The season of statuettes is upon us. For those in the film and movie industry, it’s a time of glitz and glamour that, for the rare few, results in a special little keepsake to call their very own. This year there are a few opportunities for Louisianians to “root, root, root for the home team.”
Of course the mother of all awards shows is the Academy Awards, which will be celebrating its 87th year Sunday, Feb 22. However, a lot of attention is also placed on two other awards nights, at least in part because they tend to predict who will head home with the shining man named Oscar.
The first of those two shows is the Golden Globes, airing live this year on Sunday, Jan. 11. This is the 72nd year for the Globes, which will be led by funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The nominations are out, and I’m happy to say that Hollywood South has a few contenders – not in movies, but in TV.
Academy Award-winner Kathy Bates has been nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie for her work in NOLA-filmed “American Horror Story: Freak Show” – a project she readily credits with the resurgence of her career.
Louisiana-filmed TV series “True Detective” is also up for Best TV Movie or Mini-Series, and its two stars – Academy Award winner Mathew McConaughey and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson – will battle each other for the title of Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie. “True Detective” is also represented in the Best Supporting Actress category by Michelle Monaghan. The series follows the 17-year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana.
Worth noting is that the youngest-ever Oscar nominee for best actress, Louisiana native Quvenzhane Wallis (from Houma), has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for her work this year in the remake of “Annie.” The 11-year-old will be up against Hollywood heavyweights Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.
Exactly two weeks after the Golden Globes is the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Jan. 25. Here, McConaughey and Harrelson will have a second chance to duke it out for the title of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.
And then there’s the big night – the Academy Awards. Nominations will be announced Jan. 15, and it looks like the only possible Louisiana project nominee is “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” for visual effects.
In the past few years, Louisiana productions have done well at the Academy Awards – 2013 saw four nominations for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and two Oscars go to “Django Unchained.” And who could forget “12 Years a Slave” taking home last year’s grand prize of best picture (plus two more Oscars) while fellow best picture nominee “Dallas Buyers Club” walked away with three statuettes?
But what does an Oscar mean for the business side of film? Well, there’s such a thing as an “Oscar bump.” In essence, winners – for best picture at least – can expect a sizable boost in box office numbers. For instance, a week after “12 Years a Slave” won, the $20 million budgeted film was showing in double the number of theaters and ticket sales were up 116 percent. The film ended up grossing just over $56.5 million.
Well, Louisiana, there’s always next year.
