Oscar 2014 Nominations Predictions: State of the Race, Potential Oscar Contenders From August [Part 3]

As the summer comes to an end, many independent films have resonated with audiences and critics and have slowly garnered Oscar momentum. Many of the films were surprise hits and surpassed box office expectations. Some even broke records for their respective distributors and directors. This is the third part of a three-part series conducted by Latinos Post of the top independent movies of the summers. Here is a retrospective of the August independent films that could garner awards buzz in the months to come.

"The Spectacular Now" received awards for its acting by Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller at the Sundance Film festival. The movie, which tells the story of a hard-partying high school senior's whose philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl," has continued to generate positive word of mouth and reviews after its opening. James Berardinelli of ReelViews stated, "The two leads, Miles Teller's Sutter Keely and Shailene Woodley's Aimee Finicky are so well drawn and believably portrayed that it's impossible not to accept them as real." The movie is currently playing in theaters and it could benefit from a big box office. However its one big issue could be spreading to a wide audience. The movie has played to women and young adult audiences. With such a specific audience, it may be hard for 60-year-old Academy voters to watch the movie.

Awards Potential: High School films never do well at the Academy Awards and this film will not be the exception. With distributor A24 lacking any Oscar experience, the movie will most likely be shunned for the Academy Awards. However the Indie Spirit Awards will definitely embrace the film.

"Lee Daniel's The Butler" has become one of the most talked about films this year after Warner Bros and the Weinstein Company dueled over the film's title. The movie, about Cecil Gaines and his experiences as a butler for five presidents, immediately received more press and made audiences curious. When it opened the movie became the number one movie at the box office. Currently it is on track to score $100 million domestically. As a result "The Butler's" Oscar chances have doubled. The film was always seen as a potential Oscar candidate especially with its all-star cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyleowo and Terrence Howard. However after its financial success it is almost a lock for Best Picture. Additionally critics have already compared it to "The Help" which received a Best Picture nomination. While it received mixed reviews, the movie is a feel good film that will pull on the heartstrings of academy voters.

Awards Potential: The Weinstein Company will definitely campaign this film like crazy and will most likely get it nominated for all major awards. Oprah Winfrey will get nominated and potentially win the Best Supporting Actress award while Forest Whitaker has a shot at the Best Actor category. Major organizations and critics will definitely give the film awards.     

"Ain't Them Bodies Saints" received a massive amount of buzz at the Sundance Film Festival and continued to garner momentum until it was released. The film by David Lowery received praise but was criticized for its conventional plot. However many critics compared him to a young Terence Malick. Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal stated, "This is Terrence Malick territory; you might guess that with the sound turned off, thanks to the bronze sunlight low on broad horizons. Still, Mr. Lowery stakes out his own distinctive boundaries." It is still uncertain where this film will place given some of the bad word.

Awards Potential: IFC has never been a dominant force with the Academy but if it resonates a cinematography and potential screenplay nomination could happen. Otherwise the movie will receive Indie Spirit Award nominations.

The last release of the summer with potential Oscar buzz was "Short Term 12." The film, which won the SXSW Film Festival and audience award, has obtained rave reviews. Kenneth Turran of the Los Angeles Time stated, "'Short Term 12' is a small wonder, a film of exceptional naturalness and empathy that takes material about troubled teenagers and young adults that could have been generic and turns it into something moving and intimate." While it is a small movie, it has quickly garnered buzz that could help the film's cause. Additionally its star Brie Larrson has garnered Oscar buzz with many predicting that the actress could potentially surprise in the Best Actress category. However the fact that it is being distributed by a small company and that no SXSW film has ever been nominated for an Oscar is a bad sign.

Awards Potential: Brie Larrson will get nominated for a number of critics' organizations. If she is able to win a number of them then perhaps a strong campaign will be built around her performance and she could even break into the major organizations. However if she is unable to get critics recognition, her Oscar chances will be low. "Short Term 12" however is sure to get Indie Spirit Award nominations.   

For Part 1 Click Here 

For Part 2 Click Here