Oscar 2014 Nominations Predictions: State of the Race, Potential Oscar Contenders From July [Part 2]

As the summer comes to an end, many independent films have resonated with audiences and critics and have slowly garnered Oscar momentum. Many of the films were surprise hits and surpassed box office expectations. Some even broke records for their respective distributors and directors. This is the second part of a three-part series conducted by Latinos Post of the top independent movies of the summers. Here is a retrospective of the July independent films that could garner awards buzz in the months to come.

"The Way Way Back" was one of the most expensive acquisitions at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie later became an Indie hit scoring $18 million at the box office and scoring rave reviews. The film boasts an all star cast that includes Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Liam James, Sam Rockwell, and Allison Janney and tells the story of 14-year-old Duncan who goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park. Written and directed by Oscar winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants), the movie has been labeled as the year's "Little Miss Sunshine," and "Juno." It has also been an audience pleaser and the feel-good indie of the year. The latter factor bodes well for the movie especially with a crowded field that includes many dark films. With Fox Searchlight as the distributor, a major awards campaign will most likely be built around the movie.

Awards Potential: Given that Nat Faxon and Jim Rash are Oscar winners, the directors could obtain an Original Screenplay nomination for this coming-of-age film. Additionally, having Fox Searchlight as the distributor, the movie will definitely receive Golden Globe nominations. The movie will also likely receive Indie Spirit Award nods and potentially a Best Ensemble mention at the SAG awards.

The Sundance winner "Fruitvale Station" is most likely the first Best Picture hopeful of the summer. The film tells the story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident whose life comes to an end on the last day of 2008. The movie is poised as a Best Picture contender because a number of Sundance Grand Prize winners have obtained the nomination before including "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Precious," and "Winter's Bone." The film has not only received buzz for Best Picture but also for its lead actor Michal B. Jordan and for its supporting actress Octavia Spencer.  Director Ryan Coogler has also received tons of buzz with critics stating "By using a fly-on-the-wall approach, Coogler is able to tell his story in a straightforward style that gets the message across without seeming preachy."

Awards Potential: The film was acquired by the Weinstein Company which is known for its awards campaigns. With a strong box office, strong reviews, and a solid Oscar campaign, expect this film to receive several Academy Award nominations, and a number of critics' accolades.

Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt" was released a year after it premiered at the Cannes Film festival. The movie tells the story a teacher who lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son's custody. However his life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is brutally shattered by an innocent little lie. The movie received praise throughout for its lead performance by Mads Mikkelson. Ann Hornaby from Washington Post wrote, "Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen delivers an astonishingly restrained and expressive central performance in The Hunt, an engrossing psycho-social drama by Thomas Vinterberg." While Mikkelson is unlikely to receive a nomination, the film is currently one of Denmark's top choices to send as its Foreign Film qualifier.

Awards Potential: If the film is not Denmark's Official Academy Selection, then "The Hunt" will be ignored by all critics and awards organizations.

Cate Blanchett's performance in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" is the current front-runner to win the Best Actress award at the Oscars. The film has been compared to Tennessee William's A Street Car Named Desire" and tells the story of a vapid and narcissistic socialite who heads to San Francisco when she faces a life crisis. There she tries to reconnect with her sister. The movie has scored rave reviews especially for Blanchett and pundits have put her at the top of the Best Actress list. Allen is known for getting the best performances out of his actors and for his original screenplays. He has received a number of nominations for Best Screenplay and recently won for his on "Midnight in Paris." Meanwhile Cate Blanchett is a five time Oscar nominee who won for her performance in "The Aviator." "Blue Jasmine" will benefit from the fact that it is currently poised to become Allen's highest grossing film and the fact that it is currently in theaters and slowly expanding into different market places. Additionally Sony Classics is distributing and therefore a major campaign is sure to happen.

Awards Potential: Cate Blanchett will definitely receive a nomination for her performance and potentially win. As for the film it will depend on how critics' societies respond to it and whether or not it gets on Best Picture lists. 

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