Oscar 2014 Precursor: Can 'The Place Beyond the Pines' Change the Oscar Game?

"The Place Beyond the Pines'" is changing the Oscar campaign game by playing on airplanes.

In an effort to get noticed for awards season, Focus Features has begun playing Derek Cianfrance's highly acclaimed film on airplane flights. The movie, which opened in March, has been overlooked for the past months, even though a number of pundits had hailed it as an early Oscar contender. The movie was shut out of the Indie Spirit awards as well as the Gotham awards where it was expected to do well.

Now the distributor is attempting to focus the attention on the movie as it only has a one other Oscar contender this year, "Dallas Buyers Club."

The new strategy seems to be working. "Countless people have come up to me to tell me how much they love the movie, and it turns out they've seen it recently on airplanes," Bradley Cooper told Variety during a luncheon.

The actor also said that many audiences have praised the director for the number of plot twists and the movie's unpredictability.

Focus Features also took advantage of Cooper's presence in L.A. to salute the actor for his work in the film.

"The Place Beyond the Pines" also stars Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes. The film tells the story of a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to robbing banks to provide for his lover and their newborn child. The decision eventually puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.

Focus Features is banking on the early release by sending out early screeners and hoping its in-flight option will lure voters.