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Oscar nominations post!
Since one of the only things I do now on this journal is talk about movies, it's time for the mostly-annual response to Academy Award nominations post.
In summary, WTF.
It's not that this is a rare year where things are questionable, but it's impressive how deeply questionable the nominations list managed to be this time around. Usually, you get one or two "snubs" that are judgement calls among a previously-implied list of candidates that have managed to get awareness. The actual awards night is where outrage happens.
Not so much for this year. If you're reading this, you presumably care at about these things like I do and are familiar with the general bewilderment expressed about it. My two cents to add are as follows:
Animated Feature Film
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Everything is NOT AWESOME. Barring that I haven't seen the last two movies and certainly enjoyed the first three, The Lego Movie's omission may be a jump the shark moment for the category and award.
(I am sad I missed The Tale of Princess Kaguya, but it was out for like two weeks here and at weird times. If I had seen it, I could be even ragier!)
Film Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
...but Birdman.
Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
“Glory” from Selma
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again
See, now I have the dilemma of wanting "Everything is Awesome" to win out of pure spite, or "Glory" for very similar reasons.
Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Kind of missing Big Eyes here. I haven't seen Mr. Turner, but I'm guessing that one, Imitation Game, or Grand Budapest will take it. Hopefully GBH.
Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
HAHAHAH INTERSTELLAR WHAT. Ugh, just give Birdman as many awards as possible, please.
Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
Ditto. Whiplash would work, too.
Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past
So, I didn't see the apes, but I kind of want that to win in honor of their motion capture work, which seems pretty great. Interstellar would be worthy, though.
Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
DAVID OYELOWO. *flips table*
(Have not seen the first two on this list and do not want to. I liked all of the last three a lot, but Oyelowo was better than them. It is known.)
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
It's Julianne Moore's to not lose. Still Alice is one of the few not-yet-really-released movies on this list that I actually want to see. Also, I like Felicity Jones, but I don't think she should be on this list.
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Again, one that's all but settled already, and J.K. Simmons certainly deserves it.
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Same story, substitute Patricia Arquette. I feel like candidates were missed with this one.
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins, Unbroken
The weirdness of none for Interstellar here doesn't bother me that much. Throw it to Birdman!
Costume Design
Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner
I just saw Inherent Vice this afternoon, and that was actually one of the notable aspects of it, so it has my sword.
Directing
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
This award will go to Linklater, it should go to Iñárritu or Anderson, and Ava DuVernay should be on this list in place of Tyldum. Those two movies are very comparable and her work was better.
Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Gary Yershon, Mr. Turner
Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
This list is missing Gone Girl, a better choice than any of the 4/5 of these I've seen.
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
This was the first category I looked at when the list came out, and my first hint that things were going to get weird. Eight names? Eight? And not even a nod to any of the "honor just to be nominated" fun movies that audiences actually enjoyed this year, like the legos or the guardians or the winter soldiers.
Of all the sad things in the world this week, this list was the most minor. But it is sad within its particular world, and symptomatic.
Usually, I make it to ten or so completed categories by the time the awards happen. This year, I've only got one (Best Supporting Actress), and I'm unlikely to make it much further due to my total lack of interest in American Sniper and Foxcatcher. (Mr. Turner also contributed, but remains an outside chance to see.) I have better things to watch.
In summary, WTF.
It's not that this is a rare year where things are questionable, but it's impressive how deeply questionable the nominations list managed to be this time around. Usually, you get one or two "snubs" that are judgement calls among a previously-implied list of candidates that have managed to get awareness. The actual awards night is where outrage happens.
Not so much for this year. If you're reading this, you presumably care at about these things like I do and are familiar with the general bewilderment expressed about it. My two cents to add are as follows:
Animated Feature Film
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Everything is NOT AWESOME. Barring that I haven't seen the last two movies and certainly enjoyed the first three, The Lego Movie's omission may be a jump the shark moment for the category and award.
(I am sad I missed The Tale of Princess Kaguya, but it was out for like two weeks here and at weird times. If I had seen it, I could be even ragier!)
Film Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
...but Birdman.
Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
“Glory” from Selma
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again
See, now I have the dilemma of wanting "Everything is Awesome" to win out of pure spite, or "Glory" for very similar reasons.
Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Kind of missing Big Eyes here. I haven't seen Mr. Turner, but I'm guessing that one, Imitation Game, or Grand Budapest will take it. Hopefully GBH.
Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
HAHAHAH INTERSTELLAR WHAT. Ugh, just give Birdman as many awards as possible, please.
Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
Ditto. Whiplash would work, too.
Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past
So, I didn't see the apes, but I kind of want that to win in honor of their motion capture work, which seems pretty great. Interstellar would be worthy, though.
Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
DAVID OYELOWO. *flips table*
(Have not seen the first two on this list and do not want to. I liked all of the last three a lot, but Oyelowo was better than them. It is known.)
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
It's Julianne Moore's to not lose. Still Alice is one of the few not-yet-really-released movies on this list that I actually want to see. Also, I like Felicity Jones, but I don't think she should be on this list.
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Again, one that's all but settled already, and J.K. Simmons certainly deserves it.
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Same story, substitute Patricia Arquette. I feel like candidates were missed with this one.
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins, Unbroken
The weirdness of none for Interstellar here doesn't bother me that much. Throw it to Birdman!
Costume Design
Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner
I just saw Inherent Vice this afternoon, and that was actually one of the notable aspects of it, so it has my sword.
Directing
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
This award will go to Linklater, it should go to Iñárritu or Anderson, and Ava DuVernay should be on this list in place of Tyldum. Those two movies are very comparable and her work was better.
Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Gary Yershon, Mr. Turner
Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
This list is missing Gone Girl, a better choice than any of the 4/5 of these I've seen.
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
This was the first category I looked at when the list came out, and my first hint that things were going to get weird. Eight names? Eight? And not even a nod to any of the "honor just to be nominated" fun movies that audiences actually enjoyed this year, like the legos or the guardians or the winter soldiers.
Of all the sad things in the world this week, this list was the most minor. But it is sad within its particular world, and symptomatic.
Usually, I make it to ten or so completed categories by the time the awards happen. This year, I've only got one (Best Supporting Actress), and I'm unlikely to make it much further due to my total lack of interest in American Sniper and Foxcatcher. (Mr. Turner also contributed, but remains an outside chance to see.) I have better things to watch.
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