5 Movies That Could Seriously Benefit From Sentimentality At The Oscars

The Oscars are rarely a place that celebrates sequels or films that go beyond their usual comfort zone. However, they can sometimes be a place to celebrate a good comeback story (see Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler and Michael Keaton in Birdman, despite their eventual losses). When it comes to this year’s Oscar race, it’s both a surprise and a no-brainer that some films are gearing up to be in contention for big prizes. In 2015, we saw Rocky Balboa come back onto the scene, but not into the ring, as Apollo Creed’s son took center stage. We saw Pixar drop not one, but two films, and one of them is a lock for Best Animated Feature. Elsewhere, we saw Ridley Scott go back to his roots and make everyone believe that, while no one can hear you scream in space, you can still achieve the impossible. We also saw George Miller return to his chaotic desert wasteland to be the surprise critics’ pick of the year. And on Friday, millions will finally see what J.J. Abrams does with a galaxy far, far away. As great as all of these films are though, will any of them ultimately walk away victorious at the Academy Awards? Possibly, but if there are any movies that deserve some Oscar sentimentality this year, it's these five. 5) Mad Max: Fury Road George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is everything the Academy seems to stray away from. It’s a crazy, over-the-top, spectacle that really has no place being as close to a Best Picture nomination as it is. But whether it’s sentiment for the material and Miller’s return to this world, or just the film’s pure cinematic artistry in and of itself, it’s clear that it's a hit with both audiences and critics alike. The film has already nabbed Best Picture and Director nominations for the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as a Best Ensemble in an Action Movie nomination for the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards. At this stage, if the Oscars don’t recognize it, it will hands down be the biggest snub of the year. 4) The Martian The Martian could very well be this year’s Gravity, and that could mean that it could finally be Ridley Scott’s year to grab a Best Director Oscar. When his film Gladiator won Best Picture in 2000, Scott was left without a directing win. That went to Steven Soderbergh for Traffic. Now, Scott may have his best chance at nabbing an Oscar in over a decade. While the film is well-directed and Scott crafts a beautiful looking Mars, it’s hard not to think that a lot of the buzz surrounding the film and Scott has to do with giving the director “his due.” The Academy loves honoring those who are past their time for a win (see Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart) and this could be the Academy’s last time to celebrate Scott for all of his work. Is The Martian his best film? Not by a long shot. But it could be the one that finally lands him a win. 3) Inside Out When one thinks of a comeback tale in film, they don’t necessarily think of a studio. But for the past few years, the animated juggernaut that is Pixar has flopped with unnecessary sequels (Cars 2…come on). The last time Pixar won for Best Animated Feature was in 2012 for Brave, and that was received with mixed emotions by critics. This year, however, the studio pumped out two films that more closely resemble their past work of high quality: Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. The former is what really brought Pixar back into the conversation, though. It’s a long shot at this point for Inside Out to get a best picture nomination with so much competition, but it’s the first time since Toy Story 3 that it’s even been a thought. It is a sure thing for best animated feature, however. For all its accomplishments and achievements, Inside Out truly sticks with us because it reminded everyone what Pixar could really be about: tugging at all of our emotions. 2) Creed No comeback story this year could have been more unpredictable than Sylvester Stallone with Creed. But the Italian Stallion could be well on his way to a Best Supporting Actor nod for his return as Rocky Balboa. And, the cool thing about it this time around is that Rocky is not in the spotlight, allowing Stallone to give a much more subtle, sympathetic performance. And it’s working. No film this year shocked critics and audiences more than Creed in terms of being a comeback for both Stallone and the franchise itself. The film packs just the right amount of nostalgic punch without ever feeling like its doing it just to do it. It feels special, both a return to form and something new. That sentimentality could land Stallone a nomination, and right now, he has a lot of backing; he landed a nomination for the role at the Golden Globes this year. 1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens Could it be anything else? It’s not the most anticipated movie of the decade for no reason. After three poorly received prequel films from George Lucas, J.J. Abrams, who successfully revamped Star Trek for a new generation, plans to return the Star Wars saga back into something to be celebrated. No other film this year will pull at the nostalgic heartstrings quite as much as The Force Awakens will. Expect clapping, crying and all around joy as the saga returns to its roots. The film has missed out on all of the award nominations in the race so far, including the Globes, SAGs and Critics’ Choice Awards, because literally no one had seen it. Now that they have though, the film is getting a lot of praise and is even starting to draw Oscar attention.