Fox Searchlight finds itself in a precarious position this awards season. If you had asked anyone at the beginning of the year it was Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation that was the obvious Best Picture frontrunner. Obviously that has changed in recent weeks due to things that have little to do with the movie itself, so now they must push a second movie in hopes that it will better appeal to the voters. That film is Jackie, Pablo Larrain's drama starring Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy in the days following her husband's assassination. Venice and TIFF saw the it received extremely well, in particular Portman's performance,
Now we're getting a better look at it with the arrival of the first trailer. There's not a ton of dialogue here, but it sets up beautifully the mood going around the White House as the First Lady puts on a courageous front while the media hover. Here's the synopsis:
JACKIE is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). JACKIE places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of “Camelot” that they created and loved so well.
Also starring Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Hurt, with Darren Aronofsky producing, Jackie opens December 2nd. You can go ahead and pencil Portman in for her next Best Actress nomination.
