The biggest takeaway from this year’s Oscar nominations was a trend that began since the Academy began to diversify and expand its membership even before the #OscarsSoWhite controversy a few years ago. More films with cinephile and diverse subject matter are making the cut. There will always be room for a “Dunkirk,” “Darkest Hour” or “The Post” to get in, but that’s based on their prestige credentials more than anything else. In many ways, the likely current frontrunner, Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water,” checks off all those boxes in many respects. But, we’ve got a lot of time to dig into the “Shape” of the race as contenders try to avoid the slings and arrows of those trying to tear them down. In fact, we’ve got an extra week to ponder all of this because of the annual Winter Olympics delay. Exciting, huh?
2018 Oscars: Snubs and Surprises
Keeping all that in mind, let’s take a few minutes to review the 90th Academy Awards nominations by considering them in a Best and Worst context, shall we?
Best: Christopher Plummer comes through
Despite the Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams pay discrepancy controversy it appears the Acting Branch was still impressed enough with their co-star’s last minute contribution to “All The Money in the World” to reward him for it. And, let’s be clear, Plummer’s nomination was well deserved. He’s the best performance in the film and that’s not even taking into account he had just a week’s notice and 10 days to film his scenes. And at 88-years-old he’s one of the oldest acting nominees ever.
Best: Oscars didn’t F it up with Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig
Listen, history will say that Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) and Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”) were historic snubs in this category, but the Academy’s directing branch did the right thing rewarding the efforts of Peele and Gerwig. Nothing would have been worse during the 90th Academy Awards than having either a worthy African-American or female director left off the list (although I’ll go to my grave saying Dee Reese, Patty Jenkins or Angelina Jolie were more worthy, but no one wants to hear that). The final five nominees had to be a huge “whew” from The Academy who would have faced a massive social media backlash if either of them hadn’t earned a nod.
Best: Focus Features has a moment
A perfect example of how the Academy Awards are a marathon and not a sprint is the impressive output of nominations for a resurgent Focus Features. Yes, Fox Searchlight dominated with 20 nominations, but Focus was right behind them with 14 thanks to six each for “Darkest Hour” and “Phantom Thread” and two additional for “Victoria & Abdul.” The fact both “Darkest Hour” and “Phantom Thread” each earned Best Picture nominations after many thought they didn’t have a chance after guild snubs showed that not only are Academy members their own beast, but you should never, ever give up until nomination voting is over.
Best: James Franco was never getting nominated anyway
Well, that’s a…relief? After the accusations of sexual harassment came out against Franco there was concern that because it dropped so late in the game (just a few days before the nomination voting deadline) that it would be slightly awkward to have him attend the telecast. While he managed to appear at the SAG Awards on Sunday night with little drama (he didn’t walk the red carpet) there was serious concern on how a nomination would reflect on the granddaddy of awards shows. Luckily, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t making the cut in any case.
Best: Diversity and inclusion wins
Where do we start? A female directing nominee (Greta Gerwig), an African American directing nominee (Jordan Peele), the first female cinematography nominee (Rachel Morrison), four PoC acting nominees (Denzel Washington, Octavia Spencer, Mary J. Blige, Daniel Kaluuya), four female screenplay nominees (Gerwig, Dee Rees, Vanessa Taylor, Emily V. Gordon), a film with a transgender lead actress was nominated for Foreign Language Film (“A Fantastic Woman”) and openly gay nominees everywhere (James Ivory, Luca Guadagnino, Benj Pasek, Scott Rudin, among others). Should the Academy be patting itself on the back? Not really. There are way too many “firsts” this year considering its the 90th Oscars, but it’s a certainly a positive sign for the future.
Worst: “The Florida Project” can’t make it to Fantasyland
As someone who selected Sean Baker’s masterpiece as my no. 1 movie of 2017 seeing it miss out on a Best Picture nomination was somewhat distressing. Willem Dafoe earned a Supporting Actor nod, but it turns out he’ll be representing the film on his own Oscar Sunday. The disappointment isn’t just over recognition of a fantastic film, but the fact without that top honor it’s highly unlikely a larger audience will ever see it (the domestic box office currently stands at just $5.5 million and it never went wider than 229 theaters). Did The Academy and industry simply reject the movie? The Spirits and Gothams certainly heralded it. Was A24 distracted by “Lady Bird” and “The Disaster Artist” and take a nod for granted for too long? You can armchair quarterback it and say that’s the case, but any judgement is clearly speculation. Whatever the case, at least we’ll always have this iconic Brooklynn Prince moment.
https://www.facebook.com/brooklynnkimberly/videos/2150849425209099/
No comments on Haddish being unable to pronounce most people’s names? If it were a white guy butchering all those including the Get Out’s lead actor, we would never hear the end of it. I guess they were not allowed to practice before hand? Especially the ones you kinda knew were coming.
Thank God somebody said it!
Comedians can turn that into a funny moment. And his name is tough to pronounce! I don’t think it;s culturally insensitive; there is comedy to be had there. Sure Daniel Kaluuya was happy to hear any variation on his name at that point!
She was unable to pronounce a host of nominees, not just Daniel Kaluuya’s. It’s either bad preparation or ignorance, I hope just the former. Not to single out the Kaluuya incident, his name is unusual, but I thought her attempt to make light of it wasn’t funny and actually rather belittling.
I wonder if the Academy views those Lego movies as just one big advertisement for Legos?
I think Rebel Wilson’s segment was for Animation
Okja should have been nom’d for best picture.
“Best: Diversity and inclusion wins”… Ja!
I hope someday they understand that the cinema does not have to do with diversity, but with doing precisely good cinema. This year’s nominees have more to do with political correctness and paying that diversity bill than with good movies.
1) With this quote, I think you said everything perfectly, except for the fact that you seem to think it’s a good thing:
“Listen, history will say that Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) and Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”)
were historic snubs in this category, but the Academy’s directing
branch did the right thing rewarding the efforts of Peele and Gerwig.”
You’re literally admitting that the choices of Peele and Gerwig had more to do with keeping people happy today, by being all PC, by playing it safe and not wanting to piss anyone off, than the actual quality of their movies. Get Out was a mediocre horror film somehow elevated to Big Important Picture because racism is bad, I guess, and Lady Bird was a pleasant enjoyable coming of age flick elevated to Big Important Picture because a woman made it.
If #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo hadn’t happened, I doubt either film would’ve been nominated for Best Pic or Best Director. And….is that fine? Sure, it’s just a movie, whatever. But like you yourself are admitting, time may prove this to be absolutely ridiculous, and shafts the films and careers of more deserving people just because of the politics surrounding the event. Like another poster already said…it’s a shame we can’t just award the best movies with the big awards, regardless of personal crap going around right now.
But, having said all this, both of those hashtag movements were long overdue and important, so cest la vie. I just found it funny you seemed to admit this issue is an issue, but then ignore it.
2) Maybe the reason Florida Project was shut out is because it wasn’t a very good movie. 2 hours of stupid people yelling at each other does not make movie magic. I felt like I was watching a shakier version of a David O Russell film. Christ, how many shots of the little girl just sitting in the bathtub were there? If this is neorealism than both realism and Keanu Reeves are somewhere crying uncontrollably.
3) The only real terrible snub is no A Ghost Story, anywhere. I knew it wouldn’t get the Best Pic and Best Director and Best CInematography awards it rightly deserves, but man, not even Editing or Music? Sheeeeeeet.
I agree about A Ghost Story. It’s surely the most original movie of the year and majority of critics loved it. I had a hope for a couple of surprise nominations for AGS but of course, nothing. I doubt that Academy voters are even aware that this movie exist.
(But Mr. Ellwood probably has problem with Casey Affleck being in it so no even word about it in this article. He thinks Wonder Woman is more bigger art . Ok…)
Personally, and I know this goes against the grain, but I find “Get Out” and “Wonder Woman” tremendously overrated films. “Marjorie Prime, “The Florida Project” were films that deserved more attention and recognition. Awards should be about recognizing the artistry and the points of view of artists, independently of their gender, sexuality, ethnic group – it should not cater to trends. Though these celebrations shouldn’t be tone deaf to the movements in society, by awarding trophies based on a trend, it undermines the voices of those who aren’t celebrated, and also diminishes the value of the films that basically adhere to a trend, and who a few years down the road have no relevancy (they basically become timestamps of a certain trend or movement).