Nominations — and snubs — attest to the strong field. RIGHT: Chris Hemsworth and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the 86th Academy Awards nominations at the AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
By John Horn
Tom Hanks’ starring role in Captain Phillips was one of his most acclaimed performances in a distinguished career. But the two-time Oscar winner, who is also a governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took nothing for granted — working tirelessly to promote Captain Phillips and his other big film, Saving Mr. Banks, in which he plays Walt Disney.
But when Academy Award nominations were read out before dawn Thursday, Hanks’ name was never called.
Cold-blooded snub? Probably not. Instead, Hanks’ double omission is more proof that 2013 was indeed a golden year for film, one in which there were so many strong (and commercially successful) films that academy members couldn’t include all those worthy of recognition.
Emma Thompson wasn’t nominated for her starring role in Saving Mr. Banks, Robert Redford was cast adrift from his sinking sailboat tale All Is Lost, and Paul Greengrass and Spike Jonze missed the cut for directing, respectively, the hijacking thriller Captain Phillips and the dystopian love story Her.
The Coen brothers’ critically lauded folk music movie Inside Llewyn Davis earned just two technical nominations; last summer, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
“There’s incredible work being done by incredible filmmakers,” said Michael De Luca, a producer on Captain Phillips. “Not to over-inflate it, but it feels like it could be another renaissance [in movies].”
Oscar voters had little trouble finding several movies to lavish with multiple nominations in top categories. The con man tale American Hustle and the space thriller Gravity tied with the most nominations with 10 apiece, as the slave drama 12 Years a Slave collected nine. Captain Phillips, the Aids story Dallas Buyers Club and the road movie Nebraska all had six nominations.
Tellingly, many of these nominated films were financed independently. As major studios focus on superheroes and sequels, it’s the independent financiers who bankroll the edgier, director-driven films whose merits are measured by reviews, not Happy Meals tie-ins.
Two of the best picture nominees — American Hustle and Her — were bankrolled by producer Megan Ellison, daughter of billionaire businessman Larry Ellison. She had more combined nominations with 17 than Paramount Pictures (13) and 20th Century Fox (11).
“I know we couldn’t make this movie without Megan,” said David O Russell, who directed and co-wrote American Hustle. “And ‘Her’ couldn’t have gotten made without Megan.”
The best picture finalists The Dallas Buyers Club, the stock swindle film The Wolf of Wall Street, lost-child drama Philomena and 12 Years a Slave also were financed outside the studio system.
Only three of the best-picture selections, Gravity, Nebraska and Captain Phillips, were made and distributed by major studios.
“The independent financiers are critical,” said Rachel Winter, a producer of The Dallas Buyers Club. “They are bucking the cycle that we are in; and we are in such a crazily specific one right now.”
Her movie was underwritten by executives from a Texas fertiliser company after Hollywood studios turned the project down more than 120 times over the last 20 years.
The Academy Award nominations will help encourage others to take similar risks, noted Tracey Seaward, a producer of Philomena, whose financing was pieced together from three European backers.
“It’s really a great boost and shows there’s an audience for serious storytelling,” she said.
Many film critics have called 2013 one of the best years for movies in memory. Happily for Hollywood, several of this year’s top contenders also are box-office hits — unlike past years, in which major contenders never escaped the art house.
Gravity has grossed more than $256 million in domestic theatres, American Hustle has surpassed $104 million, Captain Phillips stands at $105 million and The Wolf of Wall Street just climbed past $81 million.
In lieu of Hanks and Redford, the lead actor nominees were Christian Bale for American Hustle, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street, Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club.
Redford, speaking to reporters at the opening of his Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Thursday, said his hopes for an Oscar nomination were hurt because All Is Lost had a limited release in theatres.
“There’s a lot of campaigning going on and it can be very political,” Redford said. “In our case, we suffered from little to no distribution. I don’t know what they were afraid of.”
Instead of including Thompson, the lead actress selections were American Hustle’s Amy Adams, Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Philomena star Judi Dench and Meryl Streep for August: Osage County.
The directing nominees were Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave, Russell for American Hustle, Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street, Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity and Alexander Payne for Nebraska.
June Squibb, who plays the wife of Dern’s character in Nebraska and was nominated for supporting actress, shared the wide feeling that her film was part of a special slate of movies.
“I think it’s probably one of the richest years we’ve had in film,” Squibb said. “And we simply don’t have that kind of thing every year.” — Los Angeles Times/MCT
Predictions: A three-way
race with a bunch of spoilers
By Sharon Hoffmann
12 Years a Slave, Gravity and American Hustle are the top contenders for the best picture Academy Award, but plenty of challengers could spoil that race. Here’s a look at the nominees in the all the big categories and which is likely to win.
12 Years a Slave
A top contender
Why it could win: Oscar loves harrowing stories of historical importance. And the academy may feel guilty for snubbing African-American stories and talent.
What else could it win? Director (Steve McQueen), actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), supporting actor (Michael Fassbender), supporting actress (Lupita Nyong’o), adapted screenplay, visual awards.
However: Could be too brutal for voters to sit through. And look at last year’s Lincoln (12 nominations, just two awards).
Gravity
A top contender
Why it could win: Oscar likes money-making crowd-pleasers (see previous winners Argo, The King’s Speech) and tales of underdogs overcoming adversity (Slumdog Millionaire).
What else could it win? Director (Alfonso Cuaron), actress (Sandra Bullock), a galaxy of technical awards.
However: Oscar hates science fiction. And technical marvels, though heaped with praise, rarely win (see losers Avatar, Life of Pi, Inception, Apollo 13).
American Hustle
A top contender
Why it could win: Popular with audiences, this caper is suddenly gaining momentum with the Hollywood elite, too.
What else could it win? Supporting actress (Jennifer Lawrence, the girl on fire), original screenplay, visual awards.
However: That hair! Those clothes! The academy may deem it too lightweight for the top prize.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Spoiler
Why it has a shot: Shocked Oscar voters think this stockbroker carnival glorifies sex, drugs and moral reprobates. That very controversy could spur a passionate groundswell from supporters. Bonus: It’s Martin Scorsese.
What else could it win? Adapted screenplay.
However: The older, conservative wing of the academy almost always gets its way. (Remember The Social Network? Oscar didn’t.)
Dallas Buyers Club
Spoiler
Why it has a shot: The subject of AIDS is an Oscar magnet, and the strong performances only add to the cachet.
What else could it win? Actor (Matthew McConaughey), supporting actor (Jared Leto).
However: For best picture, it’s overshadowed.
Captain Phillips
Spoiler
Why it has a shot: No shame of slavery or the silly 1970s, just a pulse-pounding true story of Yankee heroism.
What else could it win? Adapted screenplay, technical awards.
However: Voters might be uncomfortable with that old trope of black villains attacking innocent white people, even though it all really happened. And the snub of director Paul Greengrass doesn’t bode well.
Nebraska
Underdog
Why prospects are dim: Its mix of bleak and sweet charmed film critics, but Oscar voters have different tastes.
What it could win: Actor (Bruce Dern), original screenplay, cinematography.
Her
Underdog
Why prospects are dim: Oscar likes a token quirky nominee (Juno, Beasts of the Southern Wild), but those don’t win.
What it could win: Original screenplay.
Philomena
Underdog
Why prospects are dim: The marketing magic of the winning Weinstein studio couldn’t draw the spotlight this time.
What it could win: It’s an honour just to be nominated.
DIRECTOR
Early favourite: Beloved Alfonso Cuaron toiled for years on his astonishing outer-space creation.
Spoiler: Steve McQueen may be a Hollywood outsider, but obviously his searing film didn’t direct itself.
Did you know: McQueen is only the third African-American director to be nominated (after John Singleton and Lee Daniels); none have won, yet.
ACTRESS
Early favourite: As a modern-day Blanche DuBois, Cate Blanchett seems unstoppable.
Spoilers: More people saw astronaut Sandra Bullock, and popularity counts.
Did you know: Amy Adams has scored a remarkable five nominations in nine years but never won. The others all have statuettes. And Meryl Streep has extended her record to 18 nominations.
ACTOR
Early favourite: Chiwetel Ejiofor delivered an anguished, moving performance in a crowded category.
Spoilers: Matthew McConaughey, as an emaciated crusading cowboy.
Did you know: Christian Bale, the surprise nominee, is the only one to have won before. It’s Leonardo DiCaprio’s fourth nomination and Dern’s second; Ejiofor and McConaughey are first-timers.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Early favourite: Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, who added heart to a harsh film.
Spoiler: Hollywood It Girl Jennifer Lawrence (but she just won best actress last year for Silver Linings Playbook).
Did you know: In academy history, 11 women have won supporting actress for their debut performance. Of the last four, three are African-American: Mo’Nique (Precious), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) and Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple).
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Early favourite: Jared Leto, transfixing as a transgender prostitute with HIV.
Spoiler: A terrifying Michael Fassbender, if 12 Years a Slave has coattails to ride.
Did you know: If Leto and McConaughey win, it would be the first time in a decade to have actor and supporting actor winners in the same film, and only the fourth time ever. — The Kansas City Star/MCT