Must-See Films for Fall 2008: Oscar Season
Studios Scramble for Awards with Religulous, Blindness, Changeling
Sep 24, 2008
The months of summer blockbuster are over, but there's a different movie season beast right around the corner full of intense characterizations and hopes of gold.
The summer was all about Heath Ledger's Joker and Robert Downey Jr.'s official comeback (both in "Iron Man" and "Tropic Thunder"), which led to speculation as to the fate of Golden Globes and Academy Awards falling into unlikely hands. But rumors and guesses of summer fare don't stop major motion picture studios from sending out the mega dramas and tear jerkers for your consideration, and here are some of the most talked about films for fall. (All release dates subject to change, as always.)
October
- Oct. 1: "Religulous" - Talk show host and political satirist Bill Maher often discusses his own personal beliefs and views of the world, including his atheism, and this documentary follows Maher across the world to discover the theories and histories behind Christianity, Islam and Hinduism to name a few.
- Oct. 3: "Blindness" - Starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, this dramatic piece about a city's blind epidemic opened the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, trying to stir up some pre-season award buzz. The reviews were mixed, but the movie controversial and hard to watch like many Oscar contenders.
- Oct. 3: "Flash of Genius" - Not many people have looked at their car's windshield wipers and wondered how they came to be, but this movie will force more drivers to think about it. Revolving around the true story of Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), "Flash" explains the origin and hardship of the first intermittent windshield wipers and the battle that Robert had to fight for them.
- Oct. 3: "Rachel Getting Married" - Anne Hathaway burst onto the scene in 2001 in the super-sweet "Princess Diaries," but she's grown out of the kiddie roles that made her a star. in "Rachel," she plays a troubled girl on her way to her sister's wedding after years in and out of rehab.
- Oct. 10: "Body of Lies" - When you have the combination of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott in a taunt thriller about a CIA agent and journalist searching for a terrorist leader, critical acclaim is likely to follow.
- Oct. 17: "W" - Not even officially out of George W. Bush's two-term presidency and Oliver Stone has tackled the man's life in his newest political drama starring Josh Brolin as Mr. President.
- Oct. 24: "Changeling" - Directed by the esteemed Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, this true tale dives deep into a crazed conspiracy revolving around Christine Collins (Jolie) and her tough search for the son that disappeared. Critics raved in Cannes, and early predictors are sighting Jolie as a must-nomination for Best Actress.
- Oct. 24: "Synecdoche, New York" - To say the least, Charlie Kaufman's first attempt at directing a a feature film is a little odd, hard to follow and completely original. Audiences won't love it and critics might struggle too.
November
- Nov. 7: "Madagascar : Escape 2 Africa" - The sequel to the mega-hit animated "Madagascar" finds furry friends trying to find their way back to New York City only to land in Africa.
- Nov. 14: "Soul Men" - A light-hearted dramady about soul-singing friends reuniting starring Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac took a turn towards the bittersweet route after Mac's passing and other co-star Issac Hayes passed away as well.
- Nov. 21: "Bolt" - Another flick for the younger crowd (and the Animated categories), "Bolt" is "The Truman Show" meets animals with the canine star of a popular TV show unaware he is not the superhero he portrays.
- Nov. 21: "The Soloist" - Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. star in what looks to be a super-depressing drama about friendship and companionship between an out-of-luck reporter and a troubled musician.
- Nov. 26: "The Road" - Another adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel, "The Road" follows a father and son searching the world for any sort of civilization.
- Nov. 26: "Australia" - Baz Luhrmann gathered fellow Australians Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman for this romantic saga taking place right before the devastation of WWII.
December
- Dec. 5: "Frost/Nixon" - Ron Howard directs another true story film about BBC host Robert Frost's interview with President Richard Nixon in 1977 about Watergate.
- Dec. 5: "Crossing Over" - Using the connecting and crossing of stories like "Crash," this drama focuses on immigration with Harrison Ford, Sean Penn and Ashley Judd.
- Dec. 12: "Defiance" - Starring Daniel Craig (aka the new 007), "Defiance" takes audiences back to 1941and an uprising of Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust.
- Dec. 12: "Doubt" - Amy Adams is a long way from "Enchanted" with a film looking into Catholic priests and the suspicions that surround them. She works with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- Dec. 19: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are reunited since their other Oscar nominee, "Babel." Award-fave Tilda Swinton also appears in the movie about a man aging backwards.
- Dec. 26: "Revolutionary Road" - Women (and perhaps men) around the world have been waiting with bated breath for "Titanic" stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to meet again on the silver screen. According to reports, a happy ending is still not in the cards for the two as they fall in and out of love in this epic romance.
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