Oscar Watch: 'Promised Land' may steal some Oscars

Posted Friday, September 21, 2012 at 4:43 PM Central
Last updated Friday, September 21, 2012 at 4:44 PM Central

by John Couture

Last month there was a little date change that was hardly noticed by anyone outside of the serious awards enthusiasts. Focus Features moved their film Promised Land from a 2013 release to December 28, 2012.

The calculated move sets Promised Land up for a nice last minute Oscar qualifying run. I know what some are you are saying, "Really? A John Krasinski film as a legit Oscar contender?"

Not only is Promised Land a contender, but I'm going to make a prediction right now, it's going to nab a handful of nominations and at least one or two awards. What's the reason for my optimism? The film is directed by Gus Van Sant and co-written by star Matt Damon.

The last time these two teamed up, a little film called Good Will Hunting took the Oscars by storm, racking up 9 Oscar nominations among wins for Best Supporting Actor (Robin Williams) and Best Original Screenplay (Matt Damon & Ben Affleck).

This time around, Krasinski steps in for Affleck as both co-writer and co-star and Hal Holbrook plays the role of worthy veteran actor looking for his first Oscar win. Will magic strike twice for this pair?

Time will only tell, but the first look trailer below is quite promising. Think Erin Brockovich meets Thank You for Smoking meets Up in the Air and you start to get an idea of what we might be in for.