I’m an Oscars Fiend. Yes indeed, it’s that time again, where all the movies from the previous year line up like it’s school photo day and smile sweetly at you, hoping you’ll pick them. The 89th Academy Awards | 2017 overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be held at Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 26, 2017 with hosting duties this year going to Jimmy Kimmel. Full disclosure I’d of preferred they stuck with Chris Rock again this year too, given Conan O’Brien the nod or the other Jimmy, Jimmy Fallon, ahh well people in NZ can’t be choosers. In 2016 I did a Oscars live blog thingy during the ceremony as I watched along and while it was a bit challenging, I’m keen to do it again this year too.
11:30 am – E! Live from the Red Carpet
2:30pm – The 89th Academy Awards | 2017 on SKY TV Movies Premiere (Runs till about 6:20pm)
There’s a little bit of perhaps feigned outrage that Deadpool didn’t get any Best Picture or in fact any nominations, but c’mon on guys! While I loved Deadpool, it didn’t stand a chance with remarkable movies like La La Land, Moonlight and Hidden Figures in the mix. What about Amy Adams missing out on a Best Actress nom for a sneak fan favourite – Arrival? Before you get uppity, slow your roll homie. Jeremy Renner didn’t get a Best Supporting Actor nom for Arrival either so this is less of a gender thing and more of an Academy choice thing…does make you wonder why though, huh? Sometimes at The Oscars, if the actors are not nominated to win their categories, it can result in the film winning Best Picture instead in a surprise sucker-punch; maybe this is the predestine of Arrival? Lemme take you through the nominations including my unabashed favourite winner’s picks.
For a searchable reference list of all the 2017 Academy Awards nominations, hit up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences here
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE NOMINEES – Yikes! This one is a toughie. I’d like to see Ryan Gosling take this one away, I think Denzel Washington is the most deserving, but I think…Casey Affleck will be the one that actually takes it away.
CASEY AFFLECK (Manchester by the Sea), ANDREW GARFIELD (Hacksaw Ridge), RYAN GOSLING (La La Land), VIGGO MORTENSEN (Captain Fantastic), DENZEL WASHINGTON (Fences).
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE NOMINEES – Also a hard pick, I’d love to see Mahershala Ali take it out as I’m a bit of a fangirl of his to be honest but I really loved what he brought to the table in Moonlight too. Who do I think is going to win it? I’m a bit clouded by Mahershala appreciation but potentially Dev Patel is taking this one out.
MAHERSHALA ALI (Moonlight), JEFF BRIDGES (Hell or High Water), LUCAS HEDGES (Manchester by the Sea), DEV PATEL (Lion), MICHAEL SHANNON (Nocturnal Animals).
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE NOMINEES – Hands down, I’d like to see Natalie Portman storm out with this one and I think she can. She was beyond phenomenal in Jackie. It’s not your year Meryl! I’m an Emma Stone and Ruth Negga fan so either of those fantastic humans taking it away would suit me too.
ISABELLE HUPPERT (Elle), RUTH NEGGA (Loving), NATALIE PORTMAN (Jackie), EMMA STONE(La La Land), MERYL STREEP (Florence Foster Jenkins).
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE NOMINEES – Uggh, this one = contentious AF. I’d like to see Octavia Spencer take this one out, she was a great component of Hidden Figures and I loved the level-headed character she brought to the piece. I’m yet to see Fences but read a great interview with Viola Davis in Empire so I kinda want her to win it cause she deserves that shit! Also re: Lion, I’m yet to see that but I reckon Nicole’s got enough on the mantle piece for now! Naomie Harris slayed in Moonlight so I’d be happy as with that and Michelle Williams although I’ve been crushing on her since Dawnson’s Creek days…she’s up against some amazing performances so I hope she’s just ‘honoured to be nominated‘
VIOLA DAVIS (Fences), NAOMIE HARRIS (Moonlight), NICOLE KIDMAN (Lion), OCTAVIA SPENCER (Hidden Figures), MICHELLE WILLIAMS (Manchester by the Sea).
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM NOMINEES – I’m all about that Zootopia life! I adored Moana too so would be happy with that but Zootopia’s messages about having zero tolerance for racism which I’m all about in a big way. I missed out on Kubo so if that takes it away – all good and it probably is the safer choice for The Academy to make.
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner), MOANA (John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer), MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (Claude Barras and Max Karli), THE RED TURTLE (Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki), ZOOTOPIA (Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer).
CINEMATOGRAPHY NOMINEES – Ooosh. I’m going to say La La Land on this one, but Moonlight is right up there for me. What I’ve seen of Silence looks dope so I’d be happy with that and I’m yet to see Lion.
Bradford Young (ARRIVAL), Linus Sandgren (LA LA LAND), Greig Fraser (LION), James Laxton (MOONLIGHT), Rodrigo Prieto (SILENCE)
COSTUME DESIGN NOMINEES – I’d love to see either Allied or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them pick this up, but to be honest – very strong year for Costume Design across the board.
Joanna Johnston (ALLIED), Colleen Atwood (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM), Consolata Boyle (FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS), Madeline Fontaine (JACKIE), Mary Zophres (LA LA LAND).
DIRECTING NOMINEES – I’d like to see Damien Chazelle take this out and I think he will as it’s a very complicated text with a lot going on in it. I hope that Barry Jenkins wins simply because Moonlight is such a beautiful and effecting story. Haven’t see Hacksaw Ridge so can’t speak on Mel but the buzz is he’ll probably steal it.
Denis Villeneuve (ARRIVAL), Mel Gibson (HACKSAW RIDGE), Damien Chazelle (LA LA LAND), Kenneth Lonergan (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA), Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT)
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE) NOMINEES – I’m going with 13th by the stunning Ava DuVernay and friends on this one.
Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo (FIRE AT SEA),Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety and Hébert Peck (I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO),Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman (LIFE, ANIMATED), Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow (O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA), Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish (13TH).
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) NOMINEES – I’m picking Jackie on this one, so discordant and tense I felt physically sick sometimes during this film and that was down to the tension the score brought.
Mica Levi (JACKIE), Justin Hurwitz (LA LA LAND), Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka (LION), Nicholas Britell (MOONLIGHT), Thomas Newman (PASSENGERS).
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG) NOMINEES – I was humming City of Stars for days after La La Land but same goes for me shouting “I AM MOANA” around the house after seeing that so, hmm. Tough but I’ll say La La Land.
AUDITION (THE FOOLS WHO DREAM)
from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
CAN’T STOP THE FEELING
from Trolls; Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
CITY OF STARS
from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
THE EMPTY CHAIR
from Jim: The James Foley Story; Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
HOW FAR I’LL GO
from Moana; Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES – Ok, I actually think that Arrival is going to sneak away with this, not because I think it’s the most deserving, not by a long shot but because I think it’ll be the ‘safe’ choice for The Academy to get out of any hot “Oscars So White” water. I did adore La La Land but that’s won the hearts of so many I think it’ll just be happy to pick up technical awards and hopefully best direction. I’d like to see Hidden Figures win but I think it’s simply too feel good to do so. So I’m hoping against hope that it’ll be Moonlight. If Boyhood (2014) can win, then why not Moonlight?
ARRIVAL
Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers
FENCES
Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers
HACKSAW RIDGE
Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers
HELL OR HIGH WATER
Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers
HIDDEN FIGURES
Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers
LA LA LAND
Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers
LION
Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers
MOONLIGHT
Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
For the full list of nominees and who’s won what, hit up my Oscar Live Blog post here
For a movie fanatic it’s the pinnacle of fan-love and academic appreciation all rolled into one. Need more Oscars coverage? Hit up these links for more:
The Los Angeles Times – They’re probably going to be backing La La Land ya think?
Rolling Stone – For the more cynical edge and a snub focus.
The Sydney Morning Herald – Stone the flaming crows! Check out what our mates across the ditch thought. Lots of love for Gibson Ridge and Kidman – sorry Lion.
The New York Times – with a headline so abrupt and fahgedabboutit I’d expect nothing less of NYC.
Variety – Has some nice varied (see what I did there) coverage on the snubs + surprises and also on the celebration of diversity within the nominations this year.
ET | Entertainment Tonight – splashy entertainment news fun for your eyeballs.
Join me for the Live Tweeting fun: @OneTakeKate and live blogging right here from 2:30pm
Who do you want to win?
