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After a bleak first six months, the best films of the year began trickling down in July. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the award-hopefuls are undeniably coming out in style with red carpet dreams and golden statues in their sights.
There’s already a growing consensus that the 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture will include: “Toy Story 3,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The Social Network,” “127 Hours,” “The King’s Speech,” “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “How Do You Know,” and “True Grit” (Dec. 22 ), the Coen Brothers’ highly-anticipated rebooting of the 1969 John Wayne film. And, there’s always the one or two surprises who make the final cut, although it’s widely predicted the final winner will be either “The Social Network” or “The King’s Speech.”
James Franco has been causing gay men to swoon for a few years now, but in his new film “127 Hours,” he’s supposedly causing people to faint and throw-up. This reaction is because it tells the true story of Aron Ralston, who amputated his own arm with a pocketknife when he was caught between a boulder and a rock wall. His performance is considered one of the two sure bets for a Best Actor nomination. The other is Colin Firth as Queen Elizabeth II’s stammering father in “The King’s Speech.” Last year Firth was nominated for “A Single Man,” w here
he played a gay professor grieving for his dead partner. The best gay film of the year (and one of the best ever), “The Kids Are All Right” starring Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, was released Nov. 16 on DVD and Blu-ray. This comedy/drama should be seen by gays and straights, men and women. Along with Natalie Portman for “Black Swan,” Bening is considered a lock to be nominated for Best Actress. If she wins, it would be the first time an actress has received an Oscar Award for playing a lesbian.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I” (Nov. 19) won’t get a Best Picture nomination, but it offers a deep and dark tale that puts all the pieces into play for the big finale next July. Part I will also be one of the top three box office hits this year since it’s the next to last film in the most successful franchise in movie history. We’ve literally seen these kids grow up, for these eight movies over 10 years constitute the longest, continuous story ever put on the silver screen. They also have a big gay following because of their strong emphasis on what it’s like to grow up knowing you’re not like other kids. Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, has been active in The Trevor Project, an organization that helps gay teens who are contemplating suicide. Part II will be shown in 3D.
Other upcoming films of interest to the LGBT community are: “Burlesque,” starring Cher, Christina Aguilera and Stanley Tucci (who plays Cher’s gay pal, as if she needed another one); “The Tourist,” with gay favorites Angelina Jolie and Johnny Deep in hot water in Venice; and “I Love You Phillip Morris,” where married policeman Jim Carey falls madly in love with Ewan McGregor and is determined to break him out of prison.