Here’s our first package from Fox Searchlight including three early-year releases hoping for late-year Oscar attention.

Far from the Madding Crowd

Stars: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge, Juno Temple, Jessica Barden
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Premise: From IMDb: “In Victorian England, the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor.”
Oscar Chances: Weak: If Carey Mulligan didn’t have Suffragette, she might have been a player for this costume drama. The film could compete in the Production Design and Costume design categories, but any other chances it has are fairly slim.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich)
• Best Director (Thomas Vinterberg)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (David Nicholls)
• Best Actress (Carey Mulligan)
• Best Supporting Actor (Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge)
• Best Supporting Actress (Juno Temple, Jessica Barden)
• Best Film Editing (Claire Simpson)
• Best Cinematography (Charlotte Bruus Christensen)
• Best Production Design (Kave Quinn, Niamh Coulter)
• Best Costume Design (Janet Patterson)
• Best Sound Mixing (Mitch “Wookie” Low, Ian Tapp, Niv Adiri)
• Best Sound Editing (Glenn Freemantle)
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling (Sian Grigg)
• Best Original Score (Craig Armstrong)

Rotten Tomatoes:
85% (145 critics; as of 11/8/15)
Metacritic:
71 out of 100 (40 critics; as of 11/8/15)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Stars: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Premise: From IMDb: “High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.”
Oscar Chances: Uncertain: It has faded a bit since its acclaimed debut, but the film still enters the discussion as a dark horse Best Picture nominee. Room has so far eclipsed this film in terms of specialty box office contenders running for a Best Picture slot, but this one is still a possibility in lots of categories, especially Best Adapted Screenplay.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Steve Rales, Dan Fogelman, Jeremy Dawson)
• Best Director (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Jesse Andrews)
• Best Actor (Thomas Mann)
• Best Supporting Actor (RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal)
• Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton)
• Best Film Editing (David Trachtenberg)
• Best Cinematography (Chung-Hoon Chung)
• Best Production Design (Gerald Sullivan, Diana Stoughton)
• Best Costume Design (Jennifer Eve)
• Best Sound Mixing (Pawel Wdowczak, Bob Chefalas, Jacob Ribicoff))
• Best Sound Editing (Jacob Ribicoff)
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling (Nancy Keslar, Marianne Skiba)

Rotten Tomatoes:
82% (169 critics; as of 11/8/15)
Metacritic:
74 out of 100 (40 critics; as of 11/8/15)

Mistress America

Stars: Greta Gerwig, Matthew Shear, Michael Chernus, Lola Kirke, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Heather Lind
Director: Noah Baumbach
Premise: From IMDb: “A lonely college freshman’s life is turned upside down by her impetuous, adventurous soon-to-be stepsister.”
Oscar Chances: Poor: The film earned strong reviews when it was released, but has entirely disappeared since then. There’s been no chatter and no discussion. That’s about on par for a Noah Baumbach film.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Noah Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Lila Yacoub, Rodrigo Teixeira, Greta Gerwig)
• Best Director (Noah Baumbach)
• Best Original Screenplay (Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig)
• Best Actress (Greta Gerwig)
• Best Supporting Actor (Matthew Shear, Michael Chernus)
• Best Supporting Actress (Lola Kirke, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Heather Lind)
• Best Original Score (Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips)

Rotten Tomatoes:
81% (138 critics; as of 11/8/15)
Metacritic:
75 out of 100 (42 critics; as of 11/8/15)