There, there. Dry those tears, li'l buckaroos! No, it's not fair that eleventh-hour shuffling means you now have to wait until next summer to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Baked Cake," or whatever, but as Mom gleefully reminded you every damn chance she got, life's not fair.

Besides, this autumn promises a bumper crop of films, since the prestige Oscar bait traditionally unspools during the latter part of the year. And yes, it would be nice if the powers-that-be spread the good stuff around the calendar. That isn't the way these things work, though, life not being fair and all.

So now you've got some big decisions to make regarding how you might reap this bountiful harvest, and I'm going to help separate the award-worthy wheat from the forgettable chaff. You know it breaks my heart to see you cry.

"Miracle at St. Anna" Spike Lee's latest is an uncharacteristic period piece (shot by Matthew Libatique, Darren Aronofsky's talented right-hand man) about the folly of war as told through the story of four WWII soldiers who get stranded behind enemy lines in Tuscany while trying to save a little boy. (9/26)

Oscar chances: It would be Lee's first directing nomination, and he's woefully overdue.

"Blindness" Director Fernando Meirelles ("City of God" and "The Constant Gardner") takes on José Saramago's novel about a doctor's wife (Julianne Moore) who pretends to be blind when a mysterious epidemic robs everyone else of their sight. Co-stars Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Danny Glover. (9/26)

Oscar chances: Awesome director, great cast... but hardly a sure thing.

"Appaloosa" Director Ed Harris' sophomore effort - the freshman one being 2000's Oscar-nominated "Pollock" - is a Robert B. Parker Western featuring himself and his "History of Violence" co-star Viggo Mortensen as two laconic lawmen going against Jeremy Irons' renegade rancher and going for Renée Zellweger's winsome widow. (10/3)

Oscar chances: Irons twirling the proverbial moustache sounds too yummy for the Academy to ignore.

"The Duchess" Keira Knightley channels Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, in this frock flick about an adored 18th century noblewoman whose loveless marriage becomes the stuff of scandal when her philandering husband (the awesome Ralph Fiennes) learns of her own affair with a fiery young politician. (10/3)

Oscar chances: Yup; for better or worse, Knightley is the new Nicole Kidman.

"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" Michael Cera's broken-hearted Nick runs into his ex and asks Norah (Kat Dennings) to pose as his new girlfriend, and that five minutes turns into a nocturnal Manhattan odyssey of music, weirdos, and smooching.(10/3)

Oscar chances: There's always that one little indie that charms the industry; maybe this is it.

"Happy-Go-Lucky" Mike Leigh's latest gabfest is a quirky, sunny comedy about a 30-year-old teacher called Poppy (Sally Hawkins, from the BBC's "Persuasion"), whose impossible optimism propels her through some of life's troubling realities.(10/10 ltd.)

Oscar chances: Doubtful, but anything from Leigh is a prize for us.

"W." More controversy from attention hound Oliver Stone, who sticks it to the sitting President of these United States with an extremely unauthorized retelling of George W. Bush's journey from drunken entitlement to absolute power. Starring Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Jeffrey Wright, and anyone else not afraid to poke at the leader of the free world. (10/17)

Oscar chances: The Academy isn't known for its risky choices, and this could be too hot-button. Also, it just might suck.

"Synecdoche, New York" Charlie Kaufman, the writer to thank for the exquisite "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," launches his directorial career with a trippy, complex ensemble piece starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a theater director exploring unstable women (Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams), failing health, and the nature of art. (10/30 ltd.)

Oscar chances: Kaufman is usually good for a screenwriting nod, though this one is reportedly more out there than usual.

"RocknRolla" Before he directs Robert Downey Jr.'s take on Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie gets one more chance for redemption with the aid of a massive cast (Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven, and Thandie Newton, to name a few) bringing to life another of his twisty scams that pit bad guys against worse guys. (10/31)

Oscar chances: Sure, if all the other movies are consumed by fire.

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" Kevin Smith is back with a... um... romantic comedy about two longtime only-friends (Elizabeth Banks and current It-Man Seth Rogen) whose platonic status is tested when what is clearly a foolproof plan to generate cash lands in their, you know, laps. (10/31)

Oscar chances: None, but it'd be nice to see the maddeningly uneven Smith finally get a little action from his peers.

"Quantum of Solace" Daniel Craig's second stab at James Bond finds 007 on the trail of a bogus environmentalist (Mathieu Amalric, stunning in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") with designs on a South American water supply. Dame Judi Dench returns as M, along with Jeffrey Wright as the smooth CIA operative Felix Leiter. (11/14)

Oscar chances: James Bond is too cool to care about your stupid awards.

"Australia" Seven years after collaborating on "Moulin Rouge," Baz Luhrmann directs Nicole Kidman in this Down Under romantic epic set around the Japanese bombing of Darwin about an English aristocrat and a cattle hand (Hugh Jackman) who don't get along until they do. (11/26)

Oscar chances: Duh.

"The Road" Gifted Aussie filmmaker John Hillcoat ("The Proposition") brings images and sound to Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel about a father and son struggling through a post-apocalyptic American landscape. Stars Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, and Robert Duvall. (11/26)

Oscar chances: Maybe you remember the last McCarthy adaptation, "No Country For Old Men"?

"Milk" Sean Penn stars for filmmaker Gus Van Sant in his exploration of the life and legacy of activist Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America. The cast also includes the hard-working Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild"), and James Franco ("Pineapple Express").(12/5)

Oscar chances: Penn as a murdered icon is a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination.

"The Brothers Bloom" Rian Johnson's first film was a nifty little exercise in noir perfection called "Brick." His second features Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weisz in a one-last-job tale about two con men and their beautiful, wacky target. (12/19 ltd)

Oscar chances: Probably not, but at least we'll learn whether the inspired "Brick" was a fluke.

"The Spirit" For his solo directorial debut, graphic novelist Frank Miller ("Sin City," anyone? "300"?) adapts Will Eisner's mid-century comic books about a murdered cop who returns from the dead to battle evil. Stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, and Eva Mendes. (12/25)

Oscar chances: Counterprogramming eye candy means technical nominations should abound.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" David Fincher and his "Se7en" star Brad Pitt team for a loose retelling of a 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man, born old, who ages in reverse. Featuring Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond, and Elle Fanning. (12/25)

Oscar chances: One doesn't mix that concept, those actors, and that release date without first clearing space on one's mantle.

Release dates are subject to change... but you already learned that the hard way.