It’s the day that countless people in the film industry hotly await the arrival off: the announcement of the this year’s Oscar nominations.
Leading up until today, most felt that the nominations were mostly wrapped up. Award show after award show came and went the past couple of months, featuring the same films. The Academy though clearly had a few tricks up its sleeves.
Probably happiest inclusion though goes to Greta Gerwig’s in the Best Director category. A point of contention had been made in the past couple of months, regarding a lack of diversity of those gaining recognition. Most recently Natalie Portman brought attention to this fact at the Golden Globes, earlier this month. By giving Gerwig the attention she rightfully deserves it also side steps the old joke “How can a film be nominated for Best Picture and not Best Director?”
There weren’t many big snubs this year, something that often gets ballyhooed a lot. Though two categories are sure to raise an eyebrow. In The Fade is strangely absent from the Best Foreign Film list, after winning a Golden Globe. Maybe the toughest race this year has been for Best Supporting Actress and now Lesley Manville’s 11th hour dark horse has also entered into the race. If anything that just gives more reason to tune in and see who wins.
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Fantastic Woman
The Insult
Loveless
On Body and Soul
The Square
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
Edith + Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island
ORIGINAL SONG
“Mighty River,” “Mudbound”
“Mystery of Love,” “Call Me by Your Name”
“Remember Me,” “Coco”
“Stand Up For Something,” “Marshall”
“This is Me,” “Greatest Showman”
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Boss Baby
The Breadman
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Call Me by Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Logan
Molly’s Game
Mudbound
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Big Sic
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”
DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
Paul Thomas Anderson “Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”
BEST PICTURE
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water
COSTUME DESIGN
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria and Abdul
SOUND EDITING
Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
SOUND MIXING
Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk”
The Shape of Water”
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Dear Basketball
Garden Party
Lou
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
DeKalb Elementary
The Eleven O’Clock
My Nephew Emmett
The Silent Child
Watu Wote/All of Us
ORIGINAL SCORE
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
VISUAL EFFECTS
Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes
FILM EDITING
Baby Driver
Dunkirk
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Darkest Hour
Victoria and Abdul
Wonder
Again, it isn’t too surprising of a list. The few additions that pepper categories should feel like progress, albeit stunted and slow progress. All in all this looks to be one of the best line-ups for the Oscars in years. A steady mix of critical and box office darlings going head to head for the most coveted prize in all of Hollywood.
What about you, dear readers of the internet, which categories are you hoping to see an upset in? Are there snubs that rankle your bones, making you want to shout from the mountain tops? Be sure to sound off in the comments below.
