2018 Oscar Nominations

[Aussie Willy]

After seeing I, Tonya last night I can see why it got nominated for editing. They did a great job with the skating scenes.

Also think Robbie's and Janney's performances deserved their nominations. Very good.

 

[Vagabond]

I know that times change, but Roman Polanski was nominated for and won the Academy Awards for Best Motion Picture (which he produced) and Best Director in 2002, even though what was known about his sexual history at the time was far worse than what is presently known about James Franco's.

 

[VGThuy]

I'd like to think that wouldn't happen now that 15 years have passed and people have become more aware of these issues but there will always be people who will fall through the cracks. Wasn't the French letter that Catherine Denueve signed off on also defended Polanski?

 

[screech]

Dear Basketball

Crazy to me to think that Kobe Bryant is an Oscar nominee (though very deserved).

Christopher Plummer (at 88) becomes the oldest person to ever receive an acting nomination.

He also has the record of being the oldest person to ever win an acting award (at 82 for Beginners)

 

[BaileyCatts]

I completely forgot about this. I don't even remember what exactly happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KeOxeuiZjs

Here's the clip. Long story short, dude from Price Waterhouse gave them the wrong envelope. Warren looked at it and was confused. Faye kept prompting him to read it (even though Warren thought something was wrong) so he shoved it at her and she read it. "La La Land". Produces come up and start to give speeches as you can see in the background something is wrong (watch the crowd on the stage, especially the bald producer guy on the right and Emma Stone). One the of La La guys (bald guy on the right) gives his speech even after he already realized they didn't win. Head producer guy grabs card and shows the crowd. Chaos ensues.

Watching that back again, it took way WAY too long for the chaos to start to ensue.

I always felt bad for Warren because he's not the one who actually said "La La Land", it was Faye. Okay, maybe that wasn't that "short", but there you have it.

 

[Japanfan]

Now you're making me wonder if there has been any big name American film that came out recently that dealt with abortion and reproductive rights.

Revolutionary Road, sort of.

The only film I can think of that that dealt with the issues directly was If These Walls Could Talk. But it wasn't a big name film, and it was made in 1996.
It was a very good film, however, with Cher, Sissy Spacek and Demi Moore.

 

[pat c]

I wonder if Casey Affleck is feeling like he dodged a bullet.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Is that reported anywhere? I didn’t know people could change their votes once it’s been submitted.

Lots of articles about voters voicing their regret, but this article states that the Academy does not allow members to change their votes.

The Times reported that the first and last days of Oscar voting have the heaviest turnout. A spokesperson for the Academy told the Timesthat members cannot change or take back their votes once submitted. A spokesperson for the Academy did not respond to TIME’s request for comment.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Now you're making me wonder if there has been any big name American film that came out recently that dealt with abortion and reproductive rights.

Cider House Rules had an important abortion subplot, but that movie is almost two decades old now.

I can think of a lot more modern movies where the woman plans to get an abortion, but backs out at the last minute.

 

[screech]

Now you're making me wonder if there has been any big name American film that came out recently that dealt with abortion and reproductive rights.

Not a major movie, but abortion was a part of the show GLOW last year.

It got some mention the news, because it wasn't treated as a major plot point, and the character didn't make a big deal of it. She made a choice to get an abortion, then moved forward.

 

[caseyedwards]

I will look for it.

It was released February 2017 so it’s on dvd and everything.

 

[katmari]

Thank you so much for sharing! A great animated short, and also inspiring. The message is certainly timely right now with the Olympics so close as well. In fact, I could see skaters using that music for a program (if they could get their hands on a copy).

If I remember correctly, unless designated (as in animated short/documentary short), all nominees must come from full length features.

If anyone else has/finds links to Vimeo or YouTube of the short length features, please feel free to post them. Thank you again for sharing @katmari

You are most welcome. I love the film. I wish there was an itunes release of the music separate from the film.

When Dear Basketball did the festival circuit in the Fall and won the Special Jury Award at an animation festival, the three main creators (Kobe, Glen, John) were the listed winners. That led me to speculate that John Williams could have been nominated in two different categories (Animated Short for Dear Basketball and Original Score for The Last Jedi) if the Animated Short category allowed for more than two people to be included in the film's nomination.

Crazy to me to think that Kobe Bryant is an Oscar nominee (though very deserved).

I think I'm most happy for Glen Keane, the animator. He worked in the animation department at Disney for a number of years on films such as Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas. While the films did quite well, he was not individually nominated. A few years ago he left to go out on his own and Dear Basketball is his first academy award nomination. He is also the creator of the lovely Duet short film for Google.

Speaking of age, John Williams is 85. This is his 51st nomination and he has no plans to retire. Here's a quote from a recent Variety article:

“I don’t think you can retire from writing,” he says. “I feel very lucky, and the work that I do doesn’t depend on much. If your vision’s still good, and your hands — I have no arthritis in my hands and I play the piano very easily — I don’t think there’s any reason to deprive oneself of the fun of working. Music is so rewarding.”

 

[VGThuy]

I posted my thoughts on I, Tonya in the GSD thread. I just want to say after seeing it, I don't think it deserves any Oscars.

 

[Vash01]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KeOxeuiZjs

Here's the clip. Long story short, dude from Price Waterhouse gave them the wrong envelope. Warren looked at it and was confused. Faye kept prompting him to read it (even though Warren thought something was wrong) so he shoved it at her and she read it. "La La Land". Produces come up and start to give speeches as you can see in the background something is wrong (watch the crowd on the stage, especially the bald producer guy on the right and Emma Stone). One the of La La guys (bald guy on the right) gives his speech even after he already realized they didn't win. Head producer guy grabs card and shows the crowd. Chaos ensues.

Watching that back again, it took way WAY too long for the chaos to start to ensue.

I always felt bad for Warren because he's not the one who actually said "La La Land", it was Faye. Okay, maybe that wasn't that "short", but there you have it.

Of course. That was just year. How did I forget it?

 

[Jay42]

I had a feeling that Chau’s chances were dead when the reviews of Downsizing came out. She’s not a big name nor did she have a lot of support so she was dependent on the film receiving positive reviews to keep her name in there and to encourage members to actually watch her performance.

I kind of wonder if Matt Damon's incessant foot in mouth comments about #MeToo might have hurt her chances as well. That said, the only good things I saw about Downsizing were in reference to her role. Sometimes that can be enough to save a persons Oscar chances, but I think Matt Damon really killed any chance that movie had of being an awards contender.

 

[VGThuy]

I kind of wonder if Matt Damon's incessant foot in mouth comments about #MeToo might have hurt her chances as well. That said, the only good things I saw about Downsizing were in reference to her role. Sometimes that can be enough to save a persons Oscar chances, but I think Matt Damon really killed any chance that movie had of being an awards contender.

I made my feelings about the movie known in the movie thread, but I do think it has been one of the more misunderstood films by the critics and audiences (some I think were understandably bored or came in expecting some sort of broader comedy from seeing the premise and Kristin Wiig in the trailer).

 

[Japanfan]

That said, the only good things I saw about Downsizing were in reference to her role. Sometimes that can be enough to save a persons Oscar chances, but I think Matt Damon really killed any chance that movie had of being an awards contender.

I wouldn't say that she was the only good thing about the film, as the guy would played the neighbour was also a good thing. But those two actors alone are worth the price of admission or not. Also, the end of the film was great, and would make a third good thing.

As to Matt Damon, I've never cared for him. And cared for him even less spending two hours of my life watching him grow potatoes on Mars in 'The Martian'.

 

[Jay42]

I wouldn't say that she was the only good thing about the film, as the guy would played the neighbour was also a good thing. But those two actors alone are worth the price of admission or not. Also, the end of the film was great, and would make a third good thing.

As to Matt Damon, I've never cared for him. And cared for him even less spending two hours of my life watching him grow potatoes on Mars in 'The Martian'.

I'll have to take your word for it as I haven't seen Downsizing so I had to base it off of what I read. I've never been a big fan of Matt Damon and Downsizing was loosely on my to-see list for Netflix. I like the idea but Matt Damon is very boring to me.

 

[Japanfan]

I'll have to take your word for it as I haven't seen Downsizing so I had to base it off of what I read.

Please do take my word for it! As I said Hong Chau and Christoph Walz in this film are worth the price of admission. What is so remarkable about Chau's performance is that she works off of cliched stereotypes of the Asian American woman, but makes them totally her own and completely unique. She's simultaneously vulnerable and sassy, and simultaneously yielding and stubborn - which makes for a fascinating, full-dimensional character.

I didn't want the film to end, because I wanted more of this quirky, wonderful person. She's funny too, and there is one particular line in the film that was so I'm going to remember it for a very long time. And I'm not someone who finds comedy broadly appealing. I'm a big fan of black humor when it's well done, but slapstick and silly has never been to my taste.

I've never been a big fan of Matt Damon and Downsizing was loosely on my to-see list for Netflix. I like the idea but Matt Damon is very boring to me.

Actors don't get more boring than Matt Damon IMO. But he's well-suited to Downsizing because his character is a very boring occupational therapist woefully lacking in wisdom and life experience.

 

[allezfred]

For me, it's actually hard to like Ronan after Brooklyn. But although I didn't care for the film (found it quite superficial), my dislike is probably more a reflection of my dislike for the man who played her boyfriend/husband-to-be. I thought he did a very bad job of channeling Marlin Brando.

So you dislike Ronan because of an actor who she appeared in a previous film alongside. Great logic there.

 

[clairecloutier]

List of 20 Greatest Oscar Snubs from The Guardian

Some good ones in there.

 

[VGThuy]

So you dislike Ronan because of an actor who she appeared in a previous film alongside. Great logic there.

Ronan is seriously becoming one of my favorite actresses. I regret not seeing her on Broadway when I had the chance.

 

[Vash01]

Ronan is seriously becoming one of my favorite actresses. I regret not seeing her on Broadway when I had the chance.

I have always liked Ronan, right from the time she played the 10 or 12 year old girl. She kept getting better. I really liked her in the movie about a polish man returning home, and her accent was so perfect! I thought she was good enough in that Irish movie to win the Oscar if not for Brie Alarson's Room (sorry I am forgetting the movie titles and don't have the time to look them up right now). She was very good in Lady Bird also. Again, she may not win this year.

 

[Jay42]

List of 20 Greatest Oscar Snubs from The Guardian

Some good ones in there.

I would have found a way to include Maureen O'Hara never even being nominated for a competitive Oscar and neither Lauren Bacall or Angela Lansbury ever winning a competitive Oscar but other than that this is a good list. A couple of which I didn't realise hadn't been rewarded. I genuinely thought There Will be Blood did better at the Oscars than it apparently did.

 

[VGThuy]

That Guardian piece lost me when he called No Country for Old Men superficial.

 

[mackiecat]

Timely that Icarus got a nomination

 

[clairecloutier]

I would have found a way to include Maureen O'Hara never even being nominated for a competitive Oscar and neither Lauren Bacall or Angela Lansbury ever winning a competitive Oscar but other than that this is a good list. A couple of which I didn't realise hadn't been rewarded. I genuinely thought There Will be Blood did better at the Oscars than it apparently did.

Good point about Lauren Bacall. I'm not as familiar with O'Hara or Lansbury.

The snub I agree with most on that list is Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. She was so brilliant in that movie. I was in love with her myself.

 

[Wyliefan]

List of 20 Greatest Oscar Snubs from The Guardian

Some good ones in there.

Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Claude Rains in Casablanca are my top two. But Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant are also very high on my list. Grant was a criminally underrated actor -- he made it look so effortless that you don't always realize just how good he was!

I agree about O'Hara, Lansbury, and Bacall, too.

 

[screech]

Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Claude Rains in Casablanca are my top two.

Jimmy has said that he believes his Oscar the following year (for The Philadelphia Story) was to make up for him not winning for Mr. Smith. He's said that he himself (the year he won) voted for Henry Fonda in Grapes of Wrath.

 

[VGThuy]

Jimmy Stewart's win for The Philadelphia Story is one of those things I can't begrudge too much because he's Jimmy Stewart and I find him too lovable to hate on screen, even if he gave the third best performance out of the three leads in that movie.