Oscars 2017: Nomination Reactions
The 89th Academy Awards are just 3 weeks away, and less than two weeks ago, the full list of Oscar nominees was announced. In the wake of that announcement, three of us film nuts figured we would give our takes on some of the major storylines heading in to the ceremony.
Note, this is not a full-on Oscar Prediction. We will hopefully have a full prediction/viewing guide for you come February 26th, never fear!
Here were some of our main takeaways from the nominations:
Big Surprises
Christian:
Out of the many acclaimed acting performances in Nocturnal Animals, Michael Shannon got nominated!
Passengers, despite being largely a critical failure, garnered two nominations.
Daniel:
A couple Best Picture nominees made the cut despite very mixed critical reviews (Hacksaw Ridge and Lion, in particular).
Mel Gibson got a Best Director nomination, proving that the Oscars don't care about a. politics, at least as much as they're rumored to, and b. most other awards shows left Gibson out.
Sierra:
Borrowed Time got nominated for Best Animated Short! It is incredible and I felt every emotion and sobbed a lot.
Meryl is nominated...why is Meryl nominated?
Big Snubs
Christian:
Amy Adams got snubbed for a Best Actress nomination, even though Arrival was nominated for 8.
Daniel:
Suicide Squad got a nomination and it wasn't for Best Song. I thought twenty-one pilots would be a shoo-in for their hit "Heathens."
Janelle Monae, despite a terrific turn in two Best Picture nominees (Hidden Figures and Moonlight) missed out on a Best Supporting Actress nomination for either film.
Sierra:
I can't believe Sunny Pawars WASN'T nominated for Lion!
Also, how was Taraji P. Henson not nominated for Hidden Figures?
Other Noteworthy Stories
Christian:
If Lin-Manuel Miranda wins Best Song, for "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, he will get the EGOT!
With a Best Actor win, Denzel would tie Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson and Walter Brennan as the only male actors to win 3 times.
Daniel:
I think all 3 major awards are gonna be horseraces. It'll be fascinating to see what wins out between La La Land and Moonlight for Best Picture, between Casey Affleck and Denzel for Best Actor, and between Emma Stone, Isabelle Hubbert, and Natalie Portman for Best Actress.
Sierra:
La La Land ties the record for most Oscar nominations, and could break the record for most Oscar wins. Speaking of which, I'm more anti-La La Land each day.