Just when you thought an American voter population couldn’t be more wrong, know that Suicide Squad is now Oscar nominated.
The nominations for the 89th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday and, unsurprisingly, La La Land leads the pack. Damien Chazelle’s film equals Titanic’s fourteen nominations and if it can snag twelve trophies on the night, La La Land could become the most decorated film in Oscar history. However notably absent in the Best Picture category is Silence, with Martin Scorsese also not receiving a Best Director nod. Tom Hanks (Sully) is similarly missing from the lineup, as is Amy Adams who appeared in both Nocturnal Animals and Arrival this year which may have split her vote and cost her the nomination.
‘Damien Chazelle’s film equals Titanic’s fourteen nominations and if it can snag twelve trophies on the night, La La Land could become the most decorated film in Oscar history’
Yet along with the customary snubs come some pleasant surprises, namely the recognition of more diverse talent after the #OscarsSoWhite outcry last year. Viola Davis (Fences), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight) are all nominated for Supporting Actress, establishing the first black majority category in Oscar history. Trump may think Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) is ‘overrated’ but the Academy clearly disagrees, the actress swept up her 20th nomination this week.
‘Trump may think Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) is ‘overrated’ but the Academy clearly disagrees, the actress swept up her 20th nomination this week’
On the night itself be sure to watch out for Lin-Manuel Miranda who is nominated in the Original Song category for his work on Moana, if he wins Miranda will become the youngest ever EGOT holder (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). Casey Affleck (Manchester By Sea) is the current frontrunner in the Best Actor category, but keep an eye on Isabelle Huppert (Elle) who might just win Best Actress. Moonlight could also surprise next month, but La La Land is undoubtedly the one to beat this year.
Molly Hewitt
(Image courtesy of Alamy Stock Photo)