It’s hard to believe but Oscar time is upon us again and this morning the Academy tossed out their list of this year’s nominees. As is always the case, there were a handful of surprises, several frustrations, and some things that simply didn’t make sense. As I do every year, here are a few random thoughts about this year’s Oscar nominations.
- First off, please never use this method of announcing the Oscar nominations again. It felt terribly messy and splotched together. C’mon Academy. Most of us aren’t complicated people. Just give us the nominations.
- Meryl Streep? Seriously? As I asked on Twitter, was she nominated for her performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins” or for her Golden Globes speech? Her automatic spot at the Oscar’s Best Actress table is getting ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, she is good in “FFJ” but far from Oscar worthy. Worse than that she knocks out other actresses who are much more deserving. Sigh…
- Spinning off of that, the Amy Adams snub is egregious. Yes it happens every year, but Adams is so good in “Arrival” and most people have rightly recognized that. How she misses out on an Oscar nomination is baffling. I guess someone had to fall on the sword for Meryl.
- Tom Hanks again misses out on a Best Actor nomination. I loved his performance in “Sully” but I’m not really surprised he fell short. But here’s an interesting tidbit – Hanks hasn’t been nominated in this category since 2000! Think about all of his performances yet nothing since “Cast Away”. Interesting…
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson surprised many by winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. That won’t be the case come Oscar night. His “Nocturnal Animals” cast-mate Michael Shannon got a nomination instead. I’m fine with that.
- It was really nice to see movies like “Lion” and “Hell or High Water” get several prominent nominations. Neither will win in the big categories, but their inclusion is encouraging.
- Absolutely nothing for Whit Stillman’s brilliant “Love & Friendship”. Not surprised but I did hold out a little hope. It didn’t even make a dent in the Costume Design category. Sigh…
- Speaking of “Love & Friendship”, it would have been great to have seen Kate Beckinsale get a nomination. It was never going to happen, but she certainly deserves it. But at least they got Meryl in there.
- “Suicide Squad” is now an Oscar-nominated film. Let that sink in for a second.
- I did pump my fist for “A Man Called Ove”. It’s a wonderful movie that not only received a Best Foreign Language nomination but also in Makeup and Hairstyling. That makes me happy.
- So NINE Best Picture nominees. Not EIGHT and certainly not TEN. But NINE. Sure, okay.
- Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” didn’t get much attention. It did grab a much-deserved nomination in cinematography, but as a whole it was ignored. That’s a shame. I wonder if enough voters have seen it considering its insanely limited release schedule? Then again it isn’t a film aiming for attention. Whatever, all the more reason for me to consider it the first great movie of 2017.
- And get this – as IndieWire pointed out, “Passengers” has more Oscar nominations than “Silence”. Excuse we while I go lay into oncoming freeway traffic.
- The Best Actor category fell right in line with nearly everyone’s projections. Looks to be a showdown between Casey Affleck and Ryan Gosling. I still thing Denzel Washington deserves it the most.
- “La La Land” lands 14 Oscar nominations. 14! That ties it with “All About Eve” and “Titanic” for the most all-time. Big showings like this sometimes turn people off, but you won’t hear me complain. Damien Chazelle has crafted something truly special.
- I’ve already heard some people touting the success of last year’s #OscarsSoWhite campaign, but how true is that? The Oscars aren’t the big issue. They are simply a reflection. If anything we should look at the studios and the opportunities they give. This year’s nominees reflect what is hopefully a meaningful change in that area.
- Speaking of which, congrats to Bradford Young, the first African-American ever to be nominated in the cinematography category. His work on “Arrival” is some of the best of the year. It’s well-deserved recognition.
- Looks like “Zootopia” is an easy pick to win Best Animated Feature. I’ll remain in the tiny minority who aren’t fans of it…a tiny, tiny minority.
- Sticking with that category, I’m surprised that “Finding Dorey” didn’t get a nod. Did they even think of how that will effect my little girl?
- No, “Deadpool” didn’t get a nomination. No, Ryan Reynolds didn’t get a nomination. No, neither deserved nominations.
- But “Sing Street” did deserve a nomination especially in the Best Original Song category. I’m still rooting for “La La Land” there, but how can “Drive It Like You Stole It” not find a place in the conversation?
- Some people are calling Viggo Mortensen’s Best Actor nomination a surprise. Maybe so but he is very deserving. “Captain Fantastic” was such a fresh, unique and unpredictable movie. That’s a great way of describing Viggo’s performance as well. Love seeing him nominated.
- I’m not going to start a protest but “Captain America: Civil War” didn’t even get a technical nod? Superheros have a tough go at Oscar time.
- I’m glad to see so much love for “Hacksaw Ridge”. The film earned six nominations from the Academy including Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, and Best Director for Mel Gibson. It won’t win much of anything but it’s great to see the recognition as well as the forgiveness.
- Thrilled for Viola Davis. What an electrifying performance in “Fences”. Here is an interesting note – she becomes the first African-American actress with three nominations. Bravo.
So there are a handful of random thoughts about this year’s nominations. In case you missed it here is a full list of the nominees:
Best picture:
“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“Hidden Figures”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best director:
Damien Chazelle – “La La Land”
Mel Gibson – “Hacksaw Ridge”
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight”
Kenneth Lonergan – “Manchester by the Sea”
Denis Villeneuve – “Arrival”
Lead actor:
Casey Affleck – “Manchester by the Sea”
Andrew Garfield – “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling – “La La Land,”
Viggo Mortensen – “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington – “Fences”
Lead actress:
Isabelle Huppert – “Elle”
Ruth Negga – “Loving”
Natalie Portman – “Jackie”
Emma Stone – “La La Land”
Meryl Streep – “Florence Foster Jenkins”
Supporting actor:
Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight”
Jeff Bridges – “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges – “Manchester by the Sea”
Dev Patel – “Lion”
Michael Shannon – “Nocturnal Animals”
Supporting actress:
Viola Davis – “Fences”
Naomie Harris – “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman – “Lion”
Octavia Spencer – “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams – “Manchester by the Sea”
Animated feature:
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Moana”
“My Life as a Zucchini”
“The Red Turtle”
“Zootopia”
Animated short:
“Blind Vaysha”
“Borrowed Time”
“Pear Cider and Cigarettes”
“Pearl”
“Piper”
Adapted screenplay:
Eric Heisserer – “Arrival”
August Wilson – “Fences”
Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi – “Hidden Figures,”
Luke Davies – “Lion” Luke Davies
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight”
Original screenplay:
Mike Mills – “20th Century Women”
Taylor Sheridan – “Hell or High Water”
Damien Chazelle – “La La Land,”
Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou – “The Lobster”
Kenneth Lonergan – “Manchester by the Sea”
Cinematography:
Bradford Young – “Arrival”
Linus Sandgren – “La La Land”
Greig Fraser “Lion”
James Laxton – “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto – “Silence”
Best documentary feature:
“13th”
“Fire at Sea”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
“Life, Animated”
“O.J.: Made in America”
Best documentary short subject:
“4.1 Miles”
“Extremis”
“Joe’s Violin”
“Watani: My Homeland”
“The White Helmets”
Best live action short film:
“Ennemis Interieurs”
“La Femme et le TGV”
“Silent Nights”
“Sing”
“Timecode”
Best foreign language film:
“A Man Called Ove,” Sweden
“The Salesman” Iran
“Tanna,” Australia
“Land of Mine” Denmark
“Toni Erdmann,” Germany
Film editing:
“Arrival”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“La La Land”
“Moonlight”
Visual effects:
“Deepwater Horizon”
“Doctor Strange”
“The Jungle Book”
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
Sound editing:
“Arrival”
“Deep Water Horizon”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“La La Land”
“Sully”
Sound mixing:
“Arrival”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“La La Land”
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi”
Production design:
“Arrival”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“Hail, Caesar!”
“La La Land”
“Passengers”
Original score:
“Jackie”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Moonlight”
“Passengers”
Original song:
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” – “La La Land”
“Can’t Stop the Feeling” – “Trolls”
“City of Stars” – “La La Land”
“The Empty Chair”- “Jim: The James Foley Story”
“How Far I’ll Go” – “Moana”
Makeup and hair:
“A Man Called Ove”
“Star Trek Beyond”
“Suicide Squad”
Costume design:
“Allied”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“Florence Foster Jenkins”
“Jackie”
“La La Land”
keithandthemovies.com 
I agree with so many of your thoughts. It sickens me that Suicide Squad and Passengers are Oscar-nominated films now. Both are garbage. Silence deserved more recognition, as did Amy Adams. And yeah, Deadpool was great, but not worthy of being that special surprise nomination at the Academy Awards, of all places. I’m definitely going to have to check out Captain Fantastic now. I love Viggo, and because of his nomination, now’s as good of a time as any. I just published some of my random thoughts on my blog. I’m glad to see we share many of the same opinions, Keith!
Anxious to head over and read your thoughts. Definitely give Captain Fantastic a look. I promise it will surprise you in a number of ways. I’m trying not to boil over the “Silence” snubs. Just makes me appreciate it more in some weird way.
True; it’s kind of a hidden gem now, given its underwhelming commercial success and lack of Oscar attention.
Amy Adams should have been nominated as she us the main focus of an Oscar nominated film. I’m rooting for Viggo Mortenson and Jeff Bridges in their category. I feel I will be very disappointed on Oscar night seeing La La Land walk away with the honours.
The Adams snub is mind-blowing. Makes no sense to me. I’m really happy for Viggo as well. What a performance. As for La La Land, I’m a big fan so I’m rooting for it in several of its categories.
Yeah Im sure La La Land will win many Oscars. I just can’t fathom out why?
I think most of the overused adjectives fit for it. Joyous, magical, nostalgic, etc. etc. But if none of those fit your experience I can 100% see why the movie wouldn’t work.
It is Nostalgic for sure. I would go back and watch Singing In The rain which is a real masterpiece. It is a nice and pleasant film. Are there great songs sung with great voices? No, Great Dance sequences? No. Great story line? No. It is stylish and the cinematography is great It lacks what a great musical should have and would you put it up as one of the best films of all time?
I adore “Singin’ in the Rain”, “An American in Paris”, etc. But I don’t think “La La Land” is trying to be those movies so I wouldn’t make that comparison. I actually love the soundtrack and several of the dance numbers. I like the story too. So I think it gets back to whether or not it connects with you. I can see it not being for everyone. I really went for it.
I don’t agree with your take on Meryl Streep. That is one fine talent!!! That man had been around for so long he deserves all them picture awards. Especially when he dressed up in that suit and tie to look like that Chris Matthews fella on MSNBC. But I don’t understand why he painted his face with cow dung to do it.
I feel like we live in completely different universes. One is real and one is fictional.
HAHA
My breakdown:
1) They shockingly didn’t make it but should have: DEADPOOL for Makeup & Hairstyling; ELLE for Foreign Film; HAIL, CAESAR! for Costume Design; JACKIE for Production Design and Makeup & Hairstyling; LOVING for Leading Actor (Joel Edgerton); NOCTURNAL ANIMALS for Leading Actress (Amy Adams), Supporting Actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Adapted Screenplay, Score and Makeup & Hairstyling; SING STREET for Song (DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT); SULLY for Leading Actor (Tom Hanks) and Adapted Screenplay; ARRIVAL for Leading Actress (Amy Adams) and Visual Effects; LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP for Costume Design; FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS for Supporting Actor (Hugh Grant); HACKSAW RIDGE for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Production Design; LION for Directing; FINDING DORY for Animated Film; THE JUNGLE BOOK for Sound Editing/Mixing; BILLY LYNN for Cinematography; FANTASTIC BEASTS for Visual Effects and Sound Editing/Mixing; CAFÉ SOCIETY for Production Design; ROGUE ONE for Makeup & Hairstyling; DEEPWATER HORIZON for Sound Mixing.
2) They predictably didn’t make it but should have: AMERICAN HONEY for Picture, Leading Actor (Shia LeBeouf), Leading Actress (Sasha Lane), Supporting Actress (Riley Keough), Directing, Original Screenplay and Cinematography; CAPTAIN FANTASTIC for Picture, Original Screenplay, Costume Design and Makeup & Hairstyling; CERTAIN WOMEN for Picture, Supporting Actress (Lily Gladstone) and Directing; CHRONIC for Picture and Leading Actor (Tim Roth); COUPLE IN A HOLE for Picture and Supporting Actress (Kate Dickie); DEADPOOL for Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Visual Effects; ELLE for Picture and Adapted Screenplay; HAIL, CAESAR! for Picture and Makeup & Hairstyling; THE HANDMAIDEN for Picture and Production Design; I, DANIEL BLAKE for Picture, Leading Actor (Dave Johns), Supporting Actress (Hayley Squires), Directing and Original Screenplay; JACKIE for Picture, Directing, Cinematography and Editing; THE LOBSTER for Picture; LOVING for Directing, Original Screenplay and Makeup & Hairstyling; NOCTURNAL ANIMALS for Picture, Leading Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design; NOTES ON BLINDNESS for Sound Editing/Mixing; PATERSON for Picture, Leading Actor (Adam Driver) and Original Screenplay; SILENCE for Picture, Supporting Actor (Issey Ogata) and Adapted Screenplay); SING STREET for Picture; SULLY for Picture, Visual Effects, Editing and Makeup & Hairstyling; UNDER THE SHADOW for Picture, Leading Actress (Narges Rashidi), Supporting Actress (Avin Manshadi), Directing, Original Screenplay and Foreign Film; THE WITCH for Picture and Production Design; MY FERAL HEART for Leading Actor (Steve Brandon) and Supporting Actress (Shana Swash); TRESPASS AGAINST US for Leading Actor (Michael Fassbender) and Supporting Actor (Sean Harris); SNOWDEN for Leading Actor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt); FREE IN DEED for Leading Actor (David Harewood), Supporting Actress (Edwina Findley) and Cinematography; BORN TO BE BLUE for Leading Actor (Ethan Hawke); OTHER PEOPLE for Leading Actor (Jesse Plemons) and Supporting Actress (Molly Shannon); I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER for Leading Actor (Max Records), Supporting Actor (Christopher Lloyd) and Adapted Screenplay; MORRIS FROM AMERICA for Supporting Actor (Craig Robinson); LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP for Leading Actress (Kate Beckinsale), Supporting Actor (Tom Bennett) and Adapted Screenplay; 20TH CENTURY WOMEN for Leading Actress (Annette Bening) and Supporting Actress (Greta Gerwig); THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN for Leading Actress (Emily Blunt) and Makeup & Hairstyling; MISS SLOANE for Leading Actress (Jessica Chastain); CHRISTINE for Leading Actress (Rebecca Hall); HIDDEN FIGURES for Leading Actress, Supporting Actress, Score, Song (RUNNIN’), Production Design and Costume Design; ADULT LIFE SKILLS for Leading Actress (Jodie Whittaker), Supporting Actor (Brett Goldstein) and Original Screenplay; ANTHROPOID for Supporting Actor (Jamie Dornan); A BIGGER SPLASH for Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes); HELL OR HIGH WATER for Supporting Actor (Ben Foster), Directing, Cinematography and Production Design; FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS for Supporting Actor (Simon Helberg) and Makeup & Hairstyling; THE PASS for Supporting Actor (Arinzé Kene); MR. CHURCH for Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy); THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS for Supporting Actress (Gemma Arteron) and Visual Effects; LITTLE MEN for Supporting Actress (Paulina Garcia) and Original Screenplay; OUR KIND OF TRAITOR for Supporting Actress (Naomie Harris); EYE IN THE SKY for Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren); HACKSAW RIDGE for Supporting Actress (Teresa Palmer), Score and Makeup & Hairstyling; A UNITED KINGDOM for Supporting Actress (Terry Pheto); FENCES for Directing and Production Design; FREE FIRE for Directing; LION for Editing, Production Design and Costume Design; JUSTIN MARKS for Adapted Screenplay; A MONSTER CALLS for Adapted Screenplay and Visual Effects; KUNG FU PANDA 3 for Animated Film; MISS HOKUSAI for Animated Film; PSICONAUTAS for Animated Film; SAUSAGE PARTY for Animated Film; SING for Animated Film and Song (FAITH); TROLLS for Animated Film; YOUR NAME for Animated Film; THE ARDENNES for Foreign Film; CHEVALIER for Foreign Film; THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MAKI for Foreign Film and Cinematography; JULIETA for Foreign Film; MA’ ROSA for Foreign Film; NERUDA for Foreign Film; PARADISE for Foreign Film; 0 DAYS for Documentary; 21 X NEW YORK for Documentary; THE BEATLES: 8 DAYS A WEEK for Documentary; CAMERAPERSON for Documentary; THE CONFESSION for Documentary; DANCER for Documentary; DE PALMA for Documentary; THE EAGLE HUNTRESS for Documentary; A FAMILY AFFAIR for Documentary; GLEASON for Documentary; THE HARD STOP for Documentary; THE IVORY GAME for Documentary; THE LAND OF THE ENLIGHTENED for Documentary; MISS SHARON JONES! for Documentary and Song (I’M STILL HERE); MR. GAGA for Documentary; “S” IS FOR STANLEY for Documentary; SONITA for Documentary; TOWER for Documentary; UNDER THE SUN for Documentary; VERSUS for Documentary; WEINER for Documentary; THE B.F.G. for Score and Visual Effects; THE JUNGLE BOOK for Score, Cinematography and Production Design; THE NEON DEMON for Score and Cinematography; PO for Song (DANCING WITH YOUR SHADOW); GOLD for Song (GOLD); RULES DON’T APPLY for Song (THE RULES DON’T APPLY) and Costume Design; BILLY LYNN for Visual Effects, Editing and Sound Editing/Mixing; THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER for Cinematography; THE EYES OF MY MOTHER for Cinematography; FANTASTIC BEASTS for Makeup & Hairstyling; THE BIRTH OF A NATION for Editing; MANCHESTER BY THE SEA for Editing, Production Design and Makeup & Hairstyling; SUPERSONIC for Editing; SWISS ARMY MAN for Editing; ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS for Production Design and Costume Design; ALLIED for Production Design and Sound Editing/Mixing; DR. STRANGE for Production Design, Costume Design and Makeup & Hairstyling; LIVE BY NIGHT for Production Design; ROGUE ONE for Production Design and Costume Design; ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE for Costume Design; THE DRESSMAKER for Costume Design; KUBO AND THE 2 STRINGS for Costume Design; MISS PEREGRINE for Costume Design; ZOOLANDER NO. 2 for Makeup & Hairstyling.
3) They surprisingly made it: DEEPWATER HORIZON for Visual Effects; JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY for Song; KUBO AND THE 2 STRINGS for Visual Effects; A MAN CALLED OVE for Makeup & Hairstyling; PASSENGERS for Score; ROGUE ONE for Sound Mixing; SILENCE for Cinematography; SULLY for Sound Editing; TANNA for Foreign Film.
Now, to answer some of your thoughts:
-Am I against the new method of announcement? I don’t know, because I had no idea they would change it, so I didn’t have time to process it.
-I don’t think long gaps between nominations matter. Every time Tom Hanks isn’t nominated is because someone else gave a better performance.
-SUICIDE SQUAD isn’t the first Oscar nominee with bad reviews and it won’t be the last. At least it’s for a technical category rather than one that reflects its overall quality.
-This isn’t the 1st time there are 9 Best Picture nominees. Anyway, what’s wrong with that?
-There’s no point in comparing the number of nominations between movies, specially when a bad one (PASSENGERS) is only in technical categories.
-I don’t think Viggo’s nomination is a surprise, considering he was also nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG.
-Not a surprise. CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 barely showed up this award season (even in the ceremonies that only award a technical aspect).
– I think the Tom Hanks gap is really interesting namely because I found it to be surprising. He always good and always worth considering. And not being nominated isn’t always due to others being better.
– I wasn’t saying Suicide Squad was the first nominee with bad reviews. The point is it’s bad all-around even in the technical areas.
– What’s wrong with 9 nominees? There is nothing inherently “wrong” with 9 nominees. They just have no rhyme or reason to their number.
– I think you may be taking that comparison a bit too seriously.
– I don’t Viggo was a surprise either.
-Actually, I prefer it when awards and critics’s lists don’t round up their picks. Nothing is unfairly omitted and nothing is undeservingly included.
-It’s just that I always hear/read people comparing the number of nominations between movies as if it was a valid criticism of the Oscars, but it’s not. A bad movie can excel at specific areas, but it doesn’t mean that it’s overall better than a movie that excels at less areas.
– I see what your saying. With the Oscars it seems so arbitrary especially since only two or three of the films have a legitimate chance of winning.
– You’re right, some people get caught up on numbers like that. The shot I was taking was aimed more at lack of nominations for one than the inclusion of the other.
I am glad Adams missed. It’s not fair considering the movie got so much and Streep is there because of her little speech but damn, how many times did deserving performances get snubbed because Adams got in? Too many
I loved Adams in Arrival whereas Streep played a pretty routine Streep-like character. And I really had no issues with Adams being nominated for Doubt or The Fighter. Still haven’t seen Junebug though.
I too was surprised by Queen Meryl’s nomination. I think she’s an incredible once-in-a-lifetime talent, but there were SO many brilliant performances by women this year and many of those performances outshined hers. As you pointed out, it’s crazy to me that Amy Adams was overlooked for such a stellar turn in Arrival.
Suicide Squad getting nominated is absolutely hilarious to me. I’m still laughing.
I’m really rooting for Damien Chazelle, but I must admit that I really don’t think La La Land is deserving of best picture. There is just too much talent in that category. It will be a very stiff race.
YOU DIDN’T LIKE ZOOTOPIA!?!
Queen Meryl…that seems to fit, doesn’t it? You’re right. She is incredibly talented, but in these latter days of her career she is getting nominated for performances on reputation only (at least I think so). Adams was much more deserving IMO. And Suicide Squad…SMH.
And I know, I know…Zootopia. I really enjoyed the first half of it. But then it became so incredibly heavy-handed. It took a really good message and bludgeoned us to death with it in the second half. But…I don’t have many others who agree with me on that sooo…LOL
“Suicide Squad” is now an Oscar-nominated film. Let that sink in for a second.
Well I was going to chirp on about some other things that I found wrong with this year’s Oscar selections but you have highlighted in perfect fashion one of the glaring mistakes. HOW IS SS UP FOR AN AWARD! It should be up for a Razzie! Mistrial, dammit, mistrial!!!
I’m really not going to get to worked up about the selections though this year. I find that even for the short amount of time I’ve been running a site and sticking close to the movie world news, the Oscars very rarely fully reflects my experiences and what I’ve considered to be good movies. An example would be the shutting out of Deadpool. To me, that movie was an absolute blast. The Academy would have done themselves a solid but having it nominated to prove the board isn’t as stuffy and pretentious as the entire world thinks (knows?) they are. Why can’t a foul-mouthed comedy qualify? Like who’s making up the rules here?
Obviously someone who deeply believes in the idea that Meryl Streep must be on the podium every, single, year. (No offense to Streep fans of course. I think she’s brilliant but she’s like Tom Brady and the Patriots.)
You’re right, the Oscars aren’t something to get too worked up about. But it’s fun to talk about because they are prone to make those mind-boggling choices. Suicide Squad is definitely an example. And Amy Adams…her omission just doesn’t compute with me!
The lack of Amy Adams stuns me too. Oh well. At least Meryl Streep is up for her 1 billionth Oscar, right?! 😉 😀
I read one critic who said this nomination wasn’t for FFJ. It was to show Trump she wasn’t “overrated”. God help us if a politician’s rambling can influence who gets nominated.
I agree with the Academy video thing. Felt really choppy. If your video is supposed to honor achievement in movies, at least make a better video.
It’s a damn shame Adams wasn’t nominated instead of Streep. Definitely the biggest disappointment for me of this year. Other than that, sad to see the Academy mostly ignored Hail Caesar and totally ignored The Handmaiden. Meanwhile, happy to see Hidden Figures made it into BP and rooting for Viola Davis in best supporting actress. Great to read your thoughts, Keith!
I’m so glad you mentioned Hail, Caesar! That’s a perfect example of a movie that deserved more attention. Was it the early release or just a full-blown snub? Either way it stinks.
Very, very pleased to see Viggo grab a nomination. He won’t win but it’s thoroughly deserved recognition. It’s hard for me to comment yet as I’ve still to catch up with quote a lot of the films. That’s my mission from now till Oscar night.
Same here bro. So excited for Viggo and the film. I was watching an interview with him after he got the nomination. He was talking about how big the nomination is for a smaller film like that. It gets the film’s name out there to people who haven’t seen it. You could sense his genuine excitement.
I’m glad for that same reason. I really hope more people check the film out. It’s still my favourite. I’ve yet to see anything that I’ve enjoyed more.
La La Land totally deserves all of the nominations it did. It will become a classic as All About Eve is in the future. I am so glad to see Isabelle Huppert with a nomination – absolutely mesmerizing. Tom Hanks is one of my faves, and I have often thought about his lack of Oscar noms since Castaway. He most often delivers very solid performances.
I’m with you. La La Land is sooo good. I’ve seen it three times and could easily go see it again. My little girl is crazy about it too.
I love when little ones love great movies 🙂 I remember seeing City Lights two years ago at the theatre, and the children who were there absolutely loved it! Definitely heartwarming.
Agreed! Every time we get in the car she wants to listen to the soundtrack! I love it!
I’m not big into award shows and for the most part have not seen many of the nominees. I’m thrilled that Huppert got a nomination and the Oscars have stressed a greater need for diversity. On the other hand, I too am disappointed Silence was pretty much shut out, though as I said before, it’s not a movie most audiences want to see. I would have loved to seen Green Room and The Witch get nominated, but neither of which is exactly the kind of stuff award shows look for.
I’m excited for A Man Called Ove. It’s well worth checking out. I’m still dying to see The Salesman. Anytime Farhadi is nominated I feel good. He is such an incredible storyteller.
I’ve been wanting to see The Salesman for a long time as well and would agree that Farhadi’s one of today’s most exciting filmmakers. I’m also planning on finally catching Toni Erdmann this weekend and The Red Turtle soon.
I hadn’t heard of The Red Turtle before today. When I looked it up I was immediately drawn to its style.
Reblogged this on biblebeltsite.
Nice! Thank you!
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Interesting thoughts as always, Keith. Love your Random Thoughts! A few of mine:
-Need to see Silence. Just mustering the energy (for the runtime) and the stomach.
-I’m over Meryl Streep. Sure she was good, but as you said, a few other actresses would have really benefited from that spot. For one, I would have loved to see Steinfeld for The Edge of Seventeen. She’s so dynamic.
-My biggest personal snub is Nocturnal Animals. I do think it is an amazing movie that deserved more love (why is it always Jake G movies that get the shaft such as Prisoners, Nightcrawler, and now this?!). But I’ll concede it is a bit too off-kilter for the Academy Awards. Those latter two probably had more legit reason to feel that they were snubbed, especially Nightcrawler in my opinion for Best Picture, Director, and Actor.
-Passengers for Best Score? Over the likes of Nocturnal Animals, Arrival (HUGE omission, quite possibly the biggest and this is coming from a guy who merely liked the film), Hacksaw Ridge, and The Neon Demon? LOL.
-Suicide Squad nominated for an Oscar? Just LMAO.
Otherwise, noms look as I imagined. I think this is La La Land’s awards show world and every other movie (save possibly for Moonlight) is just living in it. No issue, it is an impressive movie.
How could I forget JJ’s score for Arrival. An glaring omission for sure. I liked Nocturnal Animals too. I was a little late to it but so glad I saw. Jake does get passed over a lot doesn’t he. Silence – it’s a must see.
I agree with basically all of your points. I’m actually super pissed about Civil War not getting a Special Effects nom. LOOK at Vision. Look at Spiderman, Look at Wanda’s powers. Come the %#$& on. lol
I really thought it should have. But then again I’m not surprised. They flat-out don’t like superheroes.
Love the roundup, Keith. Suicide Squad getting an Oscar nomination sure is a surprise. Agreed on Meryl Streep – there is no question about her talent, but right now she could have been the main character in SS and they still would have nominated her just for the fun of it.
Yes!!! I think you’re right. It’s as if she has a reserved spot on their lists. Yet someone like Amy Adams gets snubbed.
Right there with you in that Zootopia minority. It was an alright animated film. Kubo FTW in that category. I realise that’s just a pipedream.
I’m excited to watch Kubo this week. I had dismissed it when it first came out but the praise for it has me intrigued.
It is fantastic. Up there with The Little Prince as two of my favourite animated films of the year. The stop-motion animation is literally breathtaking.
That’s awesome. I have rented it for tonight. Sounds like a wonderful family movie night.
The BEST family movie you could choose to watch right now. IDK about you, but Disney movies recently ram their “message” which they’re trying to get across down my throat. It’s refreshing to watch an animated film that’s got a strong message, but it’s worked into the film well.
YESSSS!!! So glad to hear someone else say that. Zootopia is a prime example for me. The first half was a little heavy-handed but still had a good message and told a great story. The second half becomes a bludgeoning experience. I felt the story completely took a backseat to the drumming of the message. I’m all for a message, but never at the cost of the story.
I really wanted to see Amy Adams nominated, loved her moving work in Arrival.
Yep. A mind-boggling snub.
She was the heart and soul of the movie.
Without question!
I mean Arrival got nominations in a lot of other categories, why not for Adams?
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