Pro: Oscar loves a big coming out like this. While Winstead has been very visible in blockbuster and indie entertainment alike for a few years, she hasn't quite hit it out of the park like she does in James
Pondholt's Sundance fave. She gets to go to some dark places as an alcoholic forced to admit she has a problem (kind of like Denzel Washington in "Flight") and, ultimately, realize the toxicity of a codependent relationship. It's the kind of stretching actors love to do, and love to recognize.

Con: It's a tiny, tiny movie. It gets a release this month so visibility will swing back Winstead's way slightly after that first Sundance buzz wave, but it's a tall order. Particularly for a studio (Sony Pictures Classics) that has a pair of challenging foreign contenders to push through in the category.

- Kristopher Tapley