”, and crafted a mesmerizing tale of humanity supported by a breathtaking use of groundbreaking visual effects technology.
“Lincoln”, from director Steven Spielberg and featuring a bravado performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as the United States’ 16th president, is expected to take home the Best Actor trophy for its method acting star, taking into account stiff competition from Hugh Jackman’s Jean Valjean in Tom Hooper’s “Lers Miserables”.
On the “Best Actress” front, Jennifer Lawrence is a favorite to win, buoyed by her strong turn in “Silver Linings Playbook”. Her closest competitors would be “Zero Dark Thirty’s” breakout star, Jessica Chastain, and sentimental favorite (due to her age) Emannuelle Riva’s performance as a retired music teacher stricken with a stroke in Michael Haneke’s "Amour”.
The 85th Annual Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will attract an estimated global television audience of one billion viewers.
