Oscar nominations and other things...

[shadowkat]

1. The full Oscar list for 2024 courtesy of the NY Times - I keep forgetting they moved it up, for years it was in February.

I honestly don't understand the appeal of Killer's of the Flower Moon or Barbie. I'd not have nominated either. I didn't like either film for different reasons.

But I also don't really care that much? Or set much store by this? I can't remember the winners of them anyhow. And there's a lot of amazing films that never won or were nominated, while there's a lot of unmemorable clunkers that have. Demonstrating that this is all subjective and kind of pointless in the scheme of things, isn't it? It does, however, provide one with a list of movies to check out - in the hundreds of thousands that were released this year.

Still fun to speculate about. Also, Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American nominated for an Oscar, and Margot Robbie was snubbed, and I honestly think she was the best thing in Barbie.

Anyhow...

Here's the list in case you can't get into the NY Times..(I've not seen all of them, just a handful here and there - I've put in bold the ones that I've seen.)


Best Picture

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Actress

Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Director

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Cinematography

El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Original Score

American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Original Song

"The Fire Inside," Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken," Barbie
"It Never Went Away," American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)," Killers of the Flower Moon
"What Was I Made For?" Barbie

Best International Feature

Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers' Lounge
The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Feature

The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse



See, a handful. But it does give me a list of films to check out. I'll give it that. No one I know but the critics appeared to like Maestro. So, it's odd that it was nominated.

2. Crazy Workplace is still trying to drive me nuts. I have a miniature dart board that I throw magnetic darts at when I get annoyed. What I need is a miniature punching bag. Also did a lot of meditating at lunch time - about twenty minutes worth. One was about how to handle difficult emotions in the workplace. The other was about living in the moment. Yesterday, I did one that was guided by a former fighter pilot, on how to handle stressful moments and getting things thrown at you at the last minute.

Also talked to Babs, who keeps reminding me of three things: 1) I didn't get hit by a train (even if I have a long list of people I wish would), 2) I get paid on Thursday regardless of what I do, and 3) this is temporary and will be over soon.

3. The weather is grim and gloomy. With sparks of sunshine. But it's not as cold - rained today. So progress? I don't know, maybe snow would have been better or at least prettier? On the commute home - I was running a touch behind on everything. Had to run to catch the train, and each stop light I hit just as it turned red, I walked (sometimes dashed across) anyhow - half-daring the cars to hit me. They didn't. Obviously. Or I wouldn't be here.

4. Niece got out of her lease (I'm guessing the pipes freezing helped?) - and went to LA for a bit, then she's going to Utah to visit her boyfriend's parents who live in ski country, then flying to see her parents in NY. Ah to be young and fancy free. (I'm not sure I was ever fancy free - I didn't have the resources or funds niece has.)

Apparently they got over the COVID.

5. Mother went to Charleston today and it turned out better than we expected. She got excellent news. Apparently when she had their surgery, they took out the fracture completely, and replaced it. There's nothing to heal. And they don't know what the radiologist or doctor found in the MRI - because mother's hip has healed wonderfully - and is in excellent condition. She may have a little bursitis, and calcification on the bone, but mainly it's the muscles. Not the hip itself.

Very relieved. It's the best news.

It's nice to get some good news today. Considering I was worrying about her off and on all day long.

***

Off to make dinner, and lunch for tomorrow. Watch soap. Exercise. Wind down. Work on novel.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

Maestro for Best Screenplay is inexplicable. I did like Nimona, but it was not great animation. I wonder if the Indiana Jones Score nomination was a way of farewelling John Williams.

[shadowkat]

I was thinking the same thing in regards to John Williams and the Indiana Jones Score. Because it was hardly groundbreaking - it was basically just a homage to Raiders.

I need to see Maestro - so I can understand why everyone except Chidi and the Academy, didn't like it and thought it was horribly written. (They all said that without exception.)

Agree on Nimona, it's not great animation. It's okay. Felt kind of the same way about Elemental in some respects, except it was at least innovative in some respects.

Spiderman - Across the Spiderverse on the other hand - was well done. I've not seen two of them.

[yourlibrarian]

It's true, Elemental did do an amazing job with the water people. If one melded together Nimona and Elemental it might actually be a good movie!

[shadowkat]

I'd agree. Both had issues, and fell apart on plot cliches. There was some clever stuff in both though, and some experimental stuff - that I was impressed by as an artist.

[iddewes]

Margot Robbie is actually a really good actress, I think she should have been nominated. I saw that film that she played Tonya Harding in and it honestly took me a while to realise it was her, she did it so well. And I think she deserves it more than Ryan Gosling.

[shadowkat]

I'd agree - I've seen Robbie in a lot of things. I'd have nominated her over Gosling and Ferrar personally. She was the only thing I liked about the movie.

[svgurl]

That's good news about your mom! :)

I was surprised Ryan Gosling got nominated and Margot Robbie didn't. I enjoyed Barbie, but it didn't feel like the type of movie that gets nominated for the Oscars. I know that they're not up for the same category of course, but if one of them were to be nominated, I think it should've been her (though she had zero shot of winning). I guess, despite being the lead, her role was a lot more subtle and both Gosling and even America Ferrera were in your face.

[shadowkat]

I think it was pop culture phenomena - so it was bound to get nominated? Also, Mattel kind of kicked the marketing into overdrive. (Oppenheimer got to ride that marketing campaign's coat tails.)

I'm not surprised Gosling got nominated - he was being touted by all the critics and various folks as the best thing in it.

(I disagree - I personally despised him and honestly think Margot Robbie and the set direction was...but I'm also not a fan of over-the-top satire and parody, and Gosling felt like he was laying it on a bit thick.) But, the fact that "This is Ken" won best song in the Golden Globes, and got nominated - it was a given. (I really despise that song...).

her role was a lot more subtle and both Gosling and even America Ferrera were in your face.

Subtle acting rarely gets acknowledged or wins. People like the hams or the folks that are in your face. The best performance I've seen was Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, who was mesmerizing, but his performance is very subtle - and people like the over-the-top.