You haven’t seen the movie yet you’re talking about the reception towards it? Are you kidding, bar? No, I think I’m just over-obsessed to it. LOL. We’ve been talking about GONE GIRL in like two weeks, about the cast, the plot, and all things surrounding it. Now it’s time to talk about how GONE GIRL will be received in the market and, especially, in the award season next year.

Box-Office?

So will it be a hit? A box-office? I’m not good at predicting the market but most based-on-best-seller movies work quite well. Book lover (not me, of course) have already known this book years before it’s announced to be filmed. It’s a 2012 book, actually. And the author herself writes for the screen adaptation? And a new ending? I guess that’s enough to ‘secure’ the movie in top-five box office at least for two weeks release.

I’m more interested in talking about how award season reacts to the movie. Next year will be a tough one. Lots of great movies; you don’t even have to wait til fall to see some of next year’s award contenders (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, for example).


'Awardibility'

I think GONE GIRL won’t be a big attention-seeker in this award season. I don’t know, I don’t see it’ll be like THE SOCIAL NETWORK’s success back in 2011. Again, I think awards will accept GONE GIRL the way they see THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: qualified, but more like a third option. A crowd pleaser.

Technical Categories

For next year I doubt it’ll get a nod in Cinematography. The competition is tight. Editing, a better chance, depends on how Fincher breaks down the dual perspective story of the book. Music, well, I hate to admit this but it’ll probably get a nod too. Maybe the fourth or fifth best out of five nominees.


Screenplay & Directing Categories

I really cross my finger for Gillian Flynn gets a place in Adapted Screenplay. This is what I really support for. Not for winning, of course; only a place among five nominees is already an achievement. She’s so deserving it (not gaining many mentions from book awards, it’s alright, but a nod from movie people is of course a thumb-up).

Again, not a good year for David Fincher to get a place in Best Director. Even to get a nod, I think, is a hard thing. (And now I wonder how many years I have to wait to see this guy winning an Oscar—now I’m talking too specifically—especially after Captain Nemo and Steve Jobs biopic projects are unattached from him).

Acting Categories

The cast? Rosamund Pike should get a place. Different from Rooney Mara’s place for her amazing breakthrough in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (hers is like the least position to win), Rosamund Pike’s nod will be more favorable. The book requires her showing her ‘different side’ (most of the movies I watch, that have Rosamund Pike casted, show how calm, soft, and pretty she is), and only if she could manage it, the nods are a must. And I’m not talking about Academy Awards here; a place in Golden Globe or BAFTA (can it be considered for BAFTA?) is a nice move already.

I’ll keep it short and simple: no for Ben Affleck. Only luck could help him. Sorry, Ben.

And NPH! Neil Patrick Harris, a place in supporting actor will be great. In the book actually Desi Collings has less screen time than, say, Margo Dunne or the two detectives. But he’s not less attention-stealing: depends on how his ‘big events’ are maximized by the script. His character requires depth: small but biting, additional but important. We’ll see how far he could go with Desi.


Best Picture

The last, best picture. If you allow me to talk the worst, perhaps GONE GIRL meets the same destiny as THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: no place in any Best Picture races. Or if it gets enough luck, it’ll end up like A SERIOUS MAN in Oscar 2010, WAR HORSE in Oscar 2012: the least winning.


I’m sorry if this post feels so cynical, but GONE GIRL is not a material so convincing it should get attention. It’ll be a pleasing present for Fincher’s fans of course, or even movie freaks around the world, but its chance to be the icon of the year of certain awards is clearly not big. Be loved by critics is already amusing: score 70 until 80 by Metacritic is already great, or rated better than 7.5 by IMDb, it’ll be great.

Of course I hope better than what I write here, but I’m just being realistic. More coverage on next year’s Academy Awards (again, specifically), you can visit Never Too Early Movie Prediction (glad to see Gone Girl in most predictions!).


And this post sums up all the talkings about GONE GIRL. Me On The Movie’s GONE GIRL Special Edition is finally wrapped. Going back to review movies again, bar? Well, see you soon :)

So what do you think about GONE GIRL in award season or box office, readers?