Plus: it's an exciting time for Oscar freaks like us, isn't it? With the National Board of Review merely a week away, we thought we'd highlight the major Oscar contenders that have not yet opened to the public. We begin with the 5000-pound gorilla of the season; stay tuned for daily installments where we'll distill the buzz, squeeze out the juice, mix it with vodka and serve it as an Oscartini. [Modern Fabulousity]
DREAMGIRLS
Release Date: December 15th (NY/LA); December 25th (nationwide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content
Ten Words Or Less: It's the Supremes, but no Diana Ross...show queen heaven.
Reason For Existence: Because Hollywood owes gays an apology after screwing Brokeback Mountain last year. And nothing says you're sorry like a big Broadway musical!
Mathematical Equation: X=Mahogany + (The Color Purple - American Idol) + (Little Shop of Horrors - actual horrors) divided by 1/3 (Destiny's Child)
Take A Look: The Rockin' Trailer
Early Buzz (Good): "Dreamgirls is a movie that has everything: a blazing new star in Jennifer Hudson, a riveting, revitalized Eddie Murphy, a hot-lick score by Henry Krieger and the late Tom Eyen, a timely story about how music can sell its soul to greed and compromise, and a dynamo of a director and screenwriter in Bill Condon." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Early Buzz (Bad): "While being left breathless can be riveting in the cinematic environment, it is never as much when it comes at the expense of narrative cohesion." - Kris Tapley, In Contention
Oscar Locks: Best Film, Supporting Actor (Murphy), Supporting Actress (Hudson)
In The Running: Director and Adapted Screenplay (Condon); Costume Design (Shared Davis)
Long Shots: Best Song ("Listen"); Best Actor (Jamie Foxx); Best Actress (Beyonce Knowles)
Best Picture Odds: 2-1
Why It's Essential: Do you really want to be the only one at your office who hasn't seen it?
The Achilles Heel: The tense-smile appearance on Oprah last week made it clear that Beyonce's not happy playing second fiddle to Hudson. Internal squabbling, if it goes public, could hurt the film's momentum. And then there's the issue of living up to expectations, which may be Dreamgirls' biggest battle...call it the Jennifer Holliday Factor.
The Verdict: It would take a mighty big roadblock to derail at this point...but pre-emptive favorites have a way of fading at the end. Brokeback, anyone? [Modern Fabulousity]
