10 Possible Oscar Contenders From The First Half Of 2015

2015 has flown by fast, and we're somehow already half-way through the year, which means it's time to start thinking about that most hallowed of Hollywood traditions: the Academy Awards. The latter half of the year is sure to be dominated by what is referred to as "Oscar bait," from prestige period dramas about individuals who challenged the conventions of their eras (that's The Danish Girl, Suffragette and Joy this fall) to thrilling adventure-dramas about individuals battling against the odds in order to survive (The Revenant, In the Heart of the Sea).

Isaac Feldberg

Published: Jul 2, 2015 09:00 am

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9) Love & Mercy

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Love & Mercy is an atypically brave and bold biopic that features not one but two stellar portrayals of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, from Paul Dano and John Cusack. Both actors do stunning, career-best work portraying the music icon, and the unconventional structure of the biopic is such that their stellar performances are front and center throughout. Elizabeth Banks is also fantastic in the supporting role of Wilson’s love interest, who is more than just a pretty face and actually becomes an instrumental part of the film.

The actors in the Academy will definitely respond strongly to this pic, especially because Cusack has never been Oscar-nominated despite a lengthy career of great work. He’s a strong contender, while Dano and Banks’ prospects are a little dicier but still solid.

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