This Sunday, movie fans will tune into the awards show that almost wasn’t. The Academy Awards, now in its 80th year, will arrive less than two weeks removed from the resolution of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Had the strike continued, the Academy would have staged a much-diminished “B” show, absent the star power of the nominated actors, the majority of which had stated that they would not cross the picket line. Prior to the strike’s end, the WGA announced that it would not issue waivers for the Oscars or Golden Globes ceremonies, the latter of which was ultimately canceled as a result.

This year’s awards promise some real intrigue, with several strong and diverse films in the running for Oscars. The solemn epics “There Will Be Blood” (directed by Paul Anderson) and “No Country for Old Men” (the Coen bros.) have drawn critical acclaim and are strong candidates for Best Picture honors. However, they will have to contend with upstart indie-flick “Juno,” which has garnered nominations in four key categories (Best Picture, Director, Actress and Original Screenplay). Other prominent films include the understated law-thriller “Michael Clayton” and “Atonement,” which is drawn from Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name.

Critics and bloggers alike have noted that this year’s nominees address darker, more idiosyncratic themes than are typical of blockbuster films: “Blood” chronicles the descent into madness of a vicious oil tycoon, and “No Country” portrays a cold-blooded killer in Javier Bardem. Even the plucky “Juno” is decidedly anti-Hollywood, and offers an unconventional take on teen pregnancy. “It’s tapping into a generalized fear that people have about the state of the world they are living in,” said producer Scott Rudin in a recent New York Times feature.