Welcome toFor Your Consideration, the Collider show that breaks down awards season with hostsScott Mantz,Perri NemiroffandJeff Sneider, who offer their Best Documentary Feature predictions. It has been a great year for documentaries, and it seems like the docs dominating the box office are also the ones out in front in terms of awards consideration. The category is shaping up to be a heated battle this year, so let’s dive right in.
Right now, it seems like the race is primarily betweenRuth Bader GinsburgandMister Rogers. The Academy loves its liberal heroes, so who better than a fiery female Supreme Court Justice and a man who embodied acceptance and kindness to represent the voting body, right?RBGandWon’t You Be My Neighbor?also happen to be among the year’s most acclaimed films, and Jeff can imagine people feeling good about themselves if and when they vote for either of those films?NeighbordirectorMorgan Nevilleactually joins the gang throughout this entire episode to weigh in on his fellow contenders. Meanwhile,RBGfilmmakersBetsy WestandJulie Cohenhave been the toast of their peers this year, so they could prove very tough to beat – even for an Academy favorite like Neville.
Coming in close behind areThree Identical StrangersandFree Solo, both of which concern incredible true stories.Three Identical Strangershas wowed audiences with its jaw-dropping twists and turns ever since it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January.Tim Wardledoes a great job with the structure of the film, unpeeling the story layer by layer to find the emotional core at its center. Meanwhile,Elizabeth Chai VasarhelyiandJimmy Chin’sFree Solofollows extreme athlete/insane personAlex Honnoldas completes the first free solo climb of El Capitan’s 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park. It’s a remarkable documentary featuring some breathtaking footage, but will Honnold’s perseverance be enough to compete with Ginsburg and Rogers? We’ll see…
As for that fifth slot, Jeff and Scott give the edge toMichael Moore’sFahrenheit 11/9, if only because of Moore’s high profile and the clear interest in the anti-Trump subject matter. But the guys admit that they may be blinded by Moore’s star power and his history at the Oscars. Perri thinks thatSandi Tan’s filmmaking odysseyShirkersstands a much better chance at securing a nomination, and she warns the guys not to write off Hulu’sMinding the Gap, either.Bing Liu’s film follows three young men whose decade-long friendship is threatened by unexpected revelations as they attempt to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. The Academy’s documentary branch can be eclectic to say the least, so it’s possible that bothShirkersandMinding the Gapcould surprise, knocking out one of the four presumed frontrunners.
In the end, Scott, Perri and Jeff come to a compromise regarding their predictions, so tune in to see where they settled. To keep up with all thingsFor Your Consideration, follow the gang on Twitter and Instagram at @MovieMantz, @PNemiroffand @TheInSneider. Stay tuned next week for more awards talk, and we’llFYC-ya later!
