14 DAY TRIAL // With only days to go until the latest “Harry Potter” installment drops in theaters worldwide, word among fans has it that the film is the best of the series so far – so good that it may actually win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Indeed, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is getting excellent reviews with critics, with many saying that it’s the darkest, most somber and best rendered film from the series so far.
However, from that to saying that it may succeed in getting the Academy’s attention for a nomination and a win in the most coveted category ever is quite a stretch, E! Online writes after speaking to Sasha Stone of the Awards Daily, a website specializing in monitoring the Oscar race.
It’s not that “Harry Potter” is not a good franchise or that the latest installment doesn’t have its strong suits – but rather that the entire franchise works against the latest film. The Academy rarely takes into consideration family-centered flicks.
Then, there’s the issue of the film’s critical reception: fans may love “Harry Potter” but critics have never really warmed up to it enough to get the Academy’s attention. Chances are the same will happen with the latest installment.
“The chances are nil that it will win. To get nominated it would need extraordinary reviews from the critics. Usually they’re just OK, but to break out of the mold, with of all of the previous films not getting nominated, the critics would make the difference,” Stone belives.
Patricia Chui, managing editor of MovieFone, agrees, adding that, regardless of how dark the latest film is, it remains a family-centered one – and the Academy is rather partial to non-family fare, “you know: paralyzed boxers, bandy-legged horses shooting for the moon, pillow-faced wrestlers,” as E! puts it.
However, fans hoping that “Harry Potter” will get the ultimate recognition during the awards season should not lose all hope, the aforementioned Stone says: at best, the film will get a nomination the following year, which is definitely no small feat.
“The series has been such a reliable paycheck for Hollywood all of these years. It won’t go unnoticed when it finally closes things down for good,” Stone says.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is out in theaters on November 19, while Part 2 drops on July 15, 2011 in 3D.