Every year, the Oscars wake everyone up at an un-Christian time (in the US) and turn actors, directors and a host of industry outsiders into Oscar nominees. For some, this is their first time doing this, while others simply have the pleasure of having another gold star next to their name.
As always, there were a number of omissions and a few surprises when Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid announced the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards this morning. Here are a few of the most glaring omissions – and one very pleasant surprise.
The former “Riverdale” star had a lot of momentum ahead of the Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actor at Gotham and the New York Film Critics Circle for his role as the husband of a Mary Kay Letourneau type who talks about his trauma still hasn’t fully come to terms with the scandalous rape. The way Melton portrays the crippled boy trapped inside the grown man couldn’t have been more impressive, and yet he somehow missed out on a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy for his work in Todd Haynes ‘ Get drama. (Nor did his fellow contestants Natalie Portman or Julianne Moore – the Best Actress category was overcrowded this year, but still).
SNUB: Willem Dafoe, “Poor Things”
It was assumed that the two major male roles in “Poor Things” – Willem Dafoe’s Dr. Frankenstein as a father figure and Mark Ruffalo’s horny cock – would get a place in the Best Supporting Actor category. Unfortunately, only Ruffalo made it into the five nominees, leaving Dafoe out in the cold. We’re thrilled that Yorgos Lanthimos’ biting satire about societal mores and fear of female sexuality has received so many nominations (best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, Emma Stone for best actress – eleven nominations in total), but Dafoe deserves a place.
SNUB: Leonardo DiCaprio, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Given the way Leo has retreated from the spotlight when it comes to Martin Scorsese’s epic retelling of the Osage community murders in the 1920s dispute over oil and land rights – and his local co-stars and director his moment or victory lap – perhaps it’s not so shocking that he didn’t make the cut in this highly competitive category this year. The way he managed to make Ernest Burkhart, the doting husband and dim-witted killer, both repulsive and sympathetic adds a lot to the story the film tells. It is some of the best work of his career. (An even more egregious snub in our opinion: No Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for “Killers.”)
SNUB: Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
This A24 drama about a Korean-Canadian playwright who reunites with an old flame — and finds herself at a crossroads as a result — did very well this morning and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. But the fact that the leading actress, the extraordinary Greta Lee, was not named when the Best Actress nominations were announced is, frankly, a crime. Your performance is the film. We’re pleased that what we believe to be the true best film of 2023 is being recognized by the Academy, but their omission is simply wrong.
SNUB: “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
Ever since Davis Guggenheim’s portrait of the “Back to the Future” star premiered at last year’s Sundance festival, this tender, moving look back at the movie star and activist’s career — and his battle with Parkinson’s disease — has been considered a strong contender for best Documentary. Many assumed he would actually be the frontrunner. None. No dice. (By the way, the rejection of American Symphony, the Netflix documentary about musician Jon Batiste, also feels like a WTF mistake. What’s going on here?)
SNUB: “Fallen Leaves”
Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki’s touching, dryly funny romance has become a minor crossover hit among people who aren’t normally into arthouse fare. The fact that Alma Pöysti received a Golden Globe nomination (for her role as a woman who refuses to let her new beau drink himself to death) made us believe that this film has a serious chance of winning the Oscar for best international feature film. But the cult author and director’s most popular work to date (at least in this country) apparently doesn’t even deserve a nomination. Boo!!!
SURPRISE: America Ferrera, “Barbie”
OK, that was really a wonderful surprise! America Ferrera fought for a nomination for her role in this blockbuster, and her speech about the unrealistic, self-destructive expectations placed on modern women will likely be quoted for decades to come. Still, it seemed very unlikely that she would snag a spot as the best supporting actress category seemed too crowded to accommodate her. It was all the more gratifying when her name was called this morning for a well-deserved place. Other than, say…
SNUB: Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, “Barbie”
… the director, screenwriter and star producer of the film. Yes, Greta Gerwig has a chance at an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, but why isn’t her name among the nominations for Best Director? The same goes for Margot Robbie for Best Actress. Both turned what could have been a pure box office hit into the most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century yet. Century transformed. Both could find themselves on stage if “Barbie” manages to beat its dark twin “Oppenheimer” for best picture. But their absence in these two categories is annoying. Congratulations on eight nominations, but for us, that’s just not Kenough.
SNUB: Alexander Payne, “The Holdovers”
Alexander Payne’s story about a New England prep school student and the cantankerous teacher he befriends in the early 1970s did very well today: It received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), the best original screenplay and editing; Da’Vine Joy Randolph has to give up the Oscar for best supporting actress at the moment. But the man who directed this (in a great way!) backwards dramedy wasn’t included in the list of potential winners for his work behind the camera. Yes, we know – 10 spots for Best Picture, five spots for Best Director, someone’s going to get it. We just wish it wasn’t Payne.