Every year, it seems that at least one indie film comes into the spotlight. First appearing at Sundance Film Festival in 2012, Beasts of the Southern Wild won the Grand Jury Award as well as the Excellence in Cinematography Award. Since then, the movie has won 34 of the 35 awards for which it has been nominated. This year, it is nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. In terms of Best Picture, this movie deserves every bit of its nomination. It is the story of a six-year-old girl, Hushpuppy, living in the Bayou with a hot-tempered and sick father. As the ice caps begin to melt and threaten to destroy her village, Hushpuppy is faced with challenges such as fear, maturity, and survival. Beasts of the Southern Wild is less likely to win Best Picture because it is not very well known, but that should not count it out. It is a beautiful movie all together and displays childhood in a clear and relatable way, because everyone has to face their Aurochs at some point in life.
While Jennifer Lawrence of Silver Linings Playbook pretty much sealed the deal for Best Actress after her win at the Golden Globes, nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis will not be forgotten. The youngest actress to be nominated for Best Actress, Wallis was just five years old when she first auditioned for the role. She gives a riveting performance in the movie and proves that she will be a forced to be reckoned with. Although it is doubtful that she will win the Oscar, Wallis has a very bright future ahead of her.
Nominations
- Best Picture
- Best Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis)
- Best Director (Benh Zeitlin)
- Best Adapted Screenplay