Here are the must-see movies most likely to win Oscars in 2017

As Thanksgiving approaches, it's time to take another look at the movies in contention for the 2017 Academy Awards.

Since our first pass at predicting the people and films that are in the running for the little gold men, there have been a few additions and a few that have dropped out of the running.

The poor reaction to Ang Lee's "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" has pretty much pushed the movie out of the running for most of the main awards. (It's still in contention for its technical feats.) Meanwhile, "Fences," starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis and directed by Washington, is blowing away audiences in early screenings.

Below is our latest look at the movies and talent that have a chance to take home Oscar gold next year:

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Best Picture

In the running:

"Arrival"
"Fences"
"Jackie"
"La La Land"
"Lion"
"Manchester By The Sea"
"Moonlight"
"Silence"
"Sully"

If the Oscars were handed out today, the winner would be: We're still strong on "La La Land." And it's one of the few feel-good movies on this list, which might be something that will stick with Oscar voters. But don't sleep on "Lion," which is being released by The Weinstein Company — the Weinsteins have a habit of playing upset at the Oscars. And yes, the movie is good enough to knock off "La La Land."

Best Director

In the running:

Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
Garth Davis, "Lion"
Clint Eastwood, "Sully"
Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"
Pablo Larrain, "Jackie"
Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester By The Sea"
Martin Scorsese, "Silence"
Denis Villeneuve, "Arrival"

If the Oscars were handed out today, the winner would be: It's still Damien Chazelle for "La La Land." But if the buzz for another movie increases in the best picture category, this will change. Often the movie that wins best picture also takes home the director honor.

Best Actor

In the running:

Casey Affleck, "Manchester By The Sea"
Ryan Gosling, "La La Land"
Tom Hanks, "Sully"
Michael Keaton, "The Founder"
Matthew McConaughey, "Gold"
Dev Patel, "Lion"
Mark Wahlberg, "Patriots Day"
Denzel Washington, "Fences"

If the Oscars were handed out today, the winner would be: There's really no other way to say this — Casey Affleck gives the best performance of the year. It's hard to see anyone taking the prize from him, but it's still early.