That was the answer no “Jeopardy!” contestant could come up with in a recent episode, a chastening moment in an otherwise much-celebrated run for Spielberg's-winning coming-of-age drama. “The Fabelmans” has been a frontrunner since its award-winning Toronto International Film Festival premiere, but there are some cracks in its campaign beyond unanswered gameshow clues. Michelle Williams surprisingly missed out on a SAG nomination, but expect the academy to remedy that.
Some would say that the Oscars could use such box-office hits. Ratings have tended to be higher in years where widely watched films are vying for best picture. In recent years, Oscar producers have vainly tried to add prizes for “best popular film” and Twitter-voted winners, and mostly only gotten mockery for their efforts. At the same time, more modest films — “CODA,” “Nomadland,” “Parasite," “The Shape of Water,” “Moonlight” — have usually triumphed.