By Phil Contrino

After expanding to 38 theatres this weekend, Revolutionary Road posted a very solid estimated three-day haul of $979,000.

Road should not be ruled out of any of the major Oscar categories at this point in the game. True, it was snubbed the critics groups, but that is looking like a distant memory now.

The Sam Mendes film has a legitimate shot at being one of the most financially successful Oscar contenders. Frost/Nixon is not gaining as much momentum as it should be in limited release, Milk is fighting an uphill battle to gain mainstream attention, Gran Torino will have a hard time bringing in crucial younger demographics and The Reader is dying a slow box office death.

Road could still pull an upset in the Best Motion Picture - Drama even though its mainly a race between Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Obviously, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will probably both snag Oscar nods for their lead performance. Winslet may even pull an upset over the current favorite Sally Hawkins.

Michael Shannon still has a very real shot at landing an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor. Even though his performance has been ignored by the Globes, the acting community (which represents the biggest voting block) may be happy to see a journeyman hitting it big.