Oscars 2021

[Totenkindly]

Best Picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand – Nomadland
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Gary Oldman – Mank
Steven Yeun – Minari

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman – The Father
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Youn Yuh-jung – Minari

Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
David Fincher – Mank
LeBe Isaac Chung – Minari
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami…
The White Tiger

Best International Feature Film
Another Round
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?

Best Animated Feature Film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

Best Documentary Feature
Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher
Time

Best Film Editing
The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
News of the World
Nomadland
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Music (Original Score)
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul

Best Music (Original Song)
“Fight for You” – Judas and the Black Messiah
“Hear My Voice” – The Trial of the Chicago 7
“Husavik” – Eurovision Song Contest
“Io Si (Seen)” – The Life Ahead
“Speak Now” – One Night in Miami...

Best Sound
Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal

Best Visual Effects
Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet

Best Production Design
The Father
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet

Best Costume Design
Emma
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinnochio

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio

Best Animated Short Film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People

Best Live Action Short Film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye

Documentary Short Subject
Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song for Latasha

The 93rd Academy Awards will take place on 25 April.

 

[Totenkindly]

There's a lot I am glad about, but (aside from seeing some accomplished female directors) I am glad to see both Riz Ahmed and Paul Raci nominated for their work in "Sound of Metal." It's a pretty low-key character drama about a drummer who is losing his hearing and the impact on his ability to cope with and find enjoyment in life, and learning to deal with this issue.

Ahmed actually gets to show his range here. Very different from his role in Rogue One and other films I've seen him in, and he successfully carries this indie film playing a character who can generate both good and bad feelings in the viewer.

Paul Raci is kind of a sleeper performance. He's not a well-known actor but plays a deaf mentor in this film who has to also practice tough love. Even that description sounds generic and "feel good" -- but it is not; Raci made a part that could have been sappy and cookie cutter and actually makes it feel unique and interesting... and the resolution there is anything but. IRL he is the child of deaf parents and is fluent in ASI, so he brings authenticity to the role. It was such a unique performance and a grounded one.

The film itself reminds me in tone and feel of a film from a few years ago called, "Leave No Trace," about a transient father/daughter pair where the dad has been suffering from PTSD, leading to his issues in not being able to put down roots, but his daughter is slowly realizing she cannot live that way anymore. (Ben Foster played the dad, I think.) BOth films are about damaged people who need to learn to accept change in their lives because their current approach is no longer working.

 

[ceecee]

Hillbilly Elegy... Don't get me wrong, I love Glen Close (The Wife was a tour de force imo) but anything connected to this melting brained nationalist is shit.

 

[Totenkindly]

Hillbilly Elegy... Don't get me wrong, I love Glen Close (The Wife was a tour de force imo) but anything connected to this melting brained nationalist is shit.

It was pretty much chalked up to a nom after she failed to win on one or two things she should have been selected for. (Like The Wife -- she was so great.)
Kind of like Pacino getting a win for Scent of a Woman... but much worse.

Yeah, that is the one I wasn't thrilled about, at first glance.

 

[ceecee]

I would love to see Sound of Metal win. Normally I think my choices have zero chance but that all changed with Parasite.

An observation I read earlier that is SO true....

Not every movie HAS a “lead actor.” William H Macy is in Fargo for longer than Frances McDormand. These are arbitrary categories. Free your mind.

 

[Totenkindly]

I didn't watch it.

There were some good things and some slight surprises. Nothing really weird. Nomadland took Director and Picture, which was generally expected.

Kinda happy over Promising Young Woman taking the original script award.

Kinda glad Glenn Close didn't win for Hillbilly Elegy (because it was such a terrible film, I guess no one ever COMPLAINS for winning an Oscar but it would almost feel insulting to get it for this film) but sad she didn't win in the past when she actually was in great films.

Kinda bummed Hopkins won for The Father, although (despite my not seeing it) I did hear he was good. But it was kind of an Oscar bait film, I would have been happy seeing Bozeman or Ahmed pick up Best Actor for some films that were more unique. I think Sound of Metal itself won two awards, so.. cool. It's too bad Paul Raci was going up against Daniel Kaluuya, Raci was really great in SoM and it was such a unique role and portrayal.

I'm also kinda "eh" on Soul. It wasn't a bad film but had its problems, and Pixar seems to always get a shoe-in. I guess I can be grateful it wasn't Onwards, which was merely an average Pixar film. (I mean, come on -- it's basically an AD&D geek film, and I am so lukewarm on it... it kinda tells you about the quality.) But the soundtrack for Soul was good, so it's great that that won its award.

 

[ceecee]

Here's which new ideas at the Oscars were worth a crap and which sucked

Hiring Questlove to be the DJ instead of using a full orchestra: GOOD.

And he didn’t bring Jimmy Fallon with him, either! Now that’s just being humane.

Not having the entire ceremony take place inside of a van and/or Airstream trailer: SUCKED.

Living on wheels was the theme this year! ONLY LOSERS LIVE IN HOUSES, MAN. We all know this now.

Not letting Aaron Sorkin win anything: GOOD.

I had no idea he was dating Paulina Porizkova, by the way. I bet she’s miserable with him.

Getting Glenn Close to shake her ass on camera: GOOD.

But not giving her an Oscar for the hillbilly movie: ACTUALLY, ALSO GOOD.

I know Glenn Close is due, as many Oscar winners inevitably are. But it’s past time to retire due-ness at this ceremony. I don’t need consecrated reminders that this is a goddamn club.

Inserting a trivia contest into the show: GOOD.

It’s what got Glenn twerkin’. And it beats Neil Patrick Harris doing birthday party magic.

Honoring the tradition of having a confused old actor like Harrison Ford do a category: GOOD.

Even if all of Twitter thought he was stoned.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Even if all of Twitter thought he was stoned.

If rumors are to be believed, in his pre-fame days, he sold weed to the Doors. I'm inclined to believe those.

Hillbilly Elegy... Don't get me wrong, I love Glen Close (The Wife was a tour de force imo) but anything connected to this melting brained nationalist is shit.

For my bookclub, we all read this which was a rebuttal to J.D. Vance.

I thought it was interesting to read about all the shady stuff coal companies have done and still do, and I kind of wish she had talked more about that than why J.D. Vance sucks. Given his popularity, I suppose it was necessary, though.

 

[ceecee]

If rumors are to be believed, in his pre-fame days, he sold weed to the Doors. I'm inclined to believe those.



For my bookclub, we all read this which was a rebuttal to J.D. Vance.

I thought it was interesting to read about all the shady stuff coal companies have done and still do, and I kind of wish she had talked more about that than why J.D. Vance sucks. Given his popularity, I suppose it was necessary, though.

What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia combined with The Trillbilly Worker's Party podcast is the very best thing anyone can do to learn what is actually going on in Appalachia and why JD Vance sucks. Chapo was also on him early on.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia combined with The Trillbilly Worker's Party podcast is the very best thing anyone can do to learn what is actually going on in Appalachia and why JD Vance sucks. Chapo was also on him early on.

I heard their takedown of the movie. I need to give the Trillbillies a listen still.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I really want to see "The Father".

 

[Burning Paradigm]

Anthony Hopkins is a great actor, so I'm sure he killed it in The Father and deserved that award, and I'm not trying to imply having passed away makes you any more entitled to an award. But, with the way they shifted the presentation of Best Actor to last, inviting Chadwick's family, etc. I thought they were about to end with a poignant tribute to Chadwick or something after he won (I confess, I've only seen 2 or 3 of the films nominated). Since that wasn't the case, makes me wonder why they even shifted the presentation order in the first place.

 

[Totenkindly]

Anthony Hopkins is a great actor, so I'm sure he killed it in The Father and deserved that award, and I'm not trying to imply having passed away makes you any more entitled to an award. But, with the way they shifted the presentation of Best Actor to last, inviting Chadwick's family, etc. I thought they were about to end with a poignant tribute to Chadwick or something after he won (I confess, I've only seen 2 or 3 of the films nominated). Since that wasn't the case, makes me wonder why they even shifted the presentation order in the first place.

I think the general thought is that they thought Chadwick was a shoe-in. The show producers don't actually know who the winners are, and how this played out rather verifies that. There has now been talk about in the future maybe letting them know the winners so they can set up the show more appropriately.

Best Picture hasn't always been the last award of the evening, although I think for most people living, it is our general recollection of the form and it certainly has ended with Best Picture for years. Nomadland was considered mostly a lock, so they tried to regroup around Best Actor to create something memorable -- whoops.

Hopkins had been willing to call in on Zoom in general, but they refused -- they were insisting he go to a satellite Oscar's party in London or similar if he wanted to be part of the proceedings. Since he did not expect to win, he just went to bed instead. His acceptance speech on social media the next day wasn't superflowery but I thought it was gracious. He honestly seemed surprised. He has done enough good work over the years that it does seem a little surprising this is only his second Academy Award.

Boseman's family understands:
Chadwick Boseman's family defends Anthony Hopkins after Oscars backlash | TheHill



Personally, while Boseman gave a great performance (I did see Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Hopkins apparently did give a career defining performance in The Father (one of the few high ranked films I did not see). People vote on the Oscar awards. If you don't want people to vote and just deem someone the winner for whatever reason, set that up as the rule; otherwise whoever wins the vote tally wins, right?

I really want to see "The Father".

Me too. it was announced on bluray release now. One problem with the pandemic is so many films were unavailable, or only available for absurd streaming prices. I'm not going to pay $20 for streaming drama. I only pay $10 for a blockbuster theater release. I will pay $4-6 for a streaming rental and $2 for a redbox, sure. But unless the film showed up for 'free' on a streaming service i subscribe to, I didn't really get to see it. The only one on service streaming that I have a membership on that I did not complete was the Chicago 7 film, so I slacked off there, but I've seen a lot of Alan Sorkin films. edit: Oh. I schlunked off on Mank too. But I didn't expect it to win the top categories. I'll watch it eventually, though, it's David Fincher.