009 – Serena

Grab your snake-catchin’ eagle and buckle up for this week’s Oscar misstep: Susanne Bier’s literary adaptation Serena. Set during the Great Depression, this lumber baron romantic thriller starred Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper and became a question mark lingering over multiple Oscar seasons. After a beleaguered post-production process and its struggles to find a distributor, the film immediately disappeared when it finally arrived in theatres, after both stars had delivered multiple blockbusters and two Oscar successes with David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. Listen in as we unpack a movie that asks “how much animal symbolism is too much?” and “what would happen if Lady Macbeth and the Monopoly guy fell in love?” The answers: “never enough” and failed Oscar buzz. Follow Us on Twitter! @Had_Oscar_Buzz Joe: @joereid Chris: @chrisvfeil