Courtesy of Neon.
Could Parasite win Best Picture?
The Oscar nominations have been announced, bringing with them snubs, surprises, and reasons to celebrate. So let’s go ahead and dive right in.
Adam Driver in Marriage Story. Courtesy of Netflix.
Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Antonio Banderas in PAIN AND GLORY
Leonardo DiCaprio in ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Adam Driver in MARRIAGE STORY
Joaquin Phoenix in JOKER
Jonathan Pryce in THE TWO POPES
It’s unbelievable that we have two heavyweights celebrating their first Oscar nominations in this category. Antonio Banderas gives a nuanced, lived-in performance as a gay filmmaker looking back at his life in Pain and Glory. Jonathan Pryce plays an unconventional cardinal in a role that’s hard not to like in The Two Popes. I’m pretty torn because I love Pryce as an actor and I was rooting for him to get a nomination last year for The Wife. I can’t deny The Two Popes is a good movie and Pryce and Hopkins are both good in it. (Granted, I like the beginning of it more than the second half.). However, there are movies and performances I liked a lot better this year that I’d rather have seen nominated. Once Upon a Time is overrated and it’s some of Tarantino’s lesser work. The Academy loves it because it’s about Hollywood. Besides, DiCaprio already has his Oscar. Even if it is for one of his worst movies. I’ve been an Adam Driver fan for a long time and I’m glad to see him get his second nomination, his first for a lead performance. Joaquin Phoenix is favored to win and I would be fine with that. He was amazing in Joker. And he was overlooked for Inherent Vice and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, both wonderful performances.
Snubs in this category include:
Taron Egerton in Rocketman
Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name
Roman Griffin Davis in Jojo Rabbit
Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems
Kang-ho Song in Parasite
Robert Downey Jr in Avengers: Endgame
Christian Bale in Ford v Ferrari
Matt Damon in Ford v Ferrari
George MacKay in 1917
Robert De Niro in The Irishman
Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy
The one that makes me angriest is Taron Egerton. He did just as well as Rami Malek in bringing a rock icon to life onscreen. And he did his own singing! Eddie Murphy is having an amazing career comeback. Maybe that’s its own reward, but it still would have been nice to have some official recognition. When it comes to child actors, the Academy tends to honor young women instead of young men so it’s not surprising Roman Griffin Davis didn’t make the cut. But his work in Jojo Rabbit is nothing short of astounding for a young actor. Adam Sandler gets the same raw deal that Jim Carrey always got. Because he’s a comedian and the Academy doesn’t approve of his sillier films, they won’t reward his more artistic ones. Man on the Moon and Punch Drunk Love both should have gotten Best Actor nominations. Parasite is riding a wave of so much love, I’m surprised it didn’t bleed into any of the acting categories. There was a group of dedicated Marvel fans hoping Robert Downey Jr might get a nomination for his final role as Iron Man in Endgame. Sadly, we did not get our wish. Christian Bale and Matt Damon were my second favorite couple on screen this year after Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever in Booksmart; their chemistry was simply magic. George MacKay carries most of 1917 and some day he’ll probably carry an Oscar home. Sadly, it won’t be this year. Somehow, everyone from The Irishman got nominated but De Niro. Like clockwork, about every two years or so Michael B. Jordan gets robbed of an Oscar nomination (Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther).
Brad Pitt. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. Photo Credit: Andrew Cooper.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Tom Hanks in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Anthony Hopkins in THE TWO POPES
Al Pacino in THE IRISHMAN
Joe Pesci in THE IRISHMAN
Brad Pitt in ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
After years of amazing work (Captain Phillips, Bridge of Spies, Sully, Charlie Wilson’s War, Saving Mr. Banks), Tom Hanks is finally, FINALLY nominated again. I was starting to think it would never happen again no matter what he did. So I am OVERJOYED simply at his being nominated. I am frustrated, however, that this is the only nomination for Marie Heller’s powerful film. Pacino and Pesci were both great in The Irishman. I’m so happy Pesci came out of retirement to do this role. He steals the entire film. This is often my favorite category at the Oscars and these three nominations make me happy. I like Pitt’s character in Once Upon a Time. But I’d like to see an upset in this category and see someone else take the gold home.
Snubs include:
Sam Rockwell in Jojo Rabbit and Richard Jewell
Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse
Jamie Foxx in Just Mercy
Bill Hader in It: Chapter 2
Shia LaBeouf in The Peanut Butter Falcon
Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy
Noah Jupe in Honey Boy
Robert Carlyle in Yesterday
Hey, Academy, I thought we had an unspoken agreement that Sam Rockwell was going to be in this category every year from now on! Otherwise, what was that nomination for Vice all about? I’m sad to see Willem Dafoe break his two year streak as well. It was fun watching his vicious monologues in The Lighthouse. Jamie Foxx was amazing in the important and sadly under seen film Just Mercy. Bill Hader was the surprising heart of It: Chapter 2. Shia LaBeouf is one of those people who deserves an award for just having an amazing year. He turned in two of the best performances of his career. Noah Jupe is the other child actor who blew me away this year. And yes, I’m still banging a gong for Robert Carlyle in Yesterday. Attention must be paid.
Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland. Courtesy of LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions.
Photo Credit: David Hindley
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Cynthia Erivo in HARRIET
Scarlett Johansson in MARRIAGE STORY
Saoirse Ronan in LITTLE WOMEN
Charlize Theron in BOMBSHELL
Renée Zellweger in JUDY
This is a pretty solid category. There are a few dark horse candidates I wish I had made it in, but I can’t really argue with this line-up. Cynthia Erivo is powerful as Harriet Tubman and has a great speech at the end of the film. Scarlett Johansson finally gets her first (and with the following category her second) Oscar nomination. She acts her guts out against Adam Driver in Marriage Story. Saoirse Ronan is the mischievous, independent soul of Little Women. Charlize Theron was unrecognizable in Bombshell, completely transforming herself. Renée Zellweger gave a touching, empathetic performance in Judy.
Snubs include:
Awkwafina in The Farewell
Beanie Feldstein in Booksmart
Kaitlyn Dever in Booksmart
Jillian Bell in Brittany Runs a Marathon
Lupita Nyong’o in Us
Awkwafina was a major snub. A lot of people expected her to get a nomination. I believe she has a long, successful career ahead of her and will get one eventually. Beanie Feldstein managed to snag a Golden Globe nomination but my Booksmart girls couldn’t get any Oscar love. I am deeply saddened that the talented Jillian Bell was not honored by any awards body this year. If you haven’t seen Brittany, rent it. It’s one of the year’s best. Lupita belongs in this category hands down. She gave a tour de force in a double role. I blame the academy’s bias against horror films.
Scarlett Johansson and Roman Griffin Davis. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
Photo Credit: Kimberley French
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Kathy Bates in RICHARD JEWELL
Laura Dern in MARRIAGE STORY
Scarlett Johansson in JOJO RABBIT
Florence Pugh in LITTLE WOMEN
Margot Robbie in BOMBSHELL
Kathy Bates is good in Richard Jewell but is she Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers good? Is she Annete Bening in The Report good? I don’t think so. I liked Laura Dern in Marriage Story but she’s not my favorite in this category. I’m so incredibly happy to see Scarlett Johansson nominated for Jojo Rabbit. I was afraid it wouldn’t happen. Her performance is so full of life. She joins the ranks of those few actors who have run in both acting categories in the same year. Florence Pugh is good in Little Women but what she really should have been nominated for was Midsommar. Margot Robbie was powerful as a fictionalized character in Bombshell. I’m rooting for Scarlett Johansson.
Snubs include:
Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers
Nicole Kidman in Bombshell
Annette Bening, The Report
Elisabeth Moss in Us
Bryce Dallas Howard in Rocketman
Zhao Shuzhen in The Farewell
Thomasin McKenzie in Jojo Rabbit
J. Lo was considered a front runner for the Oscar since Hustlers came out. Her snub was a major surprise. Nicole Kidman was the only actress from Bombshell not to get nominated. Annette Bening’s scenes with Adam Driver in The Report were electric. I still think Elisabeth Moss was masterful in Us. Bryce Dallas Howard gave a stunning portrayal as Elton John’s emotionally abusive mother in Rocketman. Zhao Shuzhen was lovable as the grandmother in The Farewell. The performance in Jojo Rabbit that is so essential but that has been overshadowed by all the others is that of Thomasin McKenzie. She has such perfect chemistry with Roman Griffin Davis. She’s been doing solid work since her heartbreaking turn in Leave No Trace.
A still from I Lost My Body. Courtesy of Netflix.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold
I LOST MY BODY
Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice
KLAUS
Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román
MISSING LINK
Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight
TOY STORY 4
Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera
Again, Missing Link?! Really?! Is this movie that good? I’m going to have to sit down and watch it soon and see for myself. I can’t believe it beat out Toy Story 4 and How to Train Your Dragon at the Globes. Netflix managed to get two films in this category with Klaus and I Lost My Body. I haven’t seen either of them yet but have heard good things about both. The major surprise snub here is Frozen II. Despite a winning soundtrack and emotional and daring storytelling, this wintery sequel was left out in the cold. Seriously, though, if Toy Story 4 or How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t win this category, I’m going to be seriously pissed off.
Courtesy of Universal
Achievement in Cinematography:
THE IRISHMAN
Rodrigo Prieto
JOKER
Lawrence Sher
THE LIGHTHOUSE
Jarin Blaschke
1917
Roger Deakins
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Robert Richardson
These are all worthy nominees. It’s nice to see The Lighthouse nominated. It’s always good to see Roger Deakins nominated. He does good work. While I’m not rooting for Once Upon A Time in most categories, I’d be okay if it takes this one. The movie does look great.
Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Roman Griffin Davis. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
Photo Credit: Larry Horricks.
Achievement in Costume Design:
THE IRISHMAN
Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
JOJO RABBIT
Mayes C. Rubeo
JOKER
Mark Bridges
LITTLE WOMEN
Jacqueline Durran
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Arianne Phillips
I’m rooting for Joker or Jojo Rabbit. Dolemite Is My Name was definitely snubbed here.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in The Irishman. Courtesy of Netflix.
Achievement in Directing:
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese
JOKER
Todd Phillips
1917
Sam Mendes
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Bong Joon Ho
If the third time is the charm, Tarantino might finally get his Best Director Oscar. But it’s really not his best film. I’m glad to see Bong Joon Ho nominated. I’d love to see him or Scorsese take home the gold. Parasite was my #1 film of the year. The Irishman may be my favorite Scorsese film I’ve ever seen. (Caveat: there’s a lot of Scorsese’s work I haven’t seen.). I really like Joker. And I really like 1917. This is a tough category.
Snubs:
Marie Heller, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari
Jordan Peele, Us
The Russo Brothers, Avengers: Endgame
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Olivia Wilde, Booksmart
Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Alma Har’el, Honey Boy
I’m upset that A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood didn't score a Best Picture nom but I’m downright angry that its genius director Marie Heller still can’t get a nomination after making three brilliant pictures. There has been controversy over the fact that the directing category is all males this year. Greta Gerwig, Olivia Wilde, Lulu Wang, and Alma Har’el all made eligible films that were part of the awards conversation. Ford v Ferrari was one of the most surprisingly entertaining films of the year, on and off the track. Jordan Peele impressed with his sophomore effort, creating a film that rewards repeat viewings. The Russo Brothers tied up an eleven year saga in the most satisfying way possible. Taika Waititi took very fragile subject matter and made a tender, hilarious comedy out of it. Noah Baumbach directed the most romantic, bittersweet montage that opens Marriage Story. If you don’t even watch the whole movie, you should watch the first ten minutes or so just to watch this scene. It made my Top 10 Scenes of the Year list (coming soon).
Best Documentary Feature:
AMERICAN FACTORY
Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
THE CAVE
Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær
THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan
FOR SAMA
Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
HONEYLAND
Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev
I’m sad to see none of this year’s amazing music documentaries made the cut (David Crosby: Remember My Name, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Echo in the Canyon, etc.). American Factory is the only nominee I’m familiar with. Apollo 11 was snubbed.
Best documentary short subject:
IN THE ABSENCE
Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL)
Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
LIFE OVERTAKES ME
John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson
ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN
Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
WALK RUN CHA-CHA
Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt
I have absolutely no knowledge in this area.
Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
Achievement in film editing:
FORD V FERRARI
Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
THE IRISHMAN
Thelma Schoonmaker
JOJO RABBIT
Tom Eagles
JOKER
Jeff Groth
PARASITE
Yang Jinmo
The Irishman sure as hell deserves it. I’m rooting for Ford v Ferrari. Little Women was snubbed with its jumps in time.
Yeo-Jeong Jo in Parasite. Courtesy of Neon Entertainment.
Best international feature film of the year:
CORPUS CHRISTI
Poland
Directed by Jan Komasa
HONEYLAND
North Macedonia
Directed by Ljubo Stefanov and Tamara Kotevksa
LES MISÉRABLES
France
Directed by Ladj Ly
PAIN AND GLORY
Spain
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
PARASITE
South Korea
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
Parasite is the front runner and the film I’m rooting for. Pain and Glory could pull an upset, especially since it failed to garner a Best Picture nod. I haven’t seen the other three nominees unfortunately. Festival favorite Portrait of a Lady on Fire was snubbed. Japan’s first anime film ever to be submitted for consideration, Weathering With You, was also snubbed.
Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie in Bombshell. Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Photo Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle SMPSP
Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
BOMBSHELL
Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
JOKER
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
JUDY
Jeremy Woodhead
MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL
Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White
1917
Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole
I haven’t seen the Maleficent sequel but the rest are worthy nominees. It’s a hard choice between Bombshell, Joker, and Judy.
Courtesy of Netflix.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score):
JOKER
Hildur Guðnadóttir
LITTLE WOMEN
Alexandre Desplat
MARRIAGE STORY
Randy Newman
1917
Thomas Newman
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
John Williams
I don’t have any major opinions here. I do tend to root for Randy Newman. I see him as kind of an underdog.
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song):
"I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from TOY STORY 4
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from ROCKETMAN
Music by Elton John
Lyric by Bernie Taupin
"I'm Standing With You" from BREAKTHROUGH
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
"Into The Unknown" from FROZEN II
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
"Stand Up" from HARRIET
Music and Lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
Randy Newman’s song is very catchy. I’d love for Rocketman to win something! I had almost forgotten what Breakthrough was. (Can that song really be as good as Taylor Swift’s “Beautiful Ghosts”?). Snubs include the Beyonce song “Spirit” from The Lion King and the song “When I Am Older” from Frozen II.
Thomasin McKenzie, Roman Griffin Davis, and Taika Waititi in Jojo Rabbit. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox. Photo Credit: Kimberley Fremch
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
FORD V FERRARI
Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
JOJO RABBIT
Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi, Producers
JOKER
Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
LITTLE WOMEN
Amy Pascal, Producer
MARRIAGE STORY
Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers
1917
Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
PARASITE
Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers
Ford v Ferrari: tell me this, Academy; how does one of the year’s best pictures not have any of the year’s best performances in it? At least you recognize it’s a great film. Again, Once Upon a Time is overrated. I’ll be disappointed if it takes Best Picture. I liked Little Women. I didn’t love it. Everything else on the list, I’m pretty happy with. I still feel like 1917 is a spoiler that came late to the party, though. My personal prejudice. I feel like if I’d been allowed to see it earlier in the year and fall in love with it around the same time as the rest of these films, I might have warmer feelings for it. Having to wait until after the Globes to see it has soured me on it a little. I’m happy to see Parasite in the Best Picture race. It’s not always easy for a foreign film to get into this category.
Snubs include:
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Booksmart
Avengers: Endgame
Us
The Report
The Two Popes
Bombshell
The Farewell
Richard Jewell
Honey Boy
I’ve made my case for most of these films already. The others are movies that are nominated in other categories but somehow not worthy of a Best Picture nomination. If you haven’t seen The Peanut Butter Falcon, it’s the sleeper hit of the year and it’s a real hart warming comedy. Please seek it out. It’s a lot of fun.
Achievement in production design:
THE IRISHMAN
Production Design: Bob Shaw
Set Decoration: Regina Graves
JOJO RABBIT
Production Design: Ra Vincent
Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
1917
Production Design: Dennis Gassner
Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Production Design: Barbara Ling
Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
PARASITE
Production Design: Lee Ha Jun
Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo
These are all worthy nominees. I’m rooting for Parasite. The look of that house was perfect.
Best animated short film:
DCERA (DAUGHTER)
Daria Kashcheeva
HAIR LOVE
Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
KITBULL
Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson
MEMORABLE
Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre
SISTER
Siqi Song
Dcera is an avant-garde film from the Czech Republic that I was not impressed with. Hair Love is a cute, funny cartoon about a father trying to learn how to take care of his daughter’s hair in the mother’s absence. Kitbull is an adorable, heartwarming tale from Pixar about a cat and dog that become friends. (You can watch it on Disney Plus.). Memorable is a bittersweet film about an artist losing his memory to dementia and the wife that has to take care of him. Sister is a man’s recollections about his younger sister but the film has a dark twist to it. I’m rooting for Hair Love or Kitbull.
Best live action short film:
BROTHERHOOD
Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB
Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi
THE NEIGHBORS’ WINDOW
Marshall Curry
SARIA
Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre
A SISTER
Delphine Girard
Brotherhood is about a man who betrays his family out of prejudice. Nefta Football Club is a comedy about two young boys who stumble onto a stash of drugs. The Neighbors’ Window is sort of like an O. Henry story about two couples. Saria is based on a real life tragedy that claimed the life of 41 orphan girls. A Sister is about a a woman who has been abducted and calls an emergency line while pretending she is calling her sister. I’m rooting for A Sister to win.
Christian Bale in Ford v Ferrari. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Achievement in sound editing:
FORD V FERRARI
Donald Sylvester
JOKER
Alan Robert Murray
1917
Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Wylie Stateman
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Matthew Wood and David Acord
I’m rooting for Ford v Ferrari.
Achievement in sound mixing:
AD ASTRA
Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
FORD V FERRARI
Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow
JOKER
Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
1917
Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano
I’m rooting for Ford v Ferrari in this category too. I liked Ad Astra and even found it cathartic but not Oscar-worthy.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in The Irishman. Courtesy of Netflix.
Achievement in visual effects:
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
THE IRISHMAN
Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli
THE LION KING
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman
1917
Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy
It would be nice for Avengers: Endgame to win something.
Roman Griffin Davis and Taika Waititi in Jojo Rabbit. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
Photo Credit: Kimberley French
Adapted screenplay:
THE IRISHMAN
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian
JOJO RABBIT
Screenplay by Taika Waititi
JOKER
Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
LITTLE WOMEN
Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig
THE TWO POPES
Written by Anthony McCarten
I love Joker, The Irishman, and Jojo Rabbit. It’s hard to choose who to root for. All three stories were challenging to bring to the screen. Taking a fan favorite villain from the comics and grounding him in the real world. Condensing a narrative that spans decades into a cohesive drama. Balancing dark comedy with tragedy.
Snubs include:
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, written by Michael Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harvester
Avengers: Endgame, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was simply one of the most beautiful scripts of the year. It was touching, human, and humane. The framing device was genius: an episode of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood for adults. Avengers: Endgame brilliantly brought an eleven year saga to a close. That’s no easy feat.
So-dam Park and Woo-sik Choi in Parasite. Courtesy of Neon Entertainment.
Original screenplay:
KNIVES OUT
Written by Rian Johnson
MARRIAGE STORY
Written by Noah Baumbach
1917
Written by Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Written by Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won
Story by Bong Joon Ho
I’m not a huge fan of Knives Out. I’m glad to see Parasite, Marriage Story, and 1917 in this category. I’m rooting for Parasite to win.
Snubs include:
Us, written by Jordan Peele
Rocketman, written by Lee Hall
Dolemite Is My Name, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Ford v Ferrari, written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller
Toy Story 4, written by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom
The Report, written by Scott Z. Burns
Midsommar, written by Ari Aster
Us is more than a movie with a great concept and a great twist. It has layers of meaning and symbolism. I also love the symbolism in Rocketman, how Elton John’s costume comes apart as he becomes more vulnerable. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are two of my favorite biopic writers and they made another masterpiece with Dolemite Is My Name. Ford v Ferrari was emotional and thrilling and it started on the page. Toy Story 4 brought a bittersweet end to a beloved series. The Report is a necessary political outcry. Midsommar opened up new possibilities to what a horror film could be.
And there you have it, your Oscar class of 2020. One journalist called it very early in the season and I wish I could give credit where it’s due but I have lost the article. Anyway, they declared the theme of this year would be class. And indeed, the unifying theme that can be found in each of this year’s Best Picture nominees is class. Whether it’s the obvious class struggle in Parasite or something more subtle like the Hollywood caste system in Once Upon a Time. The soldiers in 1917 are young men fighting an old man’s war. Christian Bale’s character in Ford v Ferrari, hell, the entire Ford company is looked down upon even, as being lower class. The same goes for Joaquin Phoenix’s character in The Joker who struggles to afford medicine and mental healthcare. In The Irishman, Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa who becomes a hero to the working man by helping him unionize. In Little Women, the March girls scrape to get by. In Jojo Rabbit, a line is drawn between the Germans and the Jews. In Marriage Story, Adam Drivers’ lack of money puts him at a disadvantage during the divorce. These are all unique, original films, but they all deal with class in some way. Something to think about.
Tune into ABC on Sun Feb 9 at 8 pm EST to see who takes home the gold.
Stay up to date on all the latest movie news by subscribing to the newsletter and liking the Facebook page.