Consider James Franco: Spring Breakers Oscar Pitch Puts Method Acting Front and Center

Is Franco's cornrowed portrayal of drug dealer Alien worth a Best Supporting Actor nomination?

By Natalie Finn Sep 04, 2013 12:00 AMTags
For you consideration ad, Spring Breakers, James FrancoCourtesy of A24 Films

James Franco's triumphant return to the Oscars is being plotted already!

A24 Films, the distributor behind the babes-in-excess drama Spring Breakers, has launched a tongue-in-cheek Oscar campaign for Franco, asking the Academy to consider him for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing the cornrow-sporting Svengali drug dealer Alien.

The advertisement entreats voters to "Consider This S--t" and then uses a blurb from a review by Village Voice critic Scott Foundas to hammer Franco's qualifications home.

"A full-blown method performance (with an emphasis on 'meth')," reads the bold-faced lead quote, stamped on the ad in bold hot-pink type.

A24

The "For Your Consideration" campaign ironically comes a day after the premiere of the Comedy Central roast of Franco, which, as expected, was heavy on crappy-Oscar-host jokes.

And then there were the jokes how no one goes to see Franco's films, with perhaps the best being Jonah Hill's crack about how George Clooney says that he makes one movie for audiences and one for himself—as opposed to Franco, who makes "one for them and five for nobody."

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The much-talked-about Spring Breakers, which also starred Selena GomezVanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson, found a small but enthusiastic audience: It cost a reported $5 million to make and grossed $31.7 million, per Box Office Mojo.

As Alien would say, sounds like "the f--kin' American dream."