Last week the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced alongside the usual excitement and disappointment. Among the biggest nominations for the year, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman, have both received nine nominations.
Considered by many to be the biggest snub of all nominees is Selma. Receiving two nominations, one for Best Picture and one for Best Original Song, Selma was herald by critics to be one of the best films of last year. Obtaining a rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 89 on Metacritic, Selma was universally acclaimed. Both the acting by David Oyelowo as MLK and the directing by Ava DuVernay has been heavily recognized by many critics and other award associations.
Several critics have gone to point out for the third times since 1995, the 20 acting nominations for the Academy Awards are only for white actors and actresses. Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Film Academy, responded to the criticism about lack of diversity.
“In the last two years, we’ve made greater strides than we ever have in the past toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization through admitting new members and more inclusive classes of members. And, personally, I would love to see and look forward to see a greater cultural diversity among all our nominees in all of our categories,” Isaacs stated.
Several other snubs include, The Lego Movie not being nominated for Best Animated Feature when it was the highest rated animated film of 2014 on both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. Jake Gyllenhaal’s disturbing performance in Nightcrawler was not nominated which came as a surprise for many. Jake Gyllehaal lost 20 pounds for the role that many deemed as career-changing. Lastly the penned best-selling novel and screenwriter, Gillian Flynn was not nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Gone Girl.
In addition to Selma, the seven other films nominated for Best Picture provide a wide variety of material. Considered by many to be the top three picks of the eight would be Boyhood, Birdman, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Boyhood follows Mason Evans Jr. from the age of six to eighteen. Filmed and shot between 2002 and 2013 with the same actors and actresses the film blurs the line between documentary and fiction. Challenging to replicate, Boyhood provides real slices of adolescent life as the audience watches Mason slowly become a man. Richard Linklater, recently looked back on the entire process recalling how special the entire situation was.
“Well, of course, it was obviously a unique undertaking, embarking on a journey that was going to take 12 years. The ambitions were obvious, but if others would like it, or if it would work the way I wanted it to work… that always remained to be seen,” Linklater said.
Birdman saw Michael Keaton make a miraculous comeback in theaters. Playing a faded Hollywood actor famous for his superhero role, Riggan Thomson struggles to mount a Broadway play. Camerawork makes the movie seem like it was shot in one continuous take, and the excellent directing of Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film was one of the biggest surprises of the year.
“The second I read the script, I thought, I am this man. I have lived this life. I can fill this role with every bit of pain and insecurity I have ever felt as an actor. Finally, I thought. This is my chance for redemption,” Keaton said.
Wes Anderson has received the most recognition by the Academy with his eighth film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Featuring the ensemble cast with Ralph Fiennes, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and many others, the film represents the visual style along with emotional depth that makes Wes Anderson one of the most signature directors of the times.
Whiplash, the indie darling of the selection sees J.K. Simmons as the riveting and fearsome maestro of Jazz. Considered to be a breakout role for the veteran character actor, Simmons is the top-runner for Best Supporting Actor. The Theory of Everything sees Eddie Raymane as a young Stephen Hawking dealing with his diagnosis of motor neuron disease and his success in physics. Along with Michael Keaton, Eddie Raymane is in the top-running for Best Actor and won so for the Golden Globes.
Lastly, Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, which just released last week, features Bradley Cooper playing Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history. Unlike the other nominated movies, American Sniper has received mixed reviews to the film and its message.
No matter what film or person you may be rooting for, this year’s Academy Awards will be one worth watching. Set some time aside on the night of Feb. 22, alongside with your fellow Gusties to watch the entertainment roll.
-Dan Vruno