Audiences have been checking into “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and the ‘No Vacancy’ sign may stay lit for most of summer. Last weekend, the film grossed $3.1 million while playing on just 354 screens for a per-screen average $9100! Since older audiences aren’t typically known to rush out to see a movie, theaters should benefit from sustained business for a majority of the season. As ‘Marigold’ expands to over 1200 screens this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, mainstream appeal is likely to follow its course. And as the box office dust settles, I think multiple Oscar nominations are a strong possibility.
Lets start with a genuine consensus: the audience adores ‘Marigold.’ The film seems to be generating the same enthusiasm of other films such as “The Kings Speech” and “The Descendants,” both appealed to older adults and went on to garner multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture. From retired audiences who attend during a matinee or aging adults who might find it a desirable choice for a low-key date night, expect all show times to remain relatively steady. Word of Mouth will carry ‘Marigold’ through the next several weeks. At summer gatherings from weddings to family reunions to dinner parties, an older generation will ask, “Did you see the Marigold Hotel yet?” Those who haven’t will make a trip to the theater.
Strong buzz from a crowd pleaser such as ‘Marigold’ could lead to a Best Picture nomination. Like in years past, other more daring films, which will be highly publicized at year’s end by the blogs, will probably be overlooked for ‘Marigold’. The typical AARP member is a prime Academy member who vote. With a new AMPAS system that requires a low percentage of voters to pick a movie as their ‘number one’ I think ‘Marigold’ should win over enough hearts to place for a Best Picture nomination. Besides hating on this delightful film is cruel. Attending ‘Marigold’ has become almost a movie event for the Greatest Generation. For them this is like celebrating the reflection of life and the old fashion embrace of acting, story, and setting. One reason Hollywood has been mum on the buzz for ‘Marigold’ because it will not show up in SEO data, Twitter feeds, or Flixster likes. Traditional word of mouth from older adults is hard to digitally track.
Will any of the ‘Marigold’ performances receive award recognition? Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Tom Wilkinson deliver solid performances reminding the viewers why they have had such healthy, vibrant careers. A supporting performance nomination could come from anyone Fox Searchlight chooses to campaign for, but Smith or Wilkinson could be considered merely as a polite gesture alone. This stellar all-star cast is an Ocean’s 11 for the ‘Downton Abbey’ crowd and has to be in the running for a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Ensemble. Obviously a few BAFTA nods are a given too. Award buzz provides an opportunity and much-needed boost for year-end award consideration and Academy members love to reward there aging own!
Movie bloggers and Oscar pundits have a hard time predicting award consideration for an unreleased movie. Sometimes, a movie that sounds good on paper is poorly executed and a movie which didn’t catch anyone’s attention is suddenly an awards contender. ‘Marigold’ has potential to be the latter. However, sometimes a blogger knows when a movie like ‘Marigold’ hits the high notes with the right audience and with the film connecting to an older audience, along with the lighthearted tone and an all-star cast of established British actors, a Best Picture Oscar nomination for ‘Marigold’ is almost a foregone conclusion.
It seems like a bit much to say awards nominations are obvious. Audiences and Critics describe it as “light and charming” for the most part, which doesn’t grab voters. “Heavy, long and dramatic” is usually what grabs them. Though The Artist winning this past Oscars proves this statement invalid, I still think the changes are low for Marigold.
*chances