Mel Gibson, The Lobster & No Amy Adams – Dan Cohen’s 2017 Oscar Nom Reactions
PASSENGERS GOT TWO NOMINATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, to be fair, that’s probably not the big take away from today. First of all, a few grievances with the announcements of the Oscars. And no, to answer your question, it’s not the nomination of Suicide Squad for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Even as much as I detest that film, it’s completely deserving for that award. My real grievance is that it’s 5:30 in the morning, and the Academy is drawing this thing out longer than the NHL and NBA playoffs combined. Can you please just announce the damn awards and stop with the History of the Academy Awards/Behind the Scenes crap! Nobody wants to hear about how excited Jimmy Kimmel is to host! For the love of lobsters!
Alright, enough with that. It’s early. I’m tired. And there’s too much to discuss. Before we get to the major awards, a few quick hits:
Best Cinematography: It was nice to see Silence get something.
Best Score: I joked about it, but Passengers for Best Score? Seriously? Over Arrival? Wow. That’s embarrassing. Glad to see The Lobster get in.
Best Song: I only mention this because I’m kind of sadistically laughing at how furious people will be that a song from Trolls gets nominated, and nothing for Sing Street. For the record, I really like Sing Street.
Okay…onto the big boys:
BEST PICTURE: Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight
Absolutely no surprises here whatsoever. There’s nothing else to say other than I warned you all about Deadpool. I tried to help you. Let the race between Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea and La La Land begin.
BEST DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Not to toot my own horn, but screw it – I’m tooting my own horn. I had this 100% right. I told you Mel Gibson was getting the call. War movies are always Best Director friendly. They just are. It’s too hard to watch that film and not slot Mel Gibson as one of the five best directors of the year. I know he was projected to get in, but I’m thrilled and relieved Villeneuve got the call. The Academy nailed this category.
BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic), Denzel Washington (Fences)
The only question was that Viggo Mortensen fifth slot. I should have known better, but it was a toss-up between him and Edgerton. Sorry, Joel.
BEST ACTRESS: Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Natalie Portman (Jackie), Emma Stone (La La Land), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)
It’s important to note that this was the deepest category out of all the major awards, so I’m not surprised the biggest snub of the day came here. I’m sorry, but Amy Adams (Arrival) is a flat out snub. Isabelle Huppert is absolutely deserving of a nomination, but I still would have given the nod to Adams. I understand Huppert’s performance is the flashier, meatier role, but Adams has the MUCH harder job to pull off. You really have to believe she’s making a deep connection with CGI alien life forms, and she does it hook, line and sinker. I’m very happy the Academy didn’t whiff on any other nominations for Arrival, but they did here.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water), Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea), Dev Patel (Lion), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)
This category was destined to have a big surprise, and it delivered. This was a great call. Hugh Grant gave a perfectly fine performance in Florence Foster Jenkins, but Shannon is head and shoulders more deserving of an Oscar. As far as who the front-runner is right now, I still have no pulse on this damn category. I suppose it’s Ali, but I could see Patel or Hedges winning this award. We’ll have plenty of time to analyze that one.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Nicole Kidman (Lion), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)
This was the easiest category to predict of all time. Nothing shocking here.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Hell or High Water, La La Land, The Lobster, Manchester by the Sea, 20th Century Women
I’m thrilled to see The Lobster get in. If there was any movie deserving of an Original Screenplay nomination, it’s that one. Outstanding. The only minor surprise here was 20th Century Women probably knocking out Captain Fantastic. There. You happy, 20th Century Women fans? You got something.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Arrival, Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, Moonlight
No surprises. With Moonlight being here, it takes the competitiveness completely out of this category. I suppose Arrival could still pull off an upset, but Moonlight should have a stranglehold, as this is the only major category where it doesn’t have to contend with La La Land or Manchester by the Sea.
