Could Clint Eastwood do it again? In 2004, his directorial effort Million Dollar Baby was an eleventh-hour entry in the awards race and ended up winning Best Picture and Best Director, among several other prizes. Two years later, his late addition of Letters from Iwo Jima came from nowhere to earn a bunch of top-tier nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. And now, his fascinating drama Gran Torino is indisputably the hot movie of the moment: It just raked in nearly $30 million in its first weekend of wide release, and it’s the film that most Oscar voters discovered last, screening it just before ballots were due. I’ve long been a believer in Eastwood’s Best Actor chances and still think he’ll displace The Visitor’s Richard Jenkins or even The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s Brad Pitt next Thursday. But with many voters said to be loving the film, could it eke out a Best Picture nod as well? It sure seems like a long shot: Even though they showed up late in the game, Million Dollar Baby and Letters from Iwo Jima still landed on some important pre-Oscar tallies, while Gran Torino was overlooked by the PGA, DGA, SAG, and even the Broadcast Film Critics Association top 10. Still, if there’s any film that could end up as a surprise Best Picture nominee, this could be the one. The ultimate irony: If the savvy Warner Bros. team is able to push Torino into the big dance, the movie they just might bump out is their own mega-blockbuster, The Dark Knight.
'Gran Torino': Last-minute Best Picture nominee?
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Comments (1-30) of 95 Add your comment
I don’t understand why WB would push a mediocre movie at the risk of ousting a great one. Their clear chance at Oscar is TDK. Eastwood’s great, but the movie doesn’t hold up.
Oh it better nab Best Actor!!! And I would LOVE to see it win Best Picture as well!!! But I’d settle for Eastwood winning for his most complex character. Who else could make you laugh at his role of a cranky old bigot? It was a superb film.
This is hands down the best picture of the year. It at least deserves to be nominated but I don’t think it should oust The Dark Knight (which also definitely deserves to be nominated for best picture). Instead I’d like to see academy drop Milk but we know that won’t happen.
i watched the movie and its actually really good. i would love it if eastwood got a best actor nomination for it. but as for a best pic nom i would still go for the dark knight, for me it was the best 2008 has had to offer. both story and entertainment wise.
I don’t mind if this movie gets a Best Picture nomination, as long as it does so in place of the totally overrated, and totally fictional, Frost/Nixon. However, if this movie replaces The Dark Knight, I will be very upset.
It will only get Best Actor for Eastwood. It will be Penn, Rourke, Langella, Pitt and Eastwood. Although Pitt doesn’t deserve to be there either.
Eastwood & Gran Torino all the way to the Oscar podium – ultimate choice by Hollywood. With the exception of Penn, Eastwood is the only actor with a performance that is Oscar worthy & while the Dark Knight is good entertainment, it isn’t equal to Gran Torino in talent (& hoefully award) category. Know a lot of people love the Dark Knight – be happy for & with Ledger, the rest doesn’t hold up.
ITA with Ryan O’Brien’s comments. At the very least, Clint deserves an Oscar this year for Best Actor.
Gran Torino is a must-see movie. It’s worth full price, and I don’t say this very often.
No Best Picture nom, but Eastwood is a BIG spoiler in Best Actor. I think he’ll win. He’s got all the buzz, Penn isn’t liked (especially for a 2nd win so soon), and I think Rourke’s nomination will be his reward.
Neither Dark Knight or Gran Torino are good enough to be considered. Honestly, these have to be the most flawed movies ever to be so blindly considered as quality.
“R U NUTS”. What do you want to nominate? Just curious.
Clint Eastwood didn’t get a DGA nod for Letters from Iwo Jima…
THE DARK KNIGHT should win as best picture. I get so sick of the “serious” films winning…as if seriousness makes it the best. TDK had everything (and was serious as well). It was amazing to watch, visually stunning, people couldn’t keep their eyes off the screen – that’s a GREAT GREAT movie. It was thrilling…much more so than any of the other movies being discussed for best picture (and I did love Benjamin Button).
Eastwood will win best actor. He will stop Mickey Rourke.
But Gran Torino won’t be nom for best picture.
check: http://countdownoscar.blogspot.com/2008/12/eastwood-can-win-best-actor.html
I was entertained by The Dark Knight. But I was moved by Gran Torino. I’ve always believed the Best Picture nominees shouldn’t just be films, but something that can be looked at as a work of art. The Dark Knight is a good movie, but it doesn’t fall into this category at all.
You’re an idiot if you don’t think this movie holds up or is better than The Dark Knight, which aside from Ledger’s performance is a weak movie.
My opinion is based on not yet having seen Gran Torino (not that that’s stopping me) but the previews for it look laughable. Like they just strung together a bunch of Clint Eastwood mannerisms and catch phrases from his Dirty Harry days. I’m sure the movie is better than that, but it’s not coming off that way in the previews. Just my 2 cents. But TDK should so kick GT’s behind to get in for Best Picture.
The best picture nominees should be as follows:
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Gran Torino
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
crap like Doubt and Frost/Nixon are overrated as heck and need to be ignored big time
Well, if the trailer even remotely conveys what the film is, then Gran Torino is a glorified afterschool special with mediocre acting.
Of course, trailers can be misleading, but as I squirmed through the unintentionally funny 2 1/2 minute clip for the film prior to other films I’ve seen recently, I’ll wait for the DVD.
I feel Gran Torino is WAY over rated. Clint Eastwood did a good job, but the rest of the actors were awful. The dialog was awful too. It pulled me way out of the movie. This movie does not deserve to be nominated.
Seriously, why is it being positioned that only one Warner Bros. movie can be nominated for Best Pic? Can’t Dark Knight and Gran Torino BOTH make the cut? Dude, have you noticed that Frost/Nixon’s buzz and box office is dying right at the worst point in the awards season?
And the nominees are:
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Gran Torino
Milk
Gransire. You had my vote for “Dark Knight”, until you said that you loved “Benjamin Button”. Then you lost all credibility. I enjoyed “Forrest Gump” much more, the 1st time around.
Dark knight was a very good film but no way does it compare to Gran Torino. Dark Knight could have stood to do some editing, and I whole heartedly believe that without the untimely death of Heath Ledger the film would not have the prospect of Best Picture or any other award
It’s a lock for a Best Actor nod. I’d be very surprised if it made to the big dance.
Anthony…I have to agree with putting Revolutionary Road in the Best Picture Category. I disagree with your negative comments on Doubt and Frost/Nixon. I personally am very sick of Slumdog Millionaire getting all the attention. This is a great movie for exactly one hour then if falls in love story cliche that are completely disappointing. I would nominate as Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Wall-E
Best Picture Noms should go to.
Gran Torino
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
In Bruges
The Wrestler
“R Rothchild”… Here are my favorite films (that I saw) of 2008.
Features
———————–
Hunger
Entre les murs (The Class)
Gomorra
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
The Wrestler
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In Bruges
Revolutionary Road
Documentaries
———————–
Taxi to the Darkside
Man on a Wire
Waltz with Bashir
I’ve seen loads more, and theirs lots I haven’t. Having said that, its embarrassing that this article debates which of these should be nominated, when in my opinion neither one is deserving. They’re not awful films, but they’re so flawed that to forgive them rather then simply choose more deserving pictures is ridiculous.
This has to be a joke…the acting in this movie (besides Eastwood) was horrific. When Thao was locked in the basement the audience started laughing at him “yelling for help.” The script was terrible, the soldier drums in the background every time Eastwood pulls a gun was beyond corny and Eastwood singing at the end? Give me a break…
Dave Karger… how much is WB paying you? Please direct me to your review of the Dark Knight. No clue what you like about this.
R U NUTS is clearly “that guy” (or girl, as it may be).