So, this past Thursday, The Academy announced this year's Oscar Nominations, and I have to say, I'm starting to feel a little underwhelmed by the choices of the Academy year after year. Don't get me wrong, I love the pomp of the ceremony: the dresses, the drama, all of it. But maybe it's my involvement in pop culture, or the fact that I'm getting older (and more disillusioned), but the awards seem like a really big MEH this year.
Yes, there are some standouts, like Spike Jonze Her and Brad Pitt-Produced 12 Years a Slave (including the nomination of Lupita Nyong'o for Best Supporting Actress) but Idris Elba was completely snubbed for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in A Long Walk to Freedom (even though U2 was nominated for Best Song for the same movie). The Butler was completely looked over, even though at the time of it's release, people were buzzing about Oprah's performance and how they expected she would be nominated. Yet, nothing.
I have to say, overall, the Oscars seem more "white" and more "cookie cutter" than in previous years to me. And that's not for lack of fantastic films and productions by people of colour in Hollywood in 2013. But, since the Academy is made up mostly of previous winners, and most previous winners are white males, I guess they go for exactly what they like.
But it's boring.
Do I think that Matthew McConaughey is a bad actor? No way. Do I think he's undeserving because he is a white guy? Nope. But do I think there are actors of colour who had as good if not better performances than his in 2013? Yep. And really, does Meryl Streep need to win ANOTHER Oscar? Let's just stop nominating her because she's Meryl Fucking Streep. SHE'S THE BEST, WE GET IT (I love you, Meryl).
I'll watch the awards show, I'll make predictions and I'll #YMCOscars night of the show along with all of you, but I hope that in 2015, we'll see more diversity, more difference and less of the same old same old.
What about you? Do you think The Oscars are a great indicator of the best in Hollywood, or is it getting old hat?
Best Picture
"12 Years A Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Her"
"Nebraska"
"Captain Phillips"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"
"Gravity"
"Philomena"
Actor in a Leading Role
Bruce Dern - "Nebraska"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "12 Years A Slave"
Matthew McConaughey - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Christian Bale - "American Hustle"
Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi - "Captain Phillips"
Michael Fassbender - "12 Years A Slave"
Jared Leto - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Bradley Cooper - "American Hustle"
Jonah Hill - "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett - "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock - "Gravity"
Judi Dench - "Philomena"
Meryl Streep - "August: Osage County"
Amy Adams - "American Hustle"
Actress in a Supporting Role
Sally Hawkins - "Blue Jasmine"
Jennifer Lawrence - "American Hustle"
Lupita Nyong'o - "12 Years A Slave"
Julia Roberts - "August: Osage County"
June Squibb - "Nebraska"
Animated Feature Film
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Frozen"
"The Wind Rises"
"Ernest & Celestine"
Cinematography
"The Grandmaster"
"Gravity"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"
"Prisoners"
Costume Design
"American Hustle"
"The Grandmaster"
"The Great Gatsby"
"The Invisible Woman"
"12 Years a Slave"
Directing
Alfonso Cuaron - "Gravity"
Steve McQueen - "12 Years A Slave"
Alexander Payne - "Nebraska"
David O. Russell - "American Hustle"
Martin Scorsese - "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Documentary (Feature)
"The Act of Killing"
"20 Feet from Stardom"
"Cutie and the Boxer"
"Dirty Wars"
"The Square"
Documentary (Short Subject)
"CaveDigger"
"Facing Fear"
"Karama Has No Walls"
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life"
"Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall"
Film Editing
"American Hustle"
"Captain Phillips"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Gravity"
"12 Years a Slave"
Foreign Language Film
"The Broken Circle Breakdown" - Belgium
"The Great Beauty" - Italy
"The Hunt" - Denmark
"The Missing Picture" - Cambodia
"Omar" - Palestine
Makeup and hairstyling
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"
"The Lone Ranger"
Music (Original Score)
"The Book Thief" - John Williams
"Gravity" Steven Price
"Her" - William Butler and Owen Pallett
"Philomena" - Alexandre Desplat
"Saving Mr. Banks" - Thomas Newman
Music (Original Song)
"Let it Go" - "Frozen" - Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
"Ordinary Love" - "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" - U2, lyrics by Paul Hewson, aka Bono
"Happy" - "Despicable Me 2" - Pharrell Williams
"Alone Yet Not Alone" - "Alone Yet Not Alone" - music by Bruce Broughton, lyrics by Dennis Spiegel
"The Moon Song" - "Her" - music by Karen O, lyrics by Karen O and Spike Jonze
Production design
"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Great Gatsby"
"Her"
"12 Years a Slave"
Short Film (Animated)
"Feral"
"Get a Horse!"
"Mr. Hublot"
"Possessions"
"Room on the Broom"
Short Film (Live Action)
"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"
"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything)"
"Helium"
"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)"
"The Voorman Problem"
Sound Editing:
"All Is Lost"
"Captain Phillips"
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Lone Survivor"
Sound Mixing:
"Captain Phillips"
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Lone Survivor"
Visual Effects
"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Iron Man 3"
"The Lone Ranger"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"Before Midnight" - Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke
"Captain Phillips" - Billy Ray
"Philomena" - Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
"12 Years A Slave" - John Ridley
"The Wolf of Wall Street" - Terence Winter
Writing (Original Screenplay)
"American Hustle" - Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
"Blue Jasmine" - Woody Allen
"Her" - Spike Jonze
"Nebraska" - Bob Nelson
"Dallas Buyers Club" - Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
photos: CHP/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES and Juan Rico/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES
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