Douglas Reese's "Daniel the Informer"

After much buzz about his assumed departure from the contest, Douglas Reese returns with "Daniel the Informer", a heartwarming comedy about a young boy who connects with his estranged father and his family for the first time and realizes they're not what he pictured.

Written and Directed by Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale"), "Daniel the Informer" stars Jake Thomas as the title character along with Jack Black and Anna Faris, playing his father and step-mother, respectively. Mary-Louise Parker co-stars as his mother and Corbin Bleu plays Daniel's boyfriend.

The bait is definitely quirky, which gives the bait a Baumbach feel, and also gets a very strong message across. It is about family and accepting who you are and where you come from. That sort of idea will get this bait recognition because it has a point. It's not just a story about a family coming together for the first time. The "gay son" factor makes the bait so much more interesting, although I fear many people will frown upon it because of the stigma against baits involving homosexuality.

Jack Black, while campaigned in the supporting category, could garner a Best Actor nomination as a wannabe rocker dad. His racist/homophobic character with a heart is the perfect setup for a comic actor to breakthough into drama. Jake Thomas might get some support at the SAGs but I think he will suffer from category confusion because Jack Black is more well-known. Anna Faris plays her usual dumb-blonde crossed with Southern Belle and will surely grab some attention because she would nail the role.

Overall, "Daniel the Informer" is a nice, worthy dramedy that will probably give Douglas the attention he has been missing.

Grade: B+

Awards Contender:

Best Picture

Best Director-Noah Baumbach

Best Original Screenplay

Best Actor-Jack Black

Best Supporting Actor-Jake Thomas

Best Supporting Actress-Anna Faris

Best Plot/Synopsis

Best Awards Campaign

Best Cast

Best Casting Choice

Most Original Bait