The countdown is on to watch all of this year’s nominated films
On Jan. 15, the nominees for the 87th annual Academy Awards were announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. With the awards show scheduled for Feb. 22, movie-goers now have a month to catch up on this year’s Oscar-nominated flicks in anticipation of the annual televised ceremony. With local theatres like Galaxy Cinemas and The Bookshelf filling their schedules with many of the Oscar-nominated films, Guelphites have been given a chance to embrace the spirit of Oscar season.
Of the films nominated, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s cracked-actor story, Birdman, and Wes Anderson’s twee comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel, have racked in the most nominations with nine apiece. The Alan Turing biopic, The Imitation Game, has come in second with a close eight, while Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper have tied for third with six nominations each. Other well-represented films include Foxcatcher, Interstellar, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash, which each have racked in five nominations.
The Golden Globe Awards, an annual awards ceremony celebrating the best in film and television, took place on Jan. 11. The Golden Globes are often thought to be a significant forecast for the Academy Awards. Boyhood, a contender for both the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars, cleaned up at the ceremony – snagging the equivalent Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director awards. Furthermore, when googling “Vegas Oscar Odds,” website Oddsmaker lists Boyhood as a heavy favorite in many categories.
This year’s Oscars have not been without their share of controversy though. Cultural commentators have come down on this year’s nominations, many citing a lack of minority voices. The Best Director, Writing, Actor, and Supporting Actor categories are dominated entirely by white males, while Selma – the Martin Luther King civil rights drama directed by an African-American woman featuring a mostly black cast – has snagged a meager two nominations. In response to these accusations, the Academy’s first black president, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, has lamented the lack of diversity but added that “in the last two years, we’ve made greater strides than we ever have in the past toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization”. Additional controversies have come up about the omission of the critically acclaimed The Lego Movie in the Best Animated Feature category, and about singer Lorde getting snubbed in the Best Original Song category for her contribution to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay soundtrack.
These criticisms aside, however, Academy Awards-season remains a fun and exciting time for movie fans. Watching all the nominated movies, cinephiles get a rare chance to root for favorite films, actors, and directors in the same way they do sports. It is a special time of year when Hollywood comes alive with fervor and excitement.