If there's one film that entered the Toronto International Film Festival without distribution and then left the fest sitting prettier than all other films of its ilk, it is undoubtedly John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole."Scooped up by Lionsgate, the acquisition surely came with a certain dollar commitment figure for the Oscars and it's easy to see why. Mitchell's parental grieving drama boasts powerhouse performances from all its members especially lead actress Nicole Kidman, supporting actress Dianne Wiest and co-star Aaron Eckhart (who's frankly just as good as anyone in the cast, but is likely to be overlooked come awards season). And let's not forget Anton Sanko's expressive score, which we hope -- along with Rachel Portman's plaintive "Never Let Me Go" music -- earns a Best Original Score nod.
Well, Lionsgate is putting its Oscar horse right in the thick of it, scheduling the film for a December 17th limited release with the film rolling out to more theaters over the ensuing weeks before going wide on January 14th.
Lionsgate isn't known for being a major Oscar contender, and while their campaign for Jim Sheridan's "Brothers" was nonexistent, last year they proved their awards season mettle by scoring six nominations for their urban drama, "Precious" which won awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Monique (the picture also scored itself a Best Picture and Best Actress nomination).
While it remains to be seen if Mitchell or the film can pull a Best Director or Best Picture nom out of its hat, we're betting at least Kidman and Wiest pull off nods. What is certain is that the understated and mature effort is a solid picture and worth your time when it hits theaters later this year. You can read our review of the film from TIFF here. [Variety]
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