The Spirit Award nominations arrived yesterday, and making a strong appearance was Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie,” which scored four nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress for Natalie Portman, Best Director for the aforementioned filmmaker, and Best Editing.
Has anyone had a stronger year as a director than Larraín? He had three films arrive in 2016, including “The Club,” which was heralded at Berlin in 2015; “Neruda,” which is Chile’s entry in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars year; and now “Jackie” which is looking to be a big Oscar contender, too (read our review).
And “Jackie” was a bit of a game changer for Fox Searchlight. The company was looking at “The Birth Of A Nation” as their big Oscar contender, but when Nate Parker’s sexual-assault scandal blew up the studio’s plans, they quickly pivoted towards Larraín’s exceptionally reviewed Jackie Kennedy biopic. Off to the races, the studio immediately set a release date and now they placed all their awards hopes in the “Jackie” basket. Here’s the official synopsis:
JACKIE is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). JACKIE places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of “Camelot” that they created and loved so well.
Apart from Natalie Portman, who is a sure fire Best Actress nominee, as Jacqueline Onassis (then Jackie Kennedy), “Jackie” co-stars Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, and Peter Sarsgaard. “Jackie” opens December 2nd. Check out a batch of new photos from the film below.
