In any other year, James Mangold’s FORD V FERRARI would be the leading candidate for the Oscars in almost every major category. The racing drama, which also serves as a traditional "underdog sports" picture, is a throwback to the types of movies Hollywood used to specialize in, with expertly drawn characters and brilliant practical effects that virtually put you behind the wheel of cars that are reaching at speeds north of 200 mph.
But this year is going to be crazy competitive at the Academy Awards®. And we haven’t even seen everything that could still contend. Will Oscar® voters respond to a movie that moved them from earlier in the year? Could they opt for an unconventional pick like PARASITE, giving love to a foreign-language film in the Best Picture category? Or will a traditional Hollywood opus like Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD become the front-runner?
Now that FORD V FERRARI is reaching theatres, here are the Oscar categories where we think the film has a good shot to make some noise. What do you think?
Best Picture
No matter how many movies the Academy chooses to let into the Best Picture race this year (they can choose as many as 10 and as few as 5), we think FORD V FERRARI has an excellent chance of making the cut. It has all of the components of a Best Picture candidate, from its crowd-pleasing story to its towering lead performances, given by bona fide A-list stars Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
Best Director
Things may get trickier here, because there are only five slots for Best Director and a number of worthy candidates. But the director’s branch should recognize the skill and challenges that went into pulling off a race car epic like FORD V FERRARI and honor James Mangold’s accomplishments with a nod.
Best Actor
Yes, but who? Christian Bale and Matt Damon both plan to go out for Best Actor, and while both are outstanding in the movie, it's very hard to get two actors nominated in the same category from the same movie. And it’s going to be even harder this year, as talented actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Jonathan Pryce compete for slots. Will Damon and Bale split votes, costing BOTH of them a shot at a nomination?
Best Sound Mixing
In our opinion, this one is a lock. In fact, the Academy should just go ahead and engrave the FORD V FERRARI title on this statue and call it a night. The sound design in Mangold’s movie is masterful. The rumbling of the engines announce the movie’s arrival before the opening credits even begin, and the roar of the cars set a mood that drives the entire movie forward (pun intended). It’s Oscar-worthy work.
What other Oscar categories do you think will find room for FORD V FERRARI? See the movie in a theatre near you, and then decide for yourself! Get your tickets on our website.
