Pro: Weaving his personal history into a malfeasance story, John Gatins poured himself into "Flight." And in many ways, he's become the ready-and-willing face of the film, doing more press than you'd expect a screenwriter to do. That keeps him visible, and for a film that managed to find its audience and really sparked for a number of older Academy members, it could most certainly be something to watch in this race.

Con: The problem with movies like this is the season wants to pigeonhole them. "It's only about the crafts" or "It's only about the performances." In this case, "It's only about Denzel" is the line being tossed around by those who'd like it to be out of their way. And that could stick.

- Kristopher Tapley