2019 Oscar Nomination Reactions
Yesterday morning, the full list of nominees for the 91st Academy Awards. Though the ceremony is still a month away, we the film aficionados have some THOUGHTS, and we want to air them.
Let's start with a question on the biggest award of them all:
Which Best Picture nominee shocks you the most?
Christian: I wasn't exactly SHOCKED by any of the nominees because if you've been following this year's award season from the beginning, these are all sort of predictable. But it does strike me as weird that Bohemian Rhapsody continues to power through everything despite general dislike for it among critics. So I guess that one.
Baas: Bohemian Rhapsody has been drawing a lot of ire thus far. This would have been perfect for the “Best Popular Film” category, if they hadn't scrapped that idea. Unfortunately the Bryan Singer news is making this an even more surprising inclusion. It’s a mediocre movie, and even more mediocre biopic.
Sierra: Pretty shocked about BlackKklansman honestly-- I was guessing a Spike Lee nomination and end it at that.
Woodiwiss: None of the field should surprise me based on the names we've seen in the awards circuit, but I too am pretty stunned that Bohemian Rhapsody made the cut. To be fair, I do think it's better than how critics have rated it (albeit not Best Picture good), and it's been a mainstay on the awards circuit. But still, it's a controversy-riddled, poorly-reviewed musical. I definitely thought the Oscars would turn its nose up at it; it's essentially the same as if The Greatest Showman was nominated for Best Picture last year.
Which Best Picture snub shocks you the most?
Baas: A case could be made for Burning being a snub, but really Widows was a big snub for me. It was an all around fantastic film with great acting, directing, cinematography, and story.
Sierra: I have answers for different reasons; in terms of movies I think deserve it, I could name probably 10. In terms of movies that were nominated elsewhere and easily could have filled the last two spots, I’d have to say If Beale Street Could Talk, but I guess you can only nominate so many movies about black people and this year, two must be the limit. Apparently in some bonkers post-Popular Film world Black Panther is Best Picture worthy? (Easily more deserving: First Reformed, Blingspotting, Eighth Grade, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Rider, Private Life, Leave No Trace, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Sorry to Bother You, shall I continue?)
Woodiwiss: Both in terms of 2018 films I've seen and loved, AND in terms of the kinds of movies the Oscars tend to reward, I'm pretty stunned First Man got no nod. I thought it was a tremendous film, as heartwrenching as it was exhilarating, with phenomenal acting performances. Maybe it's Space fatigue, maybe it's Damien Chazelle fatigue, I don't know, but this is the kind of film you'd expect to see nominated for Best Picture.
Christian: As my favorite movie of 2018, I definitely think Eighth Grade should have been in this lineup, but as for those I thought would get here and didn't, If Beale Street Could Talk is a definite snub!
How about other categories? Which nominee most surprises you, and what was the biggest (non-Best Picture) snub?
Sierra: Hale County This Morning, This Evening! Normies that have seen it have NOT liked it, yet critics have praised it. It made the shortlist, obviously, but to beat out giants like Three Identical Strangers and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? RaMell Ross did that!! And amazing for him!!
As for snubs, three main points I wanna make here: no female directors were nominated. The Best Director category is once again the Best Male Director category. They easily could have been Debra Granik, Tamara Jenkins, Marielle Heller, Mimi Leder, Chloe Zhao, or Lynne Ramsay just to name a few. Toni Collette did not get a Best Actress nomination for Hereditary, which is a crime against humanity. Ethan Hawke did not get a Best Actor nomination which proves original sin exists.
Woodiwiss: Seeing both Paweł Pawlikowski and Adam McKay in the Best Director field was pretty surprising to me, for different reasons. Pawlikowski is a welcome addition, but had not been a common nominee elsewhere in the awards circuit. Conversely, McKay has often been a nominee, but I really thought the large amount of critical backlash to his directing and screenplay for Vice would see him left out, especially in favor of Bradley Cooper or Barry Jenkins.
I'm also gutted about the Hawke snub, nearly as much as I am about Elsie Fisher not being nominated for Eighth Grade. Two wildly different roles, but two of the most seriously impactful performances of the year, in my opinion.
Christian: I was personally shocked by all the love for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. I personally really like it, but it had seemed to me that Netflix was putting all its eggs in the Roma basket and forgot to campaign for everything else. It's only 3 categories it got into, but I went in thinking it wouldn't get any. Also Willem DeFoe for At Eternity's Gate is one that came out of nowhere.
In terms of snubs, TAG FOR VISUAL EFFECTS!!! Seriously, they they had to make CGI arms for Jeremy Renner because he broke both of his arms during filming. The fact that nobody knew that is a true testament to how seamless this trickery was!
Baas: Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody receiving Best Editing nominations surprised me, especially given some of the amazing editing in some other films in 2018. I wanted to say First Man for Editing is the biggest snub of them all, but the fact that Burning didn’t make the short-list of foreign language films is appalling. Not only was it one of the best foreign language films, it was one of the best films of 2018. Also, First Reformed getting almost no love is ridiculous.
Which nominee-- of any category -- are you most excited about?
Woodiwiss: Ugh, do I have to pick one? I'm pretty bummed about the field on the whole. Most of the nominees I'm applauding were almost shoo-ins to be so anyway, such as Olivia Colman for The Favourite. I guess I'm pretty pumped to see Black Panther nominated for Best Picture (sorry, Sierra). It won't win, but it honestly was one of the best standalone movies of the year, and I'm glad the Academy wasn't scared off by the big commercial appeal of a Marvel movie, nor did they scoff at an intentionally minority-driven cast.
Christian: Definitely Spider-Man Into The Spiderverse. I was nervous this was going to miss out because of what happened to Phil Lord and Chris Miller with The Lego Movie years ago.
Baas: I am so happy First Man is up for both sound categories. If it wins even one, that would be fantastic. Also, shoutout to The Favourite for a cinematography nomination.
Sierra: Paul Schrader for Best Original Screenplay!! First OSCAR NOMINATION! EVER! Per Schrader, "This is a very difficult conversation because I have never really respected the Academy for their choices. On the other hand, I'm enormously gratified that they have selected me."
Early(ish) prediction for Best Picture?
Christian: Roma is looking really good at the moment. It's tied for the most nominations, critics love it, and it pulled off some surprise acting nominations that nobody saw coming. It does have to overcome being the first Foreign Language film to win and the first streaming film to win, so don't count something like Green Book out (since that won PGA last week)
Baas: It’s almost surely going to be Roma. I could see A Star is Born making a late push, but Roma will most likely hold firm as the favorite to win.
Sierra: …………………..Green Book, because of the PGA win………..I’m very nervous……
Woodiwiss: At this point, it's hard to see it not being Green Book, which I never thought I'd say. But despite mixed reviews and being surrounded nonstop by controversy, it's been a nominee for the top award at all major shows, and has now added the PGA victory to its Golden Globe upset. Some have said this Best Picture race feels like 2016, where there has never been a clear favorite; that year, when the dust settled, the critics' unanimous favorite was the winner, so if that is to play out again this year, that would probably make Roma the second most likely candidate.
What are you most looking forward to at the ceremony?
Baas: I’m looking forward to watching True Detective and then remembering the ceremony is happening by the time the most important categories get announced after 11:30. It’s going to be a magical night!
Sierra: Tim Blake Nelson singing “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” at the Oscars. We are not worthy of something so pure. And I didn’t even watch the movie! I just love the man!
Woodiwiss: Kendrick Lamar and SZA performing "All The Stars." I'm not sorry.
Christian: Seeing how they pull it off without a host. Even if it's a mess, it'll be an entertaining mess!