Best Picture Nominees — Dallas Buyers Club


The nominations are in! Between now and March 2, the date of the Academy Awards, I will take a look at each of the Best Picture nominees, looking at one or two a week. The trio I think has the best chance to win will be reviewed toward the end.

Movie: "Dallas Buyers Club"
Total Nominations: 6
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey), Best Supporting Actor (Jared Leto), Best Original Screenplay (Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack), Best Editing, and Best Hair and Make Up.
About: While just about everyone expected "Dallas Buyers Club" to receive some nominations, most thought it would be on the outside looking in when it came to the Best Picture nominations. Instead, it made the final cut. Not only that, typically the winner of Best Picture is nominated for, and usually wins, the editing award. "Dallas Buyers Club" is one of only five films nominated in the editing category, which fits that trend. That being said, I think this film is an extreme long shot to win Best Picture. In fact, I'd be shocked if it won. It was a fine movie that took a hard look at a fascinating issue, but it was my least favorite of the nine Best Picture nominees. This movie is more about the performances. Both McConaughey and Leto won in their respective categories at the Golden Globes, and both have generated great buzz. But I don't think it means either is a lock for the Academy Award. Both are among the favorites, and of its six nominations I think a win in one or both of the acting categories is the best hope for a win for "Dallas Buyers Club." This is a movie that features great performances, but it's not a great movie. This is something similar to how I felt about "August: Osage County," which drew nominations for Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts but nothing else. "Dallas Buyers Club" did better than that, but I don't think it's going to win many awards. If pressed, I think the most likely award is Leto winning for Best Supporting Actor. But we'll see how the rest of awards season buzz goes.
Verdict: Three stars out of four
"Dallas Buyers Club" is now playing in theaters around the country.

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