Oscar Nominations and Reflections

Image by Warwick Arts Centre

So, it’s official! The Oscar nominations have been released, and there are some huge surprises. It’s mostly how I expected (many are indie dramas) but there are some nominations and lack thereof that took me by surprise. Here is the official list of Oscar nominations:

Best Picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Best Animated Feature Film

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Dev Patel, Lion

Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Ruth Negga, Loving

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Emma Stone, La La Land

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Best Cinematography

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

Best Costume Design

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

Best Director

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Best Film Editing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

Best Sound Editing

Arrival

Deep water Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

Best Sound Mixing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Best Original Score

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Passengers

Best Original Song

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land

“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls

“City Of Stars,” La La Land

“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story

“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

Best Production Design

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

Best Visual Effects

Deep Water Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Original Screenplay

Hell or High Water

La La Land

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20th Century Women

Best Adapted Screenplay

Arrival

Fences

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight

 

Reflections on the Nominations

What immediately jumps out to me is the lack of Deadpool! While it does embody everything that the Academy hates (blockbuster, superhero, comedy), it was a great film. It was beautifully shot, had drama undertones, had a hilarious and clever script, and had a dedicated lead actor who definitely deserved a best actor nomination at the Oscars and best actor win at the Golden Globes. I also wish it got recognition for its amazing and witty script! The script definitely intrigues the audience while also making them laugh. It is the perfect mixture of the genres action, drama, and comedy, and should have gotten nominated.

La La Land got nominated 14 times. Was it that good? It did, in fact, tie with Titanic for the most Oscar nominations for one movie, and it didn’t deserve a few of the nominations it got. While it was a great film, it does not deserve 14 nominations and the Oscars should think before they give some films, like Deadpool, nothing, and give La La Land 14 nominations.

Sing Street is a film that not a ton of people saw, but it’s perfect for the Oscars! It is a romantic drama that takes place in a middle school in Ireland and it’s fantastic! It is a beautiful romance while also being about brotherhood and friendship. It also does an amazing job of calling attention to bullying. It got me clapping at the end and laughing and crying with the characters on screen. So, naturally, when the list of Oscar nominations came out I assumed I’d see it’s name. NOTHING! NOTHING? NOTHING! ZIP, ZILCH, ZERO! The Weinstein Company (the film’s production company) did nothing to promote the film, giving it a weak campaign for a nomination, so I guess it didn’t come to the minds of Oscar voters when voting day came. It was an absolutely mind-blowing film but the company wasn’t invested enough to get it out there. It’s a real shame, too, seeing as to how beautiful of a film it truly is.

#Oscarssowhite is no more! The controversy of the past two years is gone. This year, many great films had primarily African-American casts, and therefore, there were many black Oscar nominees, unlike in previous years. Mahershala Ali, nominated for Moonlight, is Muslim as well as African-American, showing some true diversity. There is some representation of India in the Lion nominations and many African-American actors and directors nominated, like Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Barry Jenkins, and many more. It’s a good thing we are getting more diversity in these awards shows, and I’m sure the American people are relieved.

So, the Oscars are kind of weird this year. However, I’m sure they will make the good choices in the end and leave us happy after the show. Happy Oscars Season!

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