Oscar Best Picture Race: 2014 Possible Winner Between '12 Years a Slave,' 'American Hustle' & 'Gravity' [VIDEO]
The 2014 Oscar Best Picture race is closer than ever before, with three films still in contention to take the coveted prize.
The nominations for Best Picture include 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street. Of those nine films, only three are considered by awards experts as possible contenders to win Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle and Gravity.
Many awards shows that precede the Oscars are considered good indicators for which film the Academy will choose. Last year, Argo swept the race with Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes, the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards, the PGA (Producers Guild) Awards, the DGA (Directors Guild) Awards and the Critics' Choice Awards. The year, there is not a consensus choice for Best Picture.
12 Years a Slave won the Best Picture - Drama award at the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice and tied with Gravity for the PGA. Along with Gravity's PGA win, the film is the presumptive frontrunner to win the DGA, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Meanwhile, American Hustle won the Best Picture - Comedy award at the Golden Globes in addition to the SAG Award for Best Ensemble.
The PGA has matched the Oscars for Best Picture since 2007, with both organizations choosing Argo, The Artist, The King's Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire and No Country for Old Men. As a tie is highly unlikely at the Oscars, it can be presumed that either 12 Years a Slave or Gravity will take home the prize. However, actors are the largest voting group at the Academy, so an American Hustle upset is possible.
The 2014 Oscars are scheduled to air on Sunday, March 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
