After the simultaneous strikes of writers and actors that delayed numerous film award ceremonies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 96th Academy Awards nominations January 23. Also known as the Oscars, this annual award ceremony remains important to people within the film industry as it increases the recognition and visibility of actors and directors. As prolific actors such as Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid revealed the nominees for the ceremony’s 23 categories, movie enjoyers around the nation waited to hear their favorite movies and performers receive nominations.
Barbenheimer expectedly dominated the 2024 categories, with “Oppenheimer” earning 13 nominations and “Barbie” receiving eight nominations. As both movies were released July 21 and broke box office records, people could not stop praising these films with extremely different themes. “Oppenheimer” received prominent nominations including Best Picture and Best Director under the direction of Cristopher Nolan. Cillian Murphy, who has already acquired numerous accolades for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer, also earned the ticket for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Along with nominations for the film’s music score and cinematography, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. additionally received selections for their acting roles.
“Barbie” secured nominations ranging from Best Costume Design to Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as two nominations for Best Original Song. While the Academy recognized Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera for their supporting roles in the blockbuster film, the Oscars nominations once again stirred controversy for its snubs of actors and directors. Despite their previous Academy Award nominations and impactful contributions to the movie, the Oscars omitted any mention of director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie. Gosling and Ferrera both came out with statements regarding the questionable snubs, and politicians such as Hillary Clinton expressed their outrage about the Academy’s decision.
“I thought ‘Barbie’ was an overall good movie and I am glad that it was nominated because the movie had a good message and it deserves to win awards. However, I do think it was very ironic that Ryan Gosling was nominated and Margot Robbie was not, since the movie was literally addressing the differences between patriarchy and matriarchy,” magnet senior Sarah Abdallah said.
As the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once” gained historical wins for Asians within the film industry in 2023, it seems that “Killers of the Flower Moon” might bring in long-overdue awards for the Native American community. Based on the New York Times bestseller, Oscar-winning director Martin Scorcese depicted the Osage murders of the 1920s with the assistance of Osage tribe members. Lily Gladstone, who played the role of Mollie Burkhart, became the first Native American to receive the Best Actress nomination in the Oscars’ 96-year history. Scott George also earned historical recognition as he became the first Osage and Native American to earn the Best Original Song selection for the track “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People).”
The 2024 category for Best Animated Feature consists of superb films with exquisite animation and dedication. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” follows Miles Morales as he brawls with supervillains and Spider-People while also battling internal conflicts. “The Boy and the Heron” stands as the seventh Oscar-nominated film for the Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. Other films in the category include “Elemental,” “Nimona” and “Robot Dreams.”
“Listen, I like Studio Ghibli as much as the next loser, but ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is simply better. The sheer aura that the movie emanates is second to none! The scores, the direction, the voice acting, the storytelling, everything is top-tier. I could almost say the same things about “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” It was an amazing movie, and sadly, since it got snubbed from the Oscar nominations I am now obligated to spin back for my amphibious brothers [sic],” McEachern High School senior Braedon Belfast said.
As with every Oscars ceremony, the award show will certainly push actors and directors into mainstream recognition. While actresses such as Danielle Brooks stand as the only nominee for the retelling of “The Color Purple,” Bradley Cooper received seven Oscar nominations for his film “Maestro.” As movies such as “American Fiction,” “Poor Things” and “Past Lives” fight for a chance to win Best Picture, the March 10 ceremony will certainly stand as a memorable night for filmmaking.
