Tag: Michael Morris

Oscar Predictions – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Captain America: Brave New World isn’t the sole fourth franchise entry seeking viewers over the holiday weekend. Renée Zellweger returns as the title character in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. It premieres on Peacock stateside tomorrow and has international theatrical distribution on Friday. Michael Morris directs with Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Emma Thompson reprising their roles from earlier installments. Newcomers to the series are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, and Isla Fisher.

Reviews are providing mostly solid marks with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic at 71. Back in 2001, Bridget Jones’s Diary earned Zellweger Academy Award and Golden Globes nods in lead Actress (she respectively lost to Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball and Nicole Kidman from Moulin Rouge!). 2004 sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason saw Zellweger get another nomination at the Globes for Actress in a Musical or Comedy where she fell short to Annette Bening (Being Julia). 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby received no significant awards play.

I wouldn’t rule out Zellweger (a two-time Oscar winner for 2003’s Cold Mountain and 2019’s Judy) getting some attention from Globes voters, but that will depend on competition. An Academy nom seems out of reach. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscars: The Case of Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie

As a down on her luck lottery winner who blew through the cash, Andrea Riseborough’s much discussed Best Actress nomination for To Leslie is next up in my Case Of posts.

The Case for Andrea Riseborough:

Even a week before Oscar nods came out, Riseborough (known for roles in mainstream and indie fare including Oblivion, Battle of the Sexes, and Mandy) was on no one’s radar screen for this small budget drama. Then a grassroots campaign emerged with shout-outs from fellow competitor Cate Blanchett and others. Most didn’t think she’d manage to get in, but lo and behold it happened. So it that can happen… why not a victory?

The Case Against Andrea Riseborough:

Well, there’s plenty of reasons why there probably won’t be a win. She was mentioned in zero precursors. The unconventional campaign for her to make the quintet – fairly or unfairly – has been criticized. And Blanchett (Tár) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) appear to be in a two-person race for the gold.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

The biggest surprise of the 20 contestants in the four acting derbies, Riseborough’s inclusion could lead to changes in the Academy’s campaign rules or could revolutionize how small distributors mount their campaigns. It’s doubtful the end result of the nomination itself is a win.

My Case Of posts will continue with Brendan Fraser in The Whale!

For my write-ups on Riseborough’s fellow nominees, click here:

Oscars: The Case of Cate Blanchett in Tár
Oscars: The Case of Ana de Armas in Blonde
Oscars: The Case of Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans
Oscars: The Case of Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once