By Sean Kelly
Every year there seem to be two films that stand out in the Oscar race. For instance, last year it was a well-documented battle between The Hurt Locker and Avatar. This year’s battle is shaping up to feature The King’s Speech facing off against The Social Network. If this battle wasn’t apparent before, it certainly is now that The Social Network won four of its six Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture – Drama. I figured that it would be fun it create a boxing-style “tale of the tape” comparison between the two films.
| The King’s Speech | FILM | The Social Network |
| Tom Hooper | DIRECTOR | David Fincher |
| December 10, 2010 | ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE | October 1, 2010 |
| 93% Fresh | CURRENT ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE
(as of 1/17/11) |
96% Fresh |
| $62,593,237 | WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE GROSS
(as of 1/17/11) |
$199,891,743 |
| 6 | SATELLITE AWARDS NOMINATIONS | 7 |
| 2 | SATELLITE AWARDS WINS | 3 |
| 7 | GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION | 6 |
| 1 | GOLDEN GLOBE WINS | 4 |
| 11 | CRITICS CHOICE AWARD NOMINATIONS | 9 |
| 2 | CRITICS CHOICE AWARD WINS | 4 |
| 14 | BAFTA NOMINATIONS | 7 |
| 4 | SAG AWARDS NOMINATIONS | 2 |
| 1 | DGA AWARDS NOMINATIONS | 1 |
| 1 | PGA AWARD
NOMNIATIONS |
1 |
By looking at the chart as it stands, there is a slight edge given to The Social Network. However it is still early in the awards season. The winners of the guild awards are usually a good indication of how the Oscars will be voted. In addition, the winners of the BAFTAs should also provide some insight. I will update this chart in about a month’s time (shortly before the Oscars on February 27) and by then we should have a better idea about which of these two films will walk away with the Oscar.
Tables?! I love tables.
To add another row highly relevant to predicting Oscar outcomes – number of MONDO top 5 lists.
King’s Speech: 2
Social Network: 0
I haven’t seen the Social Network, but every single person I know who has says it’s a good movie, but in no way deserves Oscar for best picture over other films (e.g. Kings Speech, True Grit, Inception, The Town, etc etc). I’m not really interested in movies like The Social Network; the ones based on real events, because in a lot of cases I would prefer to watch a documentary about the subject rather than a dramatic re-inactment of someone’s subjective interpretation of events.
I think that The Social Network is well done (and is actually #6 on my Top Ten list), however I have a feeling that its accolades are more about anointing David Fincher into the directorial elite, rather than having anything to do with the film itself.
You’re like most people I talk to, then. If I’m not mistaken, Fincher himself has expressed confusion as to why his movie is the frontrunner for Best Picture.
Sounds more like modesty (false or otherwise) to me. There’s no question The Social Network is an amazing movie, not making my top list only by virtue of my personal taste for heroes I can cheer for, good conquering evil, that kind of thing.
For everyone else, I’m in no way surprised by the accolades.
While I will create a fully updated chart about a week before the Oscars here’s some quick updates:
- King’s Speech won the PGA award, which has a 75% success rate in picking the Best Picture winner.
- King’s Speech leads the Oscar nominations with 12 nodes, which Social Network received 8.
- True Grit becomes a surprise co-frontrunner with 10 nominations.