People always jest about Clint Eastwood being a papa’s boy of the Academy, and even after a string of movies ranging from just good to flat-out tedious, that belief hasn’t changed much. When films like Changeling and Gran Torino — one being forgettable and the other being plain laughable — garner nominations, it’s a clear sign that the once-great director doesn’t have to do a whole lot to get a few nods thrown his way.

Come this awards season, that may remain the case.

A trailer for J. Edgar has finally arrived, and it looks like the type of Oscar bait film that Kirk Lazarus would star in. From DiCaprio’s inconsistent-sounding accent to his questionable old man make-up, all signs point to a tedious bio film; events being told, rather than a story. The production design is clearly topnotch, but it’s impossible not to cringe during this “Give me that Oscar!” trailer.

Take a look:

See the HD trailer at Apple

Now, so-so trailer aside, all hope for J. Edgar shouldn’t do down the tubes just yet. A man like Hoover certainly lends himself to a potentially wonderful character study, as long as he’s portrayed right. And the script does come from Dustin Lance Black, who wrote one of the best bio films of the decade with Milk. Let’s just hope the film happens to be more impressive, less melodramatic, and interesting than this trailer leads on.