Poll: How Many of the 2015 Best Picture Nominees Have You Seen?

With the exception of Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper’, which just had a huge first weekend in wide release, none of the other nominees for this year’s Best Picture Oscar have made a lot of money at the box office. In fact, this may be one of the lowest-grossing batches of movies ever assembled in the category. Have you seen any of the nominated films?

Having two toddlers precludes me from getting out to the theater much these days. The only Best Picture nominee I’ve seen was ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, which ran on HBO recently. Although I thought it was great fun, I don’t have any idea how it stacks up to its competition. Honestly, it’s not even necessarily my favorite Wes Anderson movie. (For my money, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ has a level of emotional engagement that the director’s other movies, including this one, lack.) I’d sure like to see some of the other nominees, and plan to do so eventually.

Obviously, a movie’s box office gross is in no way indicative of its artistic quality. Nor does it necessarily influence its chance of winning the Oscar. (2009 Best Picture winner ‘The Hurt Locker’ made about $17.50 during its theatrical run.) However, the box office tallies for the nominated films often do affect the ratings for the Academy Awards broadcast. Years in which big hit blockbuster movies (such as ‘Titanic’ or ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’) are nominated typically attract much larger viewing audiences than years with a bunch of little-seen pictures. When viewers haven’t seen any of the nominees, they feel like they don’t have any stake in the race and simply lose interest in watching it.

Will the success of ‘American Sniper’ be enough to draw eyeballs to the Oscars this year? At a guess, I’d say probably not, since few forecasts have predicted it likely to win anything.

This poll isn’t about which film you think will win the Oscar, just about which movies from the list you’ve seen. Vote for as many as apply.

How Many of the 2015 Best Picture Nominees Have You Seen?

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19 comments

  1. I saw Grand Budapest Hotel a few months ago and loved it and just bought it at Best Buy for 5.99 after a price adjustment. I saw Whiplash and it was awesome! I don’t listen to jazz, but this may get me to at least dabble in it. J. K. Simmons was a beast. Some of the most uncomfortable moments I’ve ever seen in a movie. Miles Teller was also very good. Maybe I’ll cut him a little more slack do the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. I can’t wait to own this one. Boyhood is on my radar and so is Birdman. I’m planning a movie marathon with my nephews and they want to see Boyhood, so I’ll hold out for them. I’m also intersted in American Sniper.

  2. Chapz Kilud

    Saw (or will be seeing this weekend) American Sniper, Imitation Game, Birdman, Theory of Everything, Selma, Ordered Grand Budapest Hotel from Best Buy for $5.99 but it’s backordered so I don’t know when I’ll get it. I saw a total of 72 movies in theater in 2014. I’m not sure how I missed Boyhood. It should have generated more buzz than it did.

  3. Ryan

    I have seen Whiplash, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, and Boyhood.
    Grand Budapest is my favorite out of them all. Whiplash was also quite good.
    Birdman was decent, but I disliked the ending.
    And Boyhood was a mundane borefest.

    • Chapz Kilud

      I don’t understand the ending at all in Birdman. But I went for Michael Keaton’s best performance of his career. I also didn’t like the movie that much.

  4. Chris B

    Hey Josh, any chance we could get a post listing what oscar nominated movies are available or will be available on home video before the oscars are handed out?

  5. T.J. Kats

    I’ve seen Boyhood and American Sniper so far and would choose Boyhood out of the two as being the one I liked more. I’ll try and see all at some point however.

  6. Drew

    I’ve seen them all. Though none of them are the best film of the year, I would choose either ‘Birdman’ or ‘Boyhood’ to win. They were both outstanding.

  7. Josh you tempted me with the TMNT answer, just to be funny of course. But no, haven’t seen a one.
    Might see Grand Budapest & Birdman – others, I dunno, wait and see!

  8. I don’t know, I wonder if “American Sniper” making a ton of money will increase its chances at winning Best Picture. Voters are historically fickle and will ride whichever hype wave is loudest at the moment. At the bare minimum I think it’s Vegas odds got a little bit better, if still far from a sure thing.

  9. William Henley

    Just The Theory of Everything for me (which was FANTASTIC, and I knew when I walked out that it would probably be nominated), but I plan to rent Boyhood as soon as I get a replacement television (hopefully this weekend).

  10. I actually liked ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. It wasn’t great (or good), but enjoyable. Best Picture nominee-wise, I have only seen ‘Boyhood’.

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