One of the many ways the pandemic has affected our lives is in how we consume entertainment. I haven’t been to the theater to see a movie since January of 2020 (for the record, it was Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker), and I don’t know when I’ll feel comfortable going to one. I’ve received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, so theoretically I am fully immune, but I’m still wary of fully rejoining society.
What that means is that if you wanted to see a first-run movie this year, you probably had to do it via streaming. Fortunately, many of the Oscar nominees this year ARE available on one of the major streaming services. The problem is, movies were meant to be seen on a larger screen, and watching them at home just doesn’t do a lot of them justice.
Nevertheless, the Oscars are still on for this year, albeit much later than usual; the pandemic created an alternate timeline for awards season. In another post, I’ll talk about some of my favorite moments from Oscar telecasts past. Here, I’ll focus on some of this year’s nominees (this is not a comprehensive list, but you can find that elsewhere on the internet).
One notable aspect of this year’s nominees: the Oscars are still pretty damn white, but the efforts the Academy has made to boost its membership of non-white males has resulted in the most diverse list of nominees ever.
- Best Picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Mank, starring nominees Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, is the most-nominated film this year with 10 nods
Best Actress nominee Frances McDormand in Nomadland, the overwhelming Best Picture favorite
- Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand – Nomadland
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman
Andra Day is The United States vs. Billie Holiday’s sole nominee
Promising Young Woman‘s Carey Mulligan is the odds-on favorite to win Best Actress
On the set of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Viola Davis, director George C. Wolfe and Chadwick Boseman, who looks likely to win the Best Actor award posthumously. Viola Davis is now the most nominated black actress in history, with four career nods.
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins – The Father
Gary Oldman – Mank
Steven Yeun – Minari
Sound of Metal‘s Riz Ahmed
The Father, starring nominees Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman
Minari‘s Steven Yeun is the first Asian-American Best Actor nominee in history
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman – The Father
Amanda Seyfried – Mank
Youn Yuh-jung – Minari
Maria Bakalova visited the White House in character for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hillbilly Elegy’s Glenn Close is the 3rd person to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie for the same role
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami…
Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah
Daniel Kaluuya (foreground) and Lakeith Stanfield (far right) in Judas and the Black Messiah. For some reason, both title characters fell into the Supporting Actor category.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7
Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami…
- Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
David Fincher – Mank
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
Mank‘s David Fincher is nominated for his 3rd Best Director Oscar
Emerald Fennell (center, on the set of Promising Young Woman) is one of two women nominated for Best Director – an Oscars first
Chloe Zhao, on the set of Nomadland with Frances McDormand, looks to become only the second woman – and the first woman of color – to win the Best Director Oscar. She is also nominated for writing the screenplay and for editing the film.
- Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin is nominated for his 4th writing Oscar – he won for 2010’s The Social Network
Emerald Fennell is the favorite in this category for Promising Young Woman
- Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami…
The White Tiger
Sacha Baron Cohen is nominated once again for a Borat “screenplay”
Kemp Powers received his first Oscar nomination for One Night in Miami…
- Best Animated Feature Film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Pixar’s Soul – the favorite to win
- Best International Feature Film
Another Round
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Another Round, the overwhelming favorite to win Best International Feature Film
- Best Music (Original Score)
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul
Trent Reznor, Jon Batiste and Atticus Ross are the favorites to win Best Score for their collaboration on Soul
Terence Blanchard received his second nomination in three years for Da 5 Bloods
- Best Music (Original Song)
“Fight for You” – Judas and the Black Messiah
“Hear My Voice” – The Trial of the Chicago 7
“Husavik” – Eurovision Song Contest
“Io Si (Seen)” – The Life Ahead
“Speak Now” – One Night in Miami…
So, readers – who are your favorites to win? And who are you looking forward to seeing on the red carpet?
Peanut Butter and Julie 
Quite a list this year. Love the catchy title!
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