One competitive Oscar race has gotten slightly less competitive and another competitive Oscar race is even more so. That’s the takeaway after it was revealed today that Christian Bale will campaign in the Lead Actor category for his performance in James Mangold’s “Ford V. Ferrari.” Bale will now compete against his “Ferrari” co-star, Matt Damon, for what could be his fifth Academy Award nomination.
Why 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios decided to push Bale to Lead Actor is somewhat unclear. Damon’s character, Caroll Shelby, frames the film, but Bale’s character, Ken Miles, is the heart of the story. Especially his relationship with his wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe). As noted by Pete Hammond in Deadline, both actors share the same publicity reps and had to be involved in the decision (it’s almost universally always the actor’s choice). Damon agreeing to this may be a classy way of recognizing that out of the two performances, Bale has the best shot at a nod. Or, maybe not.
For both men, the Lead Actor field is almost as difficult to crack as Supporting. Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”), Adam Sandler (“Uncut Gems”), Robert Pattinson (“The Lighthouse”), Robert DeNiro (“The Irishman”) and Taron Edgerton (“Rocketman”) all have legitimate shots at making the final five.
The Supporting Actor field remains a bloodbath with Brad Pitt (“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”), Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy”), Rob Morgan (“Just Mercy”), Willem Dafoe (“The Lighthouse”), Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighbhorhood”), Alan Alda (“Marriage Story”), Al Pacino (“The Irishman”), Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”), John Ligthgow (“Bombshell”), Kevin Harrison, Jr. (“Waves”) and Sterling K. Brown (“Waves”) in the mix.
“Ford v. Ferrari” opens nationwide on Nov. 15.
2020 Oscar contenders and predictions
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Director