2017 Academy Award Nominations + my thoughts
They're finally here! What all we award lovers anxiously wait for. I'm posting my thoughts a day late since I had my Top 10 of 2016 list up yesterday. La La Land tied All About Eve and Titanic for a record 14 nominations in case anyone was wondering the limit of the Academy's boner for this movie. There's no way it doesn't take Best Picture now. There were a few surprises, some good, some terrible and a few offensive snubs. Let's get to it.
Best Picture
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell Or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight
For fucks sake, Academy just use all 10 of your slots! It's not that hard, you could've easily put Jackie in here. I actually predicted this category correctly, every single one, so I'm surprised with myself.
Best Actor
Casey Affleck - Manchester By The Sea
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling - La La Land
Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington - Fences
This is about how we thought it would go. Viggo and Garfield weren't locks but I'm happy for Viggo.
Best Actress
Isabelle Huppert - Elle
Ruth Negga - Loving
Natalie Portman - Jackie
Emma Stone - La La Land
Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins
I was so happy for Negga that I didn't even realize Amy Adams got snubbed at first, looking back, this is ridiculous. How did this happen? She can't have split the votes with Nocturnal Animals, I didn't think that many loved it? I get it, Meryl is queen but they need to stop nominating her for everything. Adams was better in Arrival. I wish both she and Taraji P. Henson could be in over Meryl and Isabelle.
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
Jeff Bridges -Hell Or High Water
Lucas Hedges -Manchester By The Sea
Dev Patel - Lion
Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals
Lucas Hedges is kind of bullshit, to be honest. This kid had ONE scene were he actually emoted anything other than asshole teenager. Of course, that's Manchester by the Sea in a nutshell. I do however LOVE that Michael Shannon got in for Nocturnal Animals. I assumed Aaron Taylor Johnson would sneak in. (He should've over Hedges at least) Dev Patel makes me happy, even though I haven't seen Lion. I just love that guy.
Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis - Fences
Naomie Harris - Moonlight
Nicole Kidman - Lion
Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams - Manchester By The Sea
This was exactly how I predicted it as well and I'm not mad. I mean, Janelle Monae should've been in for Hidden Figures but I'll take Octavia.
Best Director
Denis Villeneuve - Arrival
Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle - La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester By The Sea
Barry Jenkins - Moonlight
Who blew Mel Gibson first? Seriously, fuck that guy.
Best Cinematography
Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence
Silence is a surprise. I would think Jackie or the Handmaiden would've done well in this category too.
Best Documentary Feature
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
OJ: Made in America
13th
The only one I've seen is 13th, which is amazing. I have the link for OJ but it's seven hours long. I'll see it before the show.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets
Best Live Action Short
Ennemis Entreniers
La Femme et le TGV
Silent Nights
Sing
Timecode
Foreign Language Film
Land of Mine
A Man Called Ove
The Salesman
Tanna
Toni Erdmann
I love A Man Called Ove so I'm happy to see it here. I had a mini hissy fit over The Handmaiden not being nominated until I realized South Korea didn't even submit it. So now my hissy has turned into: South Korea, wtf were you thinking?
Best Sound Editing
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully
The sound categories are about the only place I'm happy to see Hacksaw Ridge.
Best Film Editing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight
Best Visual Effects
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
I really hate that Captain America: Civil War isn't in here. Just look at Vision, for fuck's sake. Kubo being here is kind of cool, I guess. Doctor Strange should win but I imagine Jungle Book will.
Best Costume Design
Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land
I love these nominees. Allied may have been pretty flat but it definitely deserves this.
Best Makeup and Hair Styling
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad
The fact that a movie with Jared Leto's shitty Joker is Oscar nominated is a pile of shit. They couldn't have chose The Neon Demon here? If Deadpool was going to get an Oscar nom, why not here for his burns? You seriously went with Suicide Squad? What did Leto threaten to mail these people?
Best Sound Mixing
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
I forgot 13 Hours existed.
Best Original Score
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers
PASSENGERS?! Oh my God. Why? I' so psyched for Jackie and Moonlight though.
Best Original Song
“Audition” - 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
"Drive it Like You Stole it" not being here from Sing Street is a travesty. I can't believe the annoying song from Trolls made it in over that.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Arrival
Fences
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight
Best Original Screenplay
Hell or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester By the Sea
20th Century Women
I really don't think La La Land deserves a screenplay nomination, despite loving it. The fact that it's going to win this category too is even more absurd.
Best Production Design
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail Caesar
La La Land
Passengers
Passengers AGAIN? And Hail Caesar? When there's Neon Demon, Jackie, and The Handmaiden?
Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia
I knew as soon as I saw Moana that it was probably knocking Finding Dory out of the animated race. This is still Zootopia's hands down.
Best Animated Short
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper
Piper! It's the only one I've seen but it's just so cute.
It was very interesting reading your thoughts. I personally would have been angry if Streep wasn't nominated. Even if it wasn't Streep but some unknown actress, I just cannot understand how such acting could not be nominated. I so agree with you about the Handmaiden and cinematography/foreign language movie. The Handmaiden deserves to be not only nominated, but also winning in these categories.
ReplyDeleteStreep was good in Florence Foster Jenkins but she wasn't Oscar worthy good, IMO. I think Amy Adams and Taraji P. Henson gave stronger performances in their movies.
DeleteI still can't get over Passengers and Suicide Squad. Passengers made me lol but Suicide Squad just makes me mad. What the hell, man!
ReplyDeleteExactly lol
Delete"Meryl is queen but they need to stop nominating her for everything. Adams was better in Arrival" well that's what they did, they stopped nominating Adams for everything. They made a mistake too many times in the past and probably thought 'holy shit! this one has 5 already?? Fuck this, Meryl at least had GG speech'. So the one time Adams should get in, she didn't. Fatigue and justified but it's backfiring and I keep seeing 'Adams is a special snowflake what an outrage' articles everywhere. Which just cause more overexposure.
ReplyDeleteOf course I don't think Arrival deserved any nominations so there's that
Adams, IMO has deserved every single one of her nominations. I would've given her the win for Junebug too.
DeleteWhilst Streep is very good in the film her nomination is utterly ridiculous, especially if its over Amy Adams.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to see Hacksaw Ridge as it looks to be about (to me) a unknown unhero. I don't care enough about Gibson's personal life to be wound up by his nomination....I mean we can't just recognize achievements of those people we deem good can we? Otherwise we may as well stop celebrating Alfred Hitchcock. Obviously, controversies should be discussed but to discredit them as an artist is wrong in my opinion.
I am very happy about the high number of black representation this year in numerous categories (direction, editing, cinematography, acting)
The thing is though, Hacksaw is only half a well directed film. The first hour of that movie is terrible and it's not until they actually go to war that it actually looks like a well put together film.
DeleteI'm with you pretty much all the way, except for that blasphemous disregard for the Trolls soundtrack. That shit's on loop in my house, perhaps I've been brainwashed?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen enough to really know what the Hell I'm talking about, but I'll take La La Land for everything at this point. I need to see Moonlight asap, but I'm not sure that's gonna happen.
I wish Moonlight would win Best Picture but nothing can stop La La Land at this point.
DeleteI hate that Trolls song lol. We've had the Moana soundtrack on at our house for a while now.
Meryl Streep could lean to her side and fart and she would get nominated. Now I know La La Land will win and people are all over the place with Amy Adams but I hear Silence has been snubbed. I am betting that The Lobster will win...for some reason I think it might for screenplay
ReplyDeleteI really hope The Lobster wins because it absolutely is the most original and La La Land while great is very generic without the music.
DeleteI'm happy that Viggo got nominated but I'm not happy that Amy Adams didn't get a nod. Nothing against Meryl but come on! Isabelle Huppert's nomination is way overdue as she is one of the best actresses in the world. I'm not entirely surprised by a lot of the nominations but I've been like... "eh".
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can bring myself to watch Elle so I'll probably never see how Huppert is in that movie. lol
DeleteLOL "boner" (accurate)
ReplyDeleteI HATE Hacksaw Ridge. So mad to see it on here so many times.
Yes, Meryl and Emma stole Amy, Taraji, or Annette's nominations. And it ain't right.
OMG I thought I was the only one calling bs on Lucas!!!
Yeah, I'm stoked for Michael Shannon too.
The Handmaiden was unfortunately not submitted for consideration, but it's SO WORTHY.
I do love me some Kubo.
I still need to see Allied.
No, La La Land definitely does not deserve most these nominations. It's ridiculous.
ZOOTOPIA!!!!
Lucas is such bullshit, come on. What did he do differently than any other kid playing an annoyed teenager this year? The freezer moment? Was that what pushed it over the edge? I know a lot of people laughed at Aaron Taylor-Johnson's nominations elsewhere, but he deserves one over Hedges.
DeleteI was so excited about Negga and Huppert that I didn't even realize Adams hadn't been nominated until about an hour afterwards lol. There were so many great Lead Actresses this year that a few people were going to get left out, this year it's Adams and Bening. It sucks, but someone has to be on the outside, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI thought Hedges was MUCH better than Affleck in Manchester, and the latter is cruising towards a win (WTF?!? Denzel is RIGHT THERE doing career-best work!!!), so I ain't mad at his nomination.
Foreign films almost never get in in the "regular" categories so I figured The Handmaiden was a lost cause. It's stupid and unfair but is what it is. I was REALLY hoping Toni Erdmann would surprise in the Screenplay category, but since we got 20th Century Women I'm not too pissed it missed.
The one snub I REALLY care about is Sing Street in Best Original Song. WHAT. The FLYING FUCK?!?!? Every single song in that movie is better than every single song they nominated and Drive It Like You Stole It couldn't get in?!? BULLSHIT.
YESSS to the Sing Street snub. I thought that song was a shoo in. Like, did the Academy not want to remind people that there's another original musical film besides La La Land that came out this year? lol
Delete