'Molly's Game,' the movie centered around poker that's not really a poker movie, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay, with the awards ceremony set for this Sunday.
First-time director and longtime screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has been down this road before, in 2011 and 2012 for 'The Social Network' and 'Moneyball,' respectively. He took home an Oscar for his adaptation of the story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, but had to be happy with just being nominated for the tale of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics.
All signs point to Molly's Game following the same path of Moneyball.
The so-called experts, as well as the bookmakers, are leaning heavily toward ‘Call Me By Your Name’ winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay this year. Ladbrokes lists the odds at 1/10 for the coming of age film penned by James Ivory.
Molly's Game is 12-1, trailing the 10-1 of 'Mudbound,' but ahead of the other two nominees, 'The Disaster Artist' (18-1) and 'Logan' (33-1).
And The Winner Is...
Other factors that may prove the bookies right are that Ivory is 89 years old and was nominated three times previously, but went home empty-handed. Call Me By Your Name is also up for Best Picture, indicating strong support from the academy.
However, perhaps the biggest reason to back Ivory and Call Me By Your Name is that the movie already took home trophies in the Adapted Screenplay category at the Writers Guild Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and the BAFTAs.
In any event, those of us who aim to promote the game of poker to the masses should at least be appreciative of the nomination for Molly's Game. The numerous poker scenes and the tale of Molly Bloom as host of high stakes poker games - although it was illegal for her to be pulling a rake from each pot - may be enticement enough for some moviegoers who hadn't played poker previously to delve into the game.
Any time that poker hands are played on the silver screen, it has to be good for the game of poker, right?