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Theres really no such thing as a typical Oscar movie anymore.
Whats more,The Iron Clawis a commercial and critical success.
So why did this admired dramatic piledriver fail to pick up a single Academy Award nomination?
Or, for that matter, much from the precursor guild awards or other voting groups?
Why wasnt a movie with a gut punch this strong ever in contention for the title?
One potential culprit is the simple fact of how late in the seasonThe Iron Clawpremiered.
(You know the two.
You may have watched themback-to-back last July.)
Clawwas one of the final Oscar hopefuls critics and award voters saw last year.
In a less crowded field, a push around Thanksgiving might pay off.
A24 is very strategic with how they campaign, says Neglia.
They go hard when they know theyve got something.
There is a self-fulfilling prophecy aspect to this, grants Neglia.
For one, its a sports drama about a sport considered disreputable in plenty of circles.
But that rapturously reviewed movie couldnt crack the Best Picture race either.
Theres also the Efron factor.
Is Hollywood similarly reluctant to see Efron as a serious leading man?
Hes not just theHigh School Musicalkid people remember, says Neglia.
Hes evolved into someone much more than that.
But people would need to see [Claw] to know that.
Best Actress often goes to beautiful young ingenues, but Actor skews older, less beautiful.
But it didnt create the impression of a prestige acting showcase.
Almost nobody involved withThe Iron Clawis part of the Oscar club yet.
But the lack of one clear standout performance likely kept it out of acting races.
Of course, Netflixalso spent tens of millionsto positionMaestroas a major contender.
Could A24 have bought a nomination, altering the course of this particular awards season through ads alone?
I dont think it has anything to do with money, Neglia says of the campaign spending issue.
He does wonder if they should have just held the movie for Marchs upcoming South by Southwest Film Festival.
After all, thats whereEverything Everywheres long journey to Oscar glory began two years ago.
In other words,The Iron Clawwill elevate careers, even without the Academys stamp of approval.
People are discovering the movie without that, too.
Who needs a nomination?
