Unlike most other awards-season hopefuls, "Win Win" director-co-writer Tom McCarthy has the relative luxury of talking up a film that was released nine months ago, so he's had time to emotionally disconnect.

Starring Paul Giamatti as an elder law attorney who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, "Win Win" began shooting in March of 2010 and debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year. Fox Searchlight distributed the film in wide release in March.

"It's...