Avatar on the Rise?

I usually try to stay away from this kind of reporting because, despite good intentions, for the most, it can’t be trusted. I get a lot of it – some of it is true, some isn’t true. I was tipped off, for instance, that the film The Messenger was playing very well with guild members and so far that seemed to be on the money. But if it’s Avatar news we post it. I warn all to take with a grain of salt, however. What Avatar has going for it right this moment are lowered expectations. Here is Hitfix’s Gregory Ellwood:

After a screening yesterday morning, very reliable sources have told Awards Campaign that the HFPA were incredibly positive about Cameron’s latest endeavor. In fact, it’s now very likely to be nominated in both the Best Picture – Drama and Best Director categories when the Golden Globe nominations are announced next Tuesday. ¬†This was almost unthinkable a week ago and may push expected Globe nominees such as “The Hurt Locker” or “An Education” out of the Best Picture – Drama race. ¬†Additionally, this could (emphasis on “could”) find “Avatar”¬†seriously being considered for one of the ten nominees for Oscar’s Best Picture trophy — especially considering the 8-10th slots hardly seem secure at this point in the race.

Right. There aren’t any films that are secure except Up in the Air. The Oscar race takes shape with the DGA. But since the DGA only name five, there are still five dangling slots to be had. I have been predicting that Cameron will be one of the five nominated at the DGA and that Avatar will be nominated for Best Picture, always a dangerous (and mostly impossible) practice without having seen the film. BUT if someone makes a film for that many years, invests that much in it, is ready to revolutionize motion-capture and digital 3-D, seems like a DGA nod is the very least it will get.