The League of Austen Artists: Eight vie for Orange Rising Star Award - BAFTA: Down to the Wire

Monday, January 2, 2012

Eight vie for Orange Rising Star Award - BAFTA: Down to the Wire - Orange Rising Star Award (The Vote)

By Adam Dawtrey

Chris O'Dowd in 'Bridesmaids'

Tom Hiddleston in 'Thor'

Jessica Chastain in 'The Help'

Felicity Jones in 'Chalet Girl'

Eddie Redmayne in 'My Week with Marilyn'

Adam Deacon in 'Anuvahood'

The Orange Rising Star is not a traditional BAFTA award, but rather an audience prize that's handed out on BAFTA night. It's designed to engage the public in the ceremony, particularly the younger movie fans targeted by cellphone giant Orange, the title sponsor of the awards.

The longlist of eight contenders is drawn up by a jury of industry experts, but the five nominees and the winner are decided by public vote. However smart the longlist selections, the candidate with the year's biggest box office has an inherent advantage.

By that yardstick, this year's longlist is unusually hard to read.

It includes several actors who have appeared in blockbusters, several with multiple credits, several whose big films will be released just as the voting is taking place and one wild card in the form of Adam Deacon, a cult hero among the teen cellphone addicts who decide this award.

In order of their U.K. box office in 2011 (through Dec. 19), the contenders are:

Chris O'Dowd "Bridesmaids" ($36.8 million)
Tom Hiddleston "Thor" ($23.4 million)
"Midnight in Paris" ($4.1 million)
"The Deep Blue Sea" ($666,000)
"Archipelago" ($500,000)
"War Horse" (Jan. 13 release)
Jennifer Lawrence "X-Men First Class" ($24.6 million)
"Winter's Bone" ($1.2 million)
"The Beaver" ($200,000)
"Like Crazy" (Feb. 3 release)
Chris Hemsworth "Thor" ($23.4 million)
Jessica Chastain "The Help" ($6.6 million)
"The Tree of Life" ($2.8 million)
"The Debt" ($2.4 million)
"Take Shelter" ($306,000)
"Texas Killing Fields" ($202,000)
"Coriolanus" (Jan. 20 release)
Adam Deacon "Anuvahood" ($3.4 million)
"Everywhere and Nowhere" ($62,000)
Felicity Jones "Chalet Girl" ($3 million)
"The Tempest" ($71,000)
"Albatross" ($32,000)
"Like Crazy" (Feb. 3 release)
Eddie Redmayne "My Week With Marilyn" ($4.2 million)