Coming on the heels of a controversial and historic awards season, the Academy Awards are set to be a spectacle. Nominations have officially been announced, and have since sent the film community spiraling to make their predictions.
Fans and critics alike were quick to notice there were a few major snubs, including Greta Gerwig for Best Director and Margot Robbie for Leading Actress. The pair are notably the director and star of the critically acclaimed ‘Barbie’ movie, which captivated female and male audiences alike.
However, not everyone seemed taken by the iconic blonde doll. Actor, comedian and this year’s Golden Globes host, Jo Koy, mocked the film through the award night, garnering far more glares than giggles. Many have argued Koy’s jokes could be fatal to his career.
In spite of the crude remarks, many fans expected Gerwig and Robbie to be nominated for their work. Nonetheless, “Barbie” snagged nominations with Ryan Gosling as Best Supporting Actor and America Ferrera as Best Supporting Actress. Ferrera made history as one of the first few Latinas to be nominated in the star studded category.
Additionally, setting historical precedent, Lily Gladstone became the first indigenous woman to be nominated for Best Leading Actress in “Killers of the Flower Moon”. While the film itself garnered 10 total nominations, Lead Actor Leonardo DiCaprio did not receive a nomination for his work.
Shortly after the nominations were released, DiCaprio took to social media to share his excitement for his colleague saying, “working with her will forever be a highlight of my career.” If Gladstone wins, she will also be the first indigenous woman to win the Oscar in the category. She previously won the Golden Globe for her role as Mollie Burkhart in early January.
Just shy of setting a record, Christopher Nolan’s Biopic “Oppenheimer” gathered an impressive 13 nominations, including a first-time nomination for Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who portrayed the titular character J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Both “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” boasted more than three hour runtimes, which many critics have argued is the sign of a shifting audience demographic and taste.
Slightly behind “Oppenheimer” in volume of nominations was “Poor Things,” receiving a whopping 11 nominations. Most of these nominations were in the main categories, excluding a nomination for Willem Dafoe as a Best Supporting Actor.
As many “snubs” as there seem to be, it can arguably be considered a sign of this years’ movie quality. This year’s Best Picture Nominations are stacked, containing some of the most influential films of this decade.
In 2023, the movies reminded us history is worthy of screentime, and that screen time can make history. The doubly eponymous ‘Barbenheimer’ day on July 21, 2023, reminded us to go support our local theaters. “Killers of the Flower Moon” taught viewers to reexamine the history they thought they knew and “The Holdovers” showed us how the most unlikely bonds can be made.
This year we laughed, we cried, we celebrated, and we mourned for film. Regardless of the controversies, the Academy will have a difficult decision ahead of them to pick this year’s winners.
A full list of all categories and nominations can be found here.
