Oscar Outlook 2012: Won't Back Down

Won't Back Down has gone through several title changes from Still I Rise to Steel Town to Learning to Fly.  Am I far off in assuming that there is some kind of royalty the studio has already paid to Tom Petty they have no other choice but to cash in on?  Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal will play two mothers who set out to change a crumbling school system (though other reports have Davis as a teacher who joins forces with Gyllenhaal's character).  Lance Reddick will play a teacher and provide some lovin' for Davis.  Oscar Isaac (Drive) will also play a teacher (and ukulele) who romances Gyllenhaal.  Holly Hunter will play a union representative and Rosie Perez will play a school board administrator.  It filmed last May in Pittsburgh on a budget of less than $20M.

[Photo via iW]
[Info gathered partly from Walden Fans]
Daniel Barnz (Beastly, Phoebe in Wonderland) directed this original story he rewrote from Brin Hill.  Producers Ron Schmidt and Mark Johnson put it all together with Walden Media.  Johnson has won an Oscar for Rain Man, as well as being nominated for Bugsy.  He operates under the banner of Grand Via Production and, recently, has been responsible for Breaking Bad and The Chronicles of Narnia.  Big Studio Twentieth Century Fox will distribute the film (and you know they have deep pockets) in the U.S., starting on the 28th of September.  Film Editor Kristina Boden's past projects have included Dear John, Carlito's Way, Auto Focus, and Prime.  German Cinematographer has worked on Pride & Prejudice.  The production design team includes Rusty Smith, Gary Kosko, and Diana Stoughton.  Costume Designer is Luca Mosca.  Composer Marcel Zarvos has slowly built a career for himself since 2000, receiving more exposure over the last couple years, including working on The Big C.  Based on the talent, I don't foresee much awards attention, but I do see a Blind Side-like possibility.  Joe Cunningham over at iW is skeptical about the quality potential.  I can't blame him.

For many, Viola Davis was supposed to walk up to the podium this past February.  There could be enough residual love, that if the film makes money (even if it's not at the level of The Help), Davis could see another lead nomination for herself.  After all, even if she didn't win, the AMPAS could still make history by nominating her for a second time in the lead category [and, as Anonymous pointed out, nabbing a total of three acting nods].  Diana Ross, Angela Bassett, even Oscar-winner Halle Berry have never returned to the lead category after getting nominated.  And neither have four of the others (Cicely Tyson, Dorothy Dandridge, Diahann Carroll, Gabourey Sidibe).  In fact, the only one to get nominated for an additional supporting nod (which she won) was Whoopi Goldberg.  Frankly, I think a nomination for Davis might be a bigger step "forward" than had she won for "The Help."

I always assumed the song "I Won't Back Down" was an anthem for atheism, because of the line "You can stand me up at the gates of Hell."  But, actually, it seems to be a pretty simple song about a guy informing someone he cares about whether they join him or not, he's going to step into a personal fight that is about to get ugly.

Also on the Radar:

Anna Karenina     Beasts of the Southern Wild     The Dark Knight Rises     Dark Shadows     Great Expectations     The Great Gatsby     Hope Springs     The Hunger Games     Hyde Park on the Hudson     Lawless     Lola Versus     Lovelace     Low Life     Prometheus     Ruby Sparks     Smashed     The Surrogate     Won't Back Down 


The Avengers     The Amazing Spider-Man     Men in Black III