Jeff Bridges In CRAZY HEART Trailer… Is An Oscar Far Behind?

Yesterday, WAMG’s showed you the new poster for CRAZY HEART with  four-time Academy Award nominee, Jeff Bridges. In the past few weeks, Bridges has jumped to the front of the line on most of the Oscar pundits lists in the Best Actor category  as this new trailer for CRAZY HEART clearly shows a new player has entered the race. Sasha Stone over at AWARDS DAILY says it best,  “The Dude may finally see his moment to shine.”

As Tom O’Neil over at THE GOLD DERBY writes:

Jeff Bridges, George Clooney and Colin Firth are front-runners to win. A few weeks ago, Clooney and Firth were ahead after receiving rousing receptions at the Toronto and Venice film festivals, but Bridges is now zooming forward since Fox Searchlight jammed “Crazy Heart” onto the derby track in the home stretch. The four-time loser is an academy fave overdue to win, and he gives a flashy, deeply felt performance as a boozy country crooner.

Most feel, like Scott Feinberg over at AND THE WINNER IS, that this is  Bridges’ year with a interesting article that asks, “Has Jeff Bridges’ Oscar Moment Finally Arrived?”  Feinberg totally validates his  question by writing:

There is one big difference between this role and the four for which Bridges has been Oscar-nominated in the past — his ace in the hole, if you will: he’s playing an alcoholic, and over 82 years of Oscars few sorts of performances – dramatic or comedic — have been nominated for or won the best actor Oscar more often, as you can see for yourself below. Perhaps this is because portraying an alcoholic usually requires an actor to throw vanity to the wind, demonstrate a wide range of physical and emotional behavior, and tug at the heartstrings of audiences.

Kristopher Tapley over at IN CONTENTION states:

But it really does feel like things are going to go Bridges’s way this Oscar season. It’s all just…too difficult to argue with.

One thing to think about…his biggest competition won’t be Clooney or Firth or even Morgan Freeman. As Dave Poland at MCN considers:

Bridges is looking like a strong bet to push to the top of what looks to be one of the weaker Best Actor races in years. But he is less likely, in my opinion, to go there than Christopher Plummer, who is ready for his career achievement nomination for a beautiful, nuanced, loveable turn as Tolstoy in Michael Hoffman’s The Last Station.

On a side note,  this past Saturday  night Jeff Bridges presented an Honorary Oscar to cinematographer Gordon Willis at the Academy’s Governors Awards in Hollywood. Does this picture give us a glimpse of things to come on Oscar night in March? I sure hope so.

Photo Courtesy: AMPAS