Can Chuck Dickens get any awards love from Ti West’s rendering of his classic A Christmas Carol? Ebenezer is out this weekend with Johnny Depp attempting a big screen comeback as the title character. The darkly comedic gothic adaptation costars Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Tramell Tillman, and Ian McKellen.
Critics are not showing their affection with 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 46 on Metacritic. That said, its prospects from the Academy are not dead. Costume Design is somewhat feasible. Its strongest chance lies in Makeup and Hairstyling. This is a category where Depp flicks have shown up from time to time: 1990’s Edward Scissorhands (lost to Dick Tracy), 1994’s Ed Wood (won), 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (fell short to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in 2007 (La Vie En Rose won), and even 2013’s box office flop The Lone Ranger which lost to Dallas Buyers Club.
I’ve yet to list Ebenezer in my top 10 possibilities in the Makeup derby though it could certainly make the shortlist. If it does so, this is an unpredictable branch so Depp could see his sixth feature in the mix. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
