Awards Circuit Column: It’s decision time. After months of campaigning, festivalgoing, splashy premieres, magazine profiles and morning-show appearances, Academy voters will finally get their ballots this week (Thursday, Jan. 11).
Hopefully, the organization’s nearly 10,000 members did their homework and watched as many of 2023’s offerings as possible. It’s hard to distill an entire year of cinema — particularly one overflowing with so much great work — into a mere five (or, in the case of best picture, 10) achievements. I love many of the films that the Academy will almost certainly nominate for top prizes, such as Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.
” And who could resist the phenomenon of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” forever linked in pop culture history as “Barbenheimer. ” Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories. But for me, nothing can beat Cord Jefferson’s audacious debut, “American Fiction,” which boasted sharp writing, an invigorating ensemble and smart social satire.
Jefferson is the real deal, a filmmaker whose boundless future I cannot wait to watch unfold. I can only hope the Academy recognizes his brilliance. Then there’s Ava DuVernay’s emotionally stirring “Origin,” which ranks as the finest directorial achievement of her career.
If I controlled the Oscars, DuVernay would be running away with the directing prize, alongside her lead actress, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. As for lead actor, there’s an embarrassment of riches, topped by Colman Domingo’s searing work as civil rights leader Bayard Rustin in “Rustin. ” While studios campaign for their stars in specific categories, Oscar voters can make their own decisions about which roles qualify as leading ones and which are supporting.
For me, “BlackBerry’s” Glenn Howerton and the “May December” duo of Charles Melton and Julianne Moore feel better suited for lead recognition than for the supporting categories in which they are likely to appear if they score a nod. At the same time, Lily Gladstone, unforgettable in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and Laurie Metcalf, under-heralded for “Somewhere in Queens,” seem better fits for supporting salutes. John Magaro’s heartbreaking and understated turn in Celine Song’s “Past Lives” has been unjustly ignored this season, despite the film being a sure-fire best picture contender.
A supporting actor lineup without the journeyman actor just feels wrong. Here’s what my Oscar ballot would look like if I were a voter. The full list is below.
Winner: “American Fiction” Runner Up: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios); “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon); “Beyond Utopia” (Roadside Attractions); “BlackBerry” (IFC Films); “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures); “The Holdovers” (Focus Features); “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures); “May December” (Netflix); “Memory” (Ketchup Entertainment); “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures); “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) Winner: Ava DuVernay, “Origin” Runner Up: Cord Jefferson, “American Fiction” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Sean Durkin — “The Iron Claw” (A24); Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest” (A24); Matthew Heineman, “American Symphony” (Netflix); Hayao Miyazaki, “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids); Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) Winner: Colman Domingo, “Rustin” Runner Up: Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Bradley Cooper, “Maestro” (Netflix); Michael Fassbender, “The Killer” (Netflix); Jamie Foxx, “The Burial” (Amazon MGM Studios); Jesse Garcia, “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures); Soya Kurokawa, “Monster” (Well Go USA); Tee Yoo, “Past Lives” (A24) Winner: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, “Origin” Runner Up: Emma Stone, “Poor Things” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Jessica Chastain, “Memory” (Ketchup Entertainment); Abby Ryder Fortson, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate); Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon); Trace Lysette, “Monica” (IFC Films); Natalie Portman, “May December” (Netflix); Winner: John Magaro, “Past Lives” Runner Up: Ryan Gosling, “Barbie” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Robert DeNiro, “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures); Holt McCallany, “The Iron Claw” (A24); Chris Messina, “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios); Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures); Peter Sarsgaard, “Memory” (Ketchup Entertainment) Winner: Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Runner Up: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Erika Alexander, “American Fiction” (MGM); America Ferrera, “Barbie” (Warner Bros. ); Annie Gonzalez, “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures); Sandra Huller, “The Zone of Interest” (A24); Carey Mulligan, “Maestro” (Netflix) Winner: “Monster” Runner Up: “Anatomy of a Fall” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios); “The Holdovers” (Focus Features); “The Iron Claw” (A24); “May December” (Netflix); “Somewhere in Queens” (Roadside Attractions) Winner: “American Fiction” Runner Up: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate); “Barbie” (Warner Bros. ); “The Taste of Things” (IFC Films/Sapan Studios); “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures); “The Zone of Interest” (A24) Winner: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “The Boy and the Heron” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Migration” (Illumination); “Nimona” (Netflix); “The Super Mario Bros.
Movie” (Illumination/Universal Pictures); “Trolls Band Together” (DreamWorks Animation); “Wish” (Walt Disney Pictures) Winner: “Killers of the Flower Moon” Runner Up: “Poor Things” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Barbie” (Warner Bros. ); “Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures); “Elemental” (Pixar); “Maestro” (Netflix); “The Zone of Interest” (A24) Winner: “Saltburn” Runner Up: “Oppenheimer” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Dream Scenario” (A24); “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures); “Origin” (Neon); “The Taste of Things” (IFC Films/Sapan Studios); “The Zone of Interest” (A24) Winner: “Killers of the Flower Moon” Runner Up: “The Taste of Things” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate); “Barbie” (Warner Bros. ); “Cassandro” (Amazon MGM Studios); “Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures); “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.
) Winner: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “The Iron Claw” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “American Fiction” (MGM); “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon); “May December” (Netflix); “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures); “Origin” (Neon) Winner: “Maestro” Runner Up: “Poor Things” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. ); “Dream Scenario” (A24); “Ferrari” (Neon); “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures); “May December” (Netflix) Winner: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “Oppenheimer” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “American Symphony” (Netflix); “Ferrari” (Neon); “The Killer” (Netflix); “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” (Apple Original Films); “They Shot the Piano Player” (Sony Pictures Classics) Winner: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “Elemental” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “The Creator” (20th Century Studios); “The Marvels” (Marvel Studios); “Nimona” (Netflix); “Society of the Snow” (Netflix); “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures) Winner: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “Oppenheimer” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): Joe Hisaishi — “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids); Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen — “Past Lives” (A24); Michael Giacchino — “Society of the Snow” (Netflix); Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures); Mica Levi — “The Zone of Interest” (A24) Winner: “Barbie” – “I’m Just Ken” Runner Up: “The Iron Claw” – “Live That Way Forever” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Barbie” (Warner Bros.
) — “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas; “Dicks: The Musical” (A24) — “All Love is Love” by Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp; “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) — “Am I Dreaming” by Leland Wayne, Rakim Mayers, Michael Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Landon Wayne; “Theater Camp” (Searchlight Pictures) — “Camp Isn’t Home” by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt and Mark Sonnenblick; “Trolls Band Together” (DreamWorks Animation) — “Better Place” by Justin Timberlake, Karl Schuster, Amy Allen Winner: “American Symphony” Runner Up: “Beyond Utopia” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “20 Days in Mariupol” (Magnolia Pictures); “Apolonia, Apolonia” (CAT & Docs); “Four Daughters” (Kino Lorber); “It Ain’t Over” (Sony Pictures Classics); “They Shot the Piano Player” (Sony Pictures Classics) International Feature Winner: “Monster” Runner Up: “The Zone of Interest” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Anatomy of a Fall” (France); “Four Daughters” (Tunisia); “Io Capitano” (Italy); “The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany); “Tótem” (Mexico) Casting ** Winner: “The Iron Claw” Runner Up: “Air” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon); “Barbie” (Warner Bros. ); “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures); “Origin” (Neon); “The Zone of Interest” (A24) Stunts ** Winner: “John Wick: Chapter 4” Runner Up: “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order): “Cocaine Bear” (Universal Pictures); “The Creator” (20th Century Studios); “Ferrari” (Neon); “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel Studios); “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Walt Disney Pictures) ** These categories should be added to the Oscars for recognition.
Animated Short Winner: “Once Upon a Studio” (Walt Disney Pictures) Documentary Short Winner: “The Last Repair Shop” (Searchlight Pictures) Live Action Short Winner: “A Strange Way of Life” (Sony Pictures Classics).
From: variety
URL: https://variety.com/lists/if-i-had-oscars-ballot-2024/