Can Oscar nominations help “Room” sell tickets?
Last Thursday was a big day for “Room.” Not only was Brie Larson nominated (as expected) for best lead actress, but the film shocked pundits by also landing nods for best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.
So does this mean that people will actually go see it?
“Room” is adapted from Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel about a kidnapped 20-something woman, known as Ma (Larson), held captive in a shed for seven years by an evil man she calls Old Nick. The film is told from her 5-year-old son Jack’s perspective; Jack is pretty well-adjusted considering the circumstances. Ma teaches him that the shed (or “Room”) is actually what makes up the entire universe, and it’s the only thing he’s ever known. But soon, he and Ma plan an escape, and he’s in for a literal world of surprises.
It’s a compelling tale, but you can see why that bleak description wouldn’t motivate people to actually see the movie. Despite the fact that it was showered with accolades at film festivals last year and garnered early Oscar buzz (especially for Larson), “Room” is one of the lowest-grossing movies to ever be nominated for best picture.
After several months in theaters, it has racked up about $5.1 million at the box office. The secondlowest-earning title on the 2016 Oscars best picture list is indie flick “Brooklyn,” which has made about $22 million in a similar amount of time.
Part of the issue is that, as Vulture reports, “Room” was in only 198 theaters at its peak. (For comparison, “Brooklyn was in 947 theaters.) Theoretically, a best picture Oscar nomination should make “Room” a must-see for movie fans. And its premise is no darker than, say, “The Revenant,” right?
Still, studio A24 knew all along it would be a tough sell. After all, as readers of the book know, Ma became pregnant with Jack only because Old Nick raped her repeatedly while she was held captive. And even after they escape from Room, they have a terribly difficult time adjusting to the outside world.
Still, A24 has been determined to market the lighter side of the movie, such as “spoiling” the escape in the trailer (it happens about halfway through the movie) and focusing on some of the more positive aspects of Ma and Jack being set free.
Author and screenwriter Donoghue said there was a similar back-and-forth about how much to give away on the book jacket but to entice viewers to actually see this movie, the studio had no choice. “That’s the perverse thing about publicity; we’d all prefer the audience going in knowing nothing at all. But to hook them, you have to tell them something,” she told Variety.
“And I think people are so disproportionately scared and alarmed by the premise of the story, you have to offer them some hope and assurance. Otherwise you’re yanking on their heartstrings and making them afraid for a child. So I understand why A24 needed to emphasize the upbeat.”