Oscar nomination 2024: failures and surprises

One of the only certainties of Oscar season is that voters will overturn pundits' predictions by doing what they feel like doing when the time comes to fill out their ballots. As always, the disconcerting failures – no awards for directing Greta Gerwig? Really? – were accompanied by some extremely pleasant surprises. The defeat of Leonardo Dicaprioone might say, was the victory of Colman Domingo. Here, Vanity Fair analyzes things that no one, or almost no one, had foreseen.

Surprise: America Ferrera stands out Barbie

His performance was great overall, but that monologue! You know him. The director Greta Gerwig said a Vanity Fair than the passionate “always/never” speech, written together with her husband Noah Baumach, «would not exist without America. It's rightfully his, he deserves it more than anyone else. That scene still touches me a lot. I see some teenage girls who don't think they're good enough, but they're so beautiful and so smart and you wish they were aware”. Ferrera said Gerwig enlisted her to help write her now-famous monologue: “Some of the things we talked about made it into the script. The phrase “Always be grateful” came from a conversation with Greta,” she has told Ferrera to the New York Times“«and she expanded it by adding: “But never forget that the system is rigged.”».

Rejected: Margot Robbie is also missing Barbie he can't do it

Aside from the enthusiasm for the deserved recognition for Ferrera, Greta Gerwig's comic and cultural film was rejected for editing, sound and direction, and also missed the award for best actress in Margot Robbie (who however was nominated as a producer in the best film category). Was it a film genre prejudice, gender identity prejudice, or simple promotion fatigue? (And can the first and last reasons be explained by the central one? Maybe…) The success of Gerwig, who broke the box office with the highest-grossing film directed by a woman (1.5 billion dollars in total the world), did not result in a nomination for the director, who has already received three nominations: for directing Lady Bird (another historic award for a woman), for the original screenplay and for the adapted screenplay by Little Women). But all is not lost for the film about the doll that has sparked a thousand reflections: Ryan Gosling earned a long-awaited nomination for supporting role, the songs of Billie Eilish And Mark Ronson Gerwig and Baumbach – who got married during the press campaign – did the same Barbie – were awarded for adapted screenplay.

Surprise: Sterling K. Brown lands a supporting role for American Fiction

As Cliff Ellison, the brother who reluctantly returns to his family's fold after a tragedy, Brown brings to the first feature by Cord Jefferson a subversive energy and pathos that is easily empathized with. Cliff has his own problems, but once we get to know him, we can't get enough of him. Brown's Best Supporting Actor SAG nomination, as well as the cast's well-deserved recognition, have made him a likely nominee for other awards this season, and now the three-time Emmy winner has earned his first Academy Award nomination. Oscar, one of the five for American Fiction.

Failed: Leo loses the role in Killers of the Flower Moon and the flower risks withering

Lily Gladstone she secured a nomination for best actress, Martin Scorsese got, unsurprisingly, a nomination for best director and Killers found a place in the best film category. But there failure to nominate by Leonardo DiCaprio as best actor was a surprise and a disappointment, as was the film's failure to nominate for adapted screenplay, especially considering how much Scorsese's adaptation was appreciated and Eric Roth of the bestseller of 2017 by David Grann about the murders of Osage tribe members to take over their oil-rich Oklahoma land. Observers of the Oscar race noted that DiCaprio leaned on Gladstone's campaign rather than promoting himself, but still earned a nomination for producing the film. Leo lives!

Snubbed: Bradley Cooper does not conquer with the direction of Master

Mister Cooper has a lot to be excited about this morning: his artwork, Master, has been nominated for seven Oscars, and her personal best now stands at 12. However, it is disconcerting that the true master behind Master was not nominated for best director, just as Gerwig's vision of Barbie was not recognized in the same category. Perhaps voters took it for granted that Master (And Barbie) would have been fine, and they decided to give an edge to the director of small, compelling films, such as Anatomy of a fall And The area of ​​interest.

Surprise: Colman Domingo stands in Rustin

There are many reasons to be grateful Colman Domingo for his Best Actor nomination: a great performance by a great actor is recognized (and a milestone: his first time as number one); will bring greater attention to the life and work of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, an openly gay man whose contributions to the movement were marginalized because of his sexuality, but whose story is now being told with a starring role an openly gay actor; will give us further opportunities to enjoy Domingo's stellar red carpet show, which has won hearts and minds all season. (Who else could wear a mustard-colored Valentino Haute Couture dress under a gold coat?) In December, by participating in the Little Gold Men podcast by VFhas declared regarding precisely Rustin: «Those rare times when, as an artist, you can really pour everything you have – all your skills and the things you've done in theater and television as a writer, director, producer – into a film… Now, this was one of those rare times.” (Let's note, in passing, that he is also fantastic in the role of Mister in The color purple.)

Failed: Saltburn it came out blurred

Emerald Fennell's scathing satire of upper-class life (and working-class ambition?) failed across the board, missing a semi-expected Best Original Screenplay nomination as well as hoped-for actor nods Barry Keoghan and for the supporting actor Jacob Elordi, which may have been more likely in the minds of fans than they ever were among Academy voters. Was this film too misanthropic for the sentimental jurors, or was there simply too much competition in a surprisingly rich year? All parties involved will have time to reflect on the response.

Surprise: The Teachers' Loungethe teachers in session

The gripping film by Ilker Catak about a German school that quickly turns into Crucible Milleriano didn't seem to enjoy much favor during the voting, but it got a well-deserved nomination in the best foreign language film category. Germany's official participation in the Oscars follows a sixth-grade teacher played with surprising determination and humanity by Leonie Benesch as he navigates a minefield of suspicion and defends his students not only from their peers, but also from teachers and parents.

Failed: time is running out May December

Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman And Charles Melton they did not rank for May Decemberbut a film that revisits (however artfully) the relationship between Mary Kay Letourneau And VIII Fualaau – which began with Letourneau's arrest for raping Fualaau when he was just 12 – was always going to elicit some thrills. Imagine a film with the genders reversed? Can not be done. Or maybe yes. Lolita by Stanley Kubrick. Which, when you think about it, it is state nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that the original screenplay (written by Samy Burch) was the only category in which the film was appreciated by Todd Haynes received well-deserved recognition.

Failed: American Symphony it becomes silent

The documentary by Michael Heineman talks about art, love, life and death, but not only that, and yet, apparently, Oscar voters wanted… more? American Symphony tells the story of the search for Jon Batiste busy composing a symphony just when he and his life partner, the writer Suleika Jaouad, they discover that the latter's cancer has returned. Batiste he told Vanity Fair that accepting such an unusually frank film was almost an act of faith: «It seemed like a project much bigger than us. And even though we were worried at first, we felt that this was what the spirit was leading us to do. It was a work of God that we were asked to complete to the end.”

Sad: le Past Lives by Greta Lee are missed opportunities

The impressive debut by Celine Songwith Past Lives, received two nominations, for Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. We would have loved to see protagonist Lee's delightfully nuanced performance recognized as well. As Nora, a New York playwright who reunites with her Korean childhood best friend, Lee flawlessly balances humor, affection, love and regret, feelings that line the road to the cathartic emotional climax. Her absence isn't technically an affront (this year's best actress category includes some legitimately tough contenders), nor a surprise, but just an opportunity for a moment of sadness at what she might have been. Which, if you think about it, is precisely the meaning of Past Lives.

Sad: Super Mario Bros. hits the mark, almost

Ok, maybe a movie based on a Nintendo game could never have won the award for best film (it's not something serious, like dolls!), but viral Peaches Of Jack Black? Listen to it once and you will sing it, together with your child, a billion times. A disappointing day for all those who love nominations that wink at pure fun.