Oscar Reactions

 


Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday morning and, as always, there were plenty of surprises. Below I have three nominations that excited me and three misses that bummed me out. What were you happy about with the Academy Award nominations? What misses had you bummed? Give a shout in the comments.

Three Nominations That Excited Me

·       Women Talking for Best Picture. It seemed like the film was sliding out of contention, which had me concerned. It is poignant and one of my favorite films of the year and I was concerned it would end up overlooked. Instead, the film garnered two nominations—for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture—which is something at least. It was a great year for films but many I enjoyed missed the cut.

·       Brian Tyree Henry for Best Supporting Actor. I loved the Apple TV+ film Causeway, but it didn’t seem like many had seen it or were talking about it. And yet, Henry got into the final field of five for Best Supporting Actor. I’m thrilled because he gives an incredible performance in a film that remained in my top five throughout the year.

·       Andrea Riseborough for Best Actress. There was plenty that bummed me out about the category, but Riseborough gives an incredible performance in a tiny film. I saw it as part of the nominee field for the Independent Spirit Awards and wondered why more hadn’t been said about it earlier. She ran her own campaign, with the help of friends, and it was exciting to see that work pay off.

Three Misses That Bummed Me Out

·       Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler left out of the Best Actress Field. Both were incredible and both gave searing, memorable performances. And yet the actresses and their films—The Woman King and Till, respectively—were completed shut out. It was a big disappointment, especially since both had been frequent nominees throughout the rest of the awards season.

·       The Best International Feature Field. My three favorite International Films this year were Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Decision to Leave and RRR. None of them made the field in this category, while Bardo and RRR earned a single technical nomination each. These are three International Features that were widely seen and enjoyed and it feels weird to me that they were passed over. There are some strong films in the field, but this felt like a miss to me, especially since Decision to Leave and RRR were in talk by many to be part of the Best Picture conversation as well.

·       She Said was shut out. It seems like frequently the movie I love in a year falls short in awards season, and that was the case here. She Said was a great and emotional film that really resonated with me, and yet it was completely shut out at the Academy Awards. I hope people take the time to find it and appreciate the powerful story and powerful storytelling.

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