Oscar's new focus

Let's go ahead and say the studios did it for money reasons because, well, they most likely did. Please, Paramount, don't give us that pseudo-correct excuse that it would be in poor taste to release a drama about a homeless schizophrenic ("The Soloist") because of the current economic collapse.

Really, no one's buying that for a minute.

The result, though, of several Oscar-bait movies being held, pushed, rescheduled or otherwise knocked out of fourth quarter could be a tighter, more focused awards season.

And let's go ahead and say huzzah for that.

Now, Viggo Mortensen, Daniel Craig, Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. may not feel that way, with their Oscar chances potentially melting away for "The Road," "Defiance" and "The Soloist." (Word has yet to come about qualifying runs.)

But there could be a silver lining here for Downey, as THR's Steven Zeitchik points out today. The absence of several Important Films from this frame could mean a new lease on awards life for such standout performances as Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" and crowd-pleasers such as "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man."

Downey's still alive! We liked him for best actor for "The Soloist" -- that prediction pile is now being reshuffled -- but we also could see him contending for trophies for "Iron Man" or "Tropic Thunder." He's so in the game, people.

More to come on the Evolving Race.