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  3. 25 Movies You Need to See Before Oscar Night

25 Movies You Need to See Before Oscar Night

Want to be in the know when the winners are announced on Feb. 26? Here's your research list.
By Dave Karger Updated January 18, 2012 at 10:00 PM EST
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The Descendants

George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, ... | George Clooney heads an impressive cast (including breakout Shailene Woodley) in Alexander Payne's affecting family drama, which should score several big nods. (In theaters)

George Clooney heads an impressive cast (including breakout Shailene Woodley) in Alexander Payne's affecting family drama, which should score several big nods. (In theaters)

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BEST PICTURE War Horse

War Horse, Jeremy Irvine | Starring Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan Directed by Steven Spielberg, PG-13 Over the years, Steven Spielberg has worked with some unusual protagonists: sharks, extraterrestrials, robots. ButÂ…
Credit: Andrew Cooper

What Lisa said: ''This is a beautifully built, classically framed movie, shot with the unshowy natural expressiveness of a John Ford Western by Spielberg's great cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski. The tears this War Horse wrings are honest, as Joey's fate becomes entwined with those of British and German soldiers equally capable (amidst bombs, gun blasts, and hideous barbed wire) of appreciating animal magnificence.'' A-

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The Help

Emma Stone, Viola Davis | Within minutes of meeting Emma Stone, director Tate Taylor knew he had found just the woman for the role of Skeeter in the adaptation ofÂ…
Credit: Dale Robinette

Thanks to their indelible performances as maids Aibileen and Minny, Viola ?Davis and Golden Globe winner Octavia Spencer could be the first pair of African-American winners from the same film. (On DVD)

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Hugo

Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, ?Sacha Baron Cohen Directed by Martin Scorsese, Not yet rated A 3-D fantasy set in 1931 ParisÂ…
Credit: Jaap Buitendijk

Martin Scorsese's family film will woo voters with its film-preservation plotline. Expect nods in technical categories and possibly Best Director. (In theaters)

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Midnight in Paris

Owen Wilson
Credit: Roger Arpajou

Woody Allen's top grossing film, a Paris-set fantasy, is a sure thing for a screenplay nod. Nominations for Best Picture and Best Director are also strong possibilities. (On DVD)

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Moneyball

While Brad Pitt is a lock for a Best Actor nomination, director Bennett Miller's inside-baseball drama is also a contender for Picture, Adapted Screenplay, andÂ…
Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon

While Brad Pitt is a lock for a Best Actor nomination, director Bennett Miller's inside-baseball drama is also a contender for Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actor Jonah Hill. (On DVD)

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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?

Starring Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer Directed by David Fincher, Not yet rated Rooney Mara (pictured) is at the center of one of theÂ…
Credit: Baldur Bragason

It's loud and violent, but ­riveting. The hipper ­Academy crowd could rally to push David Fincher for Best Director and Rooney Mara for Best ­Actress. (In theaters)

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The Tree of Life

Nearly three years after Terrence Malick completed shooting on The Tree of Life , the film is finally reaching theaters — following another one ofÂ…
Credit: Merie Wallace

Director Terrence Malick's trippy opus will divide Academy members, to be sure. But it could still amass enough No. 1 votes to land ?a Best Picture nod. (On DVD)

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Beginners

Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, ... | After his mother dies, a young man ( Ewan McGregor ) discovers that his father ( Christopher Plummer ) is gay and has spent hisÂ…
Credit: Andrew Tepper

Veteran star Christopher Plummer leads the Supporting Actor pack as a widower who comes out of the closet. (On DVD)

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

The final Harry Potter film certainly will be recognized in the visual effects and sound categories. But can it also break into the big dance? Of all the Harrys, it has the best shot. (On DVD)

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The Iron Lady

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Credit: Alex Bailey

Coming on the heels of her Golden Globe win, Viola Davis' top competition for Best Actress is soon-to-be-17-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep for her jaw-dropping performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. (In theaters)

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Rango

Johnny Depp | It's not your typical cartoon, but Gore Verbinski's Western adventure with Johnny Depp should make the Animated Feature cut on uniqueness alone. (On DVD)

It's not your typical cartoon, but Gore Verbinski's Western adventure with Johnny Depp should make the Animated Feature cut on uniqueness alone. (On DVD)

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Shame

Shame, Michael Fassbender | Michael Fassbender plays a sex addict forced to confront his past when his younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves in with him. Or, that movie inÂ…
Credit: Abbot Genser

Breakout star Michael Fassbender delivers a much-talked-about performance as a sex addict that should secure him a Best Actor nod. (In theaters)

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Albert Nobbs

A handcrafted wig, prosthetic ears, and a fake nose-tip helped make the actress convincingly masculine for the part of a humble gender-bending waiter who dreamsÂ…

Glenn Close (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and costar Janet McTeer are poised for nods for playing women passing as men in 19th-century Ireland. (Goes wide Jan. 27)

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The Ides of March

The Ides of March
Credit: Saeed Adyani

With its mix of cynicism and smarts, George Clooney's acclaimed directorial effort could score nods for Picture and Adapted Screenplay. (On DVD)

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Kung Fu Panda 2

The highest-grossing animated film of the year also scored the most nominations from the Annie Awards. Can Po top Tintin? (On DVD)
Credit: Dreamworks Animation

The highest-grossing animated film of the year also scored the most nominations from the Annie Awards. Can Po top Tintin? (On DVD)

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Bridesmaids

Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, ... | There's no accounting for taste in comedy. But there are standards by which to measure quality in a movie comedy, and most of them areÂ…
Credit: Suzanne Hanover

Star and co-writer Kristen Wiig is a good bet for a screenplay nod, while costar Melissa McCarthy could land a rare nomination for a comic role. (On DVD)

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J. Edgar

Armie Hammer, Leonardo DiCaprio, ... | Leonardo DiCaprio's Hoover exposé got mixed reviews, but he could still land a Best Actor nod. And Armie Hammer is in the mix for SupportingÂ…

Leonardo DiCaprio's Hoover exposé got mixed reviews, but he could still land a Best Actor nod. And Armie Hammer is in the mix for Supporting Actor. (In theaters)

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We Need to Talk About Kevin

When her teenage son (Ezra Miller) goes on a killing spree, Eva (Tilda Swinton) attempts to understand how she and her estranged husband (John C.Â…
Credit: Nicole Rivelli

It's not easy to watch, but 2007 Supporting Actress winner Tilda Swinton's portrait of a psychopath's mom is nothing short of riveting. (In theaters)

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Drive

Ryan Gosling, Drive | Ryan Gosling's violent ?drama has emerged as a stealth contender. Its best shot: villain Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. (On DVD Jan. 31)
Credit: Richard Foreman Jr

Ryan Gosling's violent ?drama has emerged as a stealth contender. Its best shot: villain Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. (On DVD Jan. 31)

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Young Adult

Charlize Theron, Young Adult | 2003 Best Actress winner Charlize Theron could return to the race — as could Adult 's 2007 Original Screenplay winner, Diablo Cody. (In theaters)
Credit: Phil Caruso

2003 Best Actress winner Charlize Theron could return to the race — as could Adult's 2007 Original Screenplay winner, Diablo Cody. (In theaters)

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Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's controversial doc about three teens from West Memphis, Ark., who were convicted (some say wrongly) of murder is the oneÂ…

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's controversial doc about three teens from West Memphis, Ark., who were convicted (some say wrongly) of murder is the one to beat. (HBO On Demand)

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Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Tom Hanks, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close | What Lisa said: ''A polarizing load of quirkiness in Extremely Loud gunks up (at least for this hometown mourner; your results may vary) what isÂ…
Credit: Francois Duhamel

Though the post-9/11 drama has been shut out by most of the early awards groups, Tom Hanks and Thomas Horn make a poignant father-son team; supporting players Sandra Bullock and Max von Sydow also impress. (Goes wide Jan. 20)

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My Week With Marilyn

Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn | Michelle Williams is a certain Best Actress nominee for her convincing portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, while Kenneth Branagh stands to earn a supporting nod forÂ…
Credit: Laurie Sparham

Michelle Williams is a certain Best Actress nominee for her convincing portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, while Kenneth Branagh stands to earn a supporting nod for playing acting legend Sir Laurence Olivier. (In theaters)

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The Artist

The Artist, Berenice Bejo, ... | What Owen said: '' The Artist may be the ultimate clever curio. It's a black-and-white silent film, made in a lovingly exact imitation of theÂ…
Credit: Peter Iovino

The last silent film to win the Oscar was actually the first-ever Best Picture: Wings, all the way back in 1929. Eighty-two years later, we may just have the second. From its debut at Cannes (where debonair star Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor prize) to its phenomenal art-house success to its Best Musical or Comedy win at the Golden Globes and its Best Picture victory from the New York Film Critics Circle, director Michel Hazanavicius' ode to the films of yesteryear is as fascinatingly educational as it is delightfully timeless. (In theaters)

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 25 The Descendants
    2 of 25 BEST PICTURE War Horse
    3 of 25 The Help
    4 of 25 Hugo
    5 of 25 Midnight in Paris
    6 of 25 Moneyball
    7 of 25 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?
    8 of 25 The Tree of Life
    9 of 25 Beginners
    10 of 25 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 2
    11 of 25 The Iron Lady
    12 of 25 Rango
    13 of 25 Shame
    14 of 25 Albert Nobbs
    15 of 25 The Ides of March
    16 of 25 Kung Fu Panda 2
    17 of 25 Bridesmaids
    18 of 25 J. Edgar
    19 of 25 We Need to Talk About Kevin
    20 of 25 Drive
    21 of 25 Young Adult
    22 of 25 Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
    23 of 25 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
    24 of 25 My Week With Marilyn
    25 of 25 The Artist

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    25 Movies You Need to See Before Oscar Night
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