Every year I wake up on Oscar Nomination full of anticipation…what madness does the Academy have in store for us this year?? And this year was even MORE interesting, as the nominations were being announced BEFORE any of the other major awards shows have even happened (The Critics Choice Awards are tonight, and the Golden Globes are Sunday) so there was no way any wins could sway momentum in anyone’s favor. So while things that were expected (like Lincoln dominating) happened, the Academy threw us a couple curve balls (AHEM BEST DIRECTOR) to keep things interesting. I feel like many of these races are WIDE open y’all, despite the number of nominations Lincoln got. Campaigning is gonna get ugly. So let’s get right to discussing the major races, shall we?
(However, I must make a quick observation about the nomination announcement: CAN EMMA STONE CO-HOST PLEASE???)
Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
I have seen 5 of these (Argo, Les Mis, Lincoln, Life of Pi, Silver Linings). Okay BIG confession time: I found Lincoln to be a bit dull.
Yes, the acting was excellent, especially by the three that got nominated this morning (DDL, Field, Jones) but come on. I can’t be the only one who got sleepy somewhere in the middle of it, can I??? Also, I know I need to see Amour (which will probably be a shoo-in winner for Foreign Film) but I KNOW it will leave me suicidal afterwards, based on everything I have read about it. Another confession: Quentin Tarantino is VERY hit or miss with me. AND I hate Jamie Foxx. Like…really hate him. So I am hesitant about Django. I plan on seeing Beasts as soon as I can get my hands on a DVD (actually, I am hoping they will re-release it here in NYC). And ZDT is at the top of my list, and hopefully I will see it in the coming week or so.
So who will win?? I HAVE NO IDEA. I feel like this field is wide open, folks. My personal favorite right now is Argo. But will the lack of support in other fields (BEST DIRECTOR) play against it?? Will we have a year where Picture/Director DON’T match up? I think it is entirely possible.
Best Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
THIS is the category where the Academy made this race WACKY.
The directing branch has long been a Boys Club, so it was miraculous when Kathryn Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker a few years ago. Buzz was building again that she would be a strong contender for Zero Dark Thirty. Buzz was that she would possibly even WIN. AND THEN SHE WASN’T EVEN NOMINATED. I don’t understand. Are they threatened by the fact that she has taken traditionally masculine topics like war and terrorism and effing SCHOOLED them in how to portray it masterfully? Or are they just too threatened by the fact that she has a vagina? Seriously. I cannot.
ALSO BEN AFFLECK Y’ALL. What the hell happened??? Actors turned Directors have historically been all SORTS of Oscar Bait (Just ask Marty Scorsese) and Affleck has now turned in three excellent pictures, yet he still can’t break through with the Academy in this category. Are they bitter about him winning for the Good Will Hunting screenplay? Have they not forgiven him for the days of Bennifer and Gigli? I don’t get it.
Of course, my opinion could totally change once I see Beasts and Amour. And clearly, the Academy had a big hard-on for Silver Linings Playbook, which I also loved, but I don’t really consider it a great piece of DIRECTING.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
They went ahead and nominated Joaquin Phoenix after all his carousing about how Awards are crap and don’t matter. Hee hee.
I know everyone is saying DDL has this in the bag. And he probably DOES. But you know who I would LOVE to see upset? Bradley Cooper. It was my favorite performance of the year because it was SO unexpected.
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Riva and Wallis become the oldest and youngest Best Actress Nominees ever, respectively. I love it. Now…Best Actress is going to be a bit of a conundrum to me. Both Lawrence and Chastain can be viewed as at the START of their careers. They are young. We will clearly see more great things from them. Think of it as Kate Winslet syndrome…are they really going to win Oscars this early in their careers?? I don’t know. Naomi Watts has been around for awhile. She’s paid her dues. She’s apparently WONDERFUL in The Impossible (which the freaking TRAILER for it made me sob). Could she be a dark horse???
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Also known as “Old White Men Who Have All Won Oscars Before”.
Great job, Academy. Think outside the box!!
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
At this point, I am more interested to see what these ladies WEAR, cause we all know who is winning this one.
Side Note: Amy Adams now has FOUR previous nominations in this category (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter and now The Master). IS SHE EVER GOING TO WIN????
Best Original Screenplay
Amour, Michael Hanake
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Flight, John Gatins
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal
Will Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal add another Oscar to his mantle??
Best Adapted Screenplay
Argo, Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin,
Life of Pi, David Magee
Lincoln, Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell
I know everyone has been lauding Kushner’s script for Lincoln, but this would also be a good place to toss a bone to either Argo or Silver Linings. I’m just saying.
Like I said, I fell asleep in the middle of Lincoln. And I was seeing a matinee, completely sober.
And those are your major 8 categories. What are your thoughts and favorites?? What snubs are you outraged over? Share your feels!!
John Hawkes for The Sessions & Kathryn Bigelow are my biggest snubs. I’m overall satisfied with the nominees because the last several years have been pretty bad.
Yes, I was surprised by them choosing Phoenix over Hawkes, especially cause that performance was buzzed about ALL YEAR.
Especially since Phoenix insulted the Academy pretty harshly this past year
As for Best Picture I have to say I was a little surprised by the nom for Beasts. I think the little girl is OUTSTANDING but I had a big problem with the movie as a whole, not saying it’s bad just Best Picture? Hm. I feel the same about Amour, I want to see it so bad but I know I’ll need to keep all sharp objects away from me afterwards.
I can’t understand them leaving out Affleck either! I thought Argo was very well done and that he was the cause of it being so on the edge of your seat! Boo Academy!
Is it just me then that is confused about Deniro & Weaver’s noms for Best Supporting? I thought they were just okay in the movie not award caliber performances!?!
Lastly, for Screenplay I’d be happy with Wes Anderson winning because I REALLY enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom and am sad it was left out of most everything else.
Like I said, they clearly have a hard-on for Silver Linings. More surprised about Weaver though. I thought it was the best acting DeNiro had done in YEARS.
Maybe cause he finally WAS acting instead of playing an exaggerated version of himself.
Well said Kim! I have been a little over the Academy Awards the last few years. I hope Zero Dark Thirty gets all the awards it can and I think it is a shame that Kathryn Bigelow wasn’t recognized and same for Ben Affleck. I haven’t considered paying money to see an movie an second time in the theatre in years but I would go see either of their films again. Some of the best story telling out there. I wish people would stop acting like the oscars were some time of lifetime achievement award, that they honor that year. Okay, I don’t have much of a point but to say I am a little disappointed (yet again). There was an article in New York Magazine two years (?) about the campaigning involved awards… and since they I just have a bad taste in my mouth about it all.
Oh yes, there is definitely campaigning. Don’t you remember Melissa Leo taking out those DREADFUL “CONSIDER” ads when she was ALREADY THE FRONTRUNNER.
(And Amy Adams should have won that one, but I digress)