2019 Nominee Watch – January 11th

With only one wide release last week, this week's four wide release films seems like an absolute bonanza. That said, at least three of them appear to be worth seeing, depending on the mood you find yourself in.

Unfortunately, the same does not appear to be so for limited releases this week. There are definitely some films that fall into the category of bottom of the barrel films that the studios were holding onto until after the first of the year.

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A Dog's Way Home
​This film is sure to be a tearjerker. If you've seen 2017's A Dog's Purpose, you'll know how this film is going to work for the most part. Based on a book by the same author, A Dog's Way Home feels like a mashup between the previous film and the two classic versions of The Incredible Journey.

There are a few big names in this film including Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) voicing Bella, the lead dog as well as Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy) and Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner). Other than that, the cast is relatively unheard of.

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This doesn't feel like a strong Oscar contender and might have been better suited for release in a few weeks, closer to Valentine's Day.

If you're looking for a feel good family movie this weekend, this is the one for you.

​Replicas
I was surprised to see a new Keanu Reeves science fiction film hitting theaters that had gone under the radar, but it's true. This time, Reeves plays Will Foster, a man who lost his family in a traffic accident and has worked ever since to bring them back through human cloning techniques. Things go wrong when the clones discover what they are and government officials attempt to shut down Foster's experimentation.

We've had any number of movies about cloning humans as well as the potential issues with artificial or enhanced intelligence and this film seems to be the next in line. I doubt it will break any new ground in the genre.

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I know why this film waiting until after the first of the year to be released as it doesn't appear to be anything spectacular in the long run. I don't expect any nominations for this film and a very low box office reception to boot.

The Upside
While Kevin Hart may not be the host of the Oscars, he is leading the charge in one of the better film options this weekend. In The Upside, he plays Dell, a parolee in search of work who lands a job caring for wealthy quadriplegic Phillip (Bryan Cranston). While not officially qualified for the job, Phillip likes the freewheeling spirit that Dell brings and the two become friends.

While I don't think it's going to make a huge statement about race or social status, this film does feel like it's sending the message that you should never judge the book by the cover. Dell needs a job to be able to see his son while Phillip feels like the world only see the wheelchair he is confined to but both help the other break down some of their preconceptions.

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It would be premature to start calling for Oscar nominations at this point, and I sincerely doubt there will be nominations here, but I would say that Cranston is a long shot for a Best Supporting Actor nod. Characters like his are famous for being nominated and he has only been nominated once before in 2016 (Best Actor, Trumbo).

On the Basis of Sex
Ruth Bader Ginsburg hits the big screen as this film expands into wide release after a few weeks of limited release beginning last Christmas. Felicity Jones stars as the Supreme Court justice in the early years of her career.

The second film about Ginsburg released in the last year, this one focuses on her early years and the foundation of work that led her to begin the Women's Rights Project at the ACLU and eventually join the Supreme Court in 1993.

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So far, this film has received somewhat favorable reviews and Jones's performance has been praised. In the world of "Me Too" that we live in today, it is increasingly important for women to see other women who have a voice and this film seems to add to that discourse.

Limited Releases

• Against the Clock – A woman takes on the intelligence agency her husband works for when one of his missions goes wrong.
• Anthem of a Teenage Prophet – When a teen's premonition about a friend's death comes true, he must face the repercussions of his visions of the future.
• Ashes in the Snow – During the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in the 1940s, a young woman expresses herself through art.
• The Aspern Papers – Period piece about a man searching for the letters sent to his mistress by a mysterious poet.
• Buffalo Boys – Singaporean "western" about two brothers returning to their homeland to avenge their father.
• Norm of the North: Keys to the Kingdom – Norm returns to the big screen with a trip to New York City and is accused of leading a number of bank robberies.
• Perfect Strangers – ​Spanish film about a group of friends who spice up a dinner party by displaying all their text and voice conversations from their cell phones to the entire room.
• Pledge – A group of college freshman pledge a mysterious fraternity where the hazing quickly turns vicious.
• SGT. Will Gardner – A war veteran goes on a journey to find himself and his family.
• Tall Tales from the Magical Garden of Antoon Krings – A young cricket fights for the freedom of the garden where he lives.​

• Touch Me Not – A filmmaker and her subjects explore intimacy and sexuality.
• Dragon Ball Super: Broly – The Dragon Ball warriors face off against a new threat, Broly. (January 16th)
• The Heiresses – Two women from wealthy families face financial struggles for the first time in their lives. (January 16th)
• All These Small Moments – A teenage boy will stop at nothing to find a woman he fell in love with on a bus while his family struggles to stay intact around him. (January 17th)