Academy Award Nominations


The Academy Award nominees were announced on Thursday, and as with every year there are surprises, snubs, and plenty to talk about prior to the awards. The winners will be announced on February 28, and between now and then there will be plenty of dissection of these nominees.

Overall, I thought it was a good field. There were a few surprises and snubs to me, but that happens every year. After reflecting for the past day, here's some thoughts on this year's field.

Nominees:
* This is the first year in a long time that I've seen all the Best Picture nominees already. I wasn't too surprised by the list, and I think the battle is probably coming down to "The Revenant," "The Martian," "Spotlight," and, inexplicably, "Mad Max: Fury Road."

* The Academy LOVES "Mad Max." This wasn't a complete surprise, but I don't really understand it. And, if there's going to be 10 nominations, shouldn't one be for acting? Plus, the way "Max" dominated this year's field blows a hole in the theory that the Academy doesn't honor sequels...

* "Spotlight" had a great day, pulling down six nominations. I thought that was the best movie I saw in 2015, and I'm pulling for it to win Best Picture.

* "Room" also had a big day. This was more of a surprise — particularly in the nomination for Lenny Abrahamson as director, but a good surprise. I thought this was a powerful film.

Snubs:
* Emily Blunt, "Siarrio." If I was making a short list of the five best Actress performances, Blunt would be in the top three. Yet she was passed over. That was a bummer, to me. "Sicario" was a great film that's been over looked.

* "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" didn't get a Best Picture nomination. It might have been a long shot, but I would have loved to see it happen.

* Ridley Scott as director for "The Martian." I thought "The Martian" was one of the best films of the year, and I was shocked to see Scott passed over.

* Will Smith for "Concussion." Smith delivered a great performance in "Concussion," and I thought he'd be a shoe-in for this category. He didn't make the cut, which is a real shame.

* "See You Again" snubbed in the Best Song category. OK, so "Furious 7" wasn't an incredible piece of filmmaking. But that song — which honored star Paul Walker — was beautiful, and one of the most popular songs in the world in 2015. This was a HUGE swing and miss by the Academy.

* "The Peanuts Movie" held out of the animated competition. This was another big miss, to me. For the past two years the Academy has been going for fringe indie animated features while shafting popular mainstream animated fare. But I can't believe they shafted "The Peanuts," which was a beautiful little movie that reminded us all of why they've been an iconic part of our lives for 50 years.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more