The 96th Academy Awards nominations were released on Tuesday, January 23. Like all award shows, the nominations list always causes a conversation surrounding the nominees and those who were “snubbed”. However, due to the Academy Awards, or Oscars, prestige, the conversations are much louder as it is. This year’s nominee list has caused an explosion larger than the bomb in Oppenheimer. Hollywood and the general public have shared their opinions on this year’s nominees, so let me share mine.
Let’s preface this by saying that I applaud all nominees whose work is being recognized by the Academy. I have yet to finish all of the main films nominated, but I am highly satisfied that all of these films are getting the attention it deserves. The nominations for best picture were quite impressive, with a stacked lineup of films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers Of The Flower Moon. Each of these films are very deserving of their placements and I am eager to see how the academy votes.
History has been made this year as Lily Gladstone is the first Native American actress to be nominated in an acting category. Gladstone’s performance in Killers Of The Flower Moon was extraordinary as she portrayed a native woman trying to save her land. The Director of that same film is also up for “Best Director.” Martin Scorsese has made history becoming the most nominated living director.
Many A-list actors have been included in the acting categories. Bradley Cooper was nominated for Actor In A Leading Role for his brilliant film Maestro which is also up for Best Picture. Emma Stone was nominated for “Actress In A Leading Role” for her work in Poor Things, which is also nominated for “Best Picture.” So many great performances are being acknowledged this year which is fantastic. However, there is one giant that needs to be added to the puzzle. This missing piece has not gone unnoticed and has created much buzz in Hollywood. The piece is hard to miss, as it’s bright pink and glittery, also known as Margot Robbie.
She needs no introduction, but Robbie plays Barbie in the “Best Picture” nominated film Barbie. Obviously, she is the lead in the film but is noticeably missing from the “Best Actress In A Leading Role” category. However, her counterpart Ryan Gosling has been nominated for “Best Actor In A Supporting Role”. The irony has not been lost on me or countless others. Barbie is all about the female experience and how women have to work so much harder to be deemed just as good as men. It portrays the ways in which society gives men more grace, whereas women must always be better. So, many found it sadly comical how the Academy failed to recognize that message and nominated Ken but not Barbie. In fact, it further perpetuates the film’s message.
However, I don’t believe that The Academy didn’t completely miss the mark on Barbie’s acting performances. America Ferrera has been nominated for “Best Actress In A Supporting Role.” Her work as Gloria has moved many to tears, including myself. She delivers a bone-chilling speech about the female experience and it clearly came from a very sad truth in her own personal life. As for Gosling, I do not believe that he should have gotten a nomination. Of course, I loved him as Ken and his character was fantastic. However, I don’t think that it was an Oscar-deserving performance. Gosling played Ken perfectly, but I don’t think he was written to be Oscar-winning. His role was mostly a comedic one and when lined up next to the emotional and heart-hitting performances by other nominees, his does not match up. With all due respect, Ken was quite a comedic role, and while I do agree that Gosling played it very well and smartly, I don’t think that it deserved a nod.
Gosling’s nomination also starkly highlights the lack of any nomination to Robbie. Some may argue that Barbie as a character is also comedic and not Oscar-worthy, but her character’s deep emotional journey brings it home for her. Robbie delicately walks the line between funny and highly emotional moments. It takes quite a skill to be able to authentically show the raw emotions on screen. Another odd takeaway from Robbie’s snub is that all of the popular picks for Best Picture have their lead roles nominated. I understand that it doesn’t automatically mean Robbie deserves a nomination, however, there are obviously a multitude of reasons as to why her absence is startling.
In addition to Robbie’s snub, another female creator of Barbie has been noticeably absent amongst her peers. Barbie’s director Greta Gerwig was not nominated for “Best Director.” Gerwig was the mastermind behind this phenomenal film and knew exactly what to do to pack the punch of this movie. Being the film nerd that I am, I watched the director’s cut of Barbie where she explained each shot in detail. The mind of Gerwig is brilliant and deserves to be recognized. Each of the directors in that category is brilliant in their own right, however, Gerwig brings such a deeply personal and humanistic element to her projects, including Barbie. It’s also important to note that only one of the directors in that category is female. I know that it’s easy for critics to say that people blame everything on sexism. However, given the message of the film, it’s pretty clear that women in Hollywood are still not given the full range that their male counterparts are.
Gerwig has directed three feature films in her young career and ALL three films have been nominated for “Best Picture.” She’s been nominated in the “Best Director” category once for her fantastic film Lady Bird. However, she’s clearly proven time and time again that she belongs in that category.
I am sick of female directors, actors, and writers being excluded from these categories. And yes, I know some will roll their eyes at this and regard these complaints as blaming everything on sexism. However, it is obvious to anyone that these women have earned their right to be recognized. They constantly bring fresh takes on complex topics and characters. So, it is time for Hollywood to get out of the 1950’s and wake up.
On a positive note, Gerwig was nominated alongside her partner and co-writer of Barbie, Noah Baumbach, for “Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)”. And while she didn’t get an acting nomination, Robbie received a nomination for “Best Picture”, as she’s a producer of Barbie. While it would’ve been nice to see the very deserving women of Barbie be nominated, I think that there have been some positives to their snubs. For one, Hollywood is talking about it. The conversation has moved away from nominations to solely Barbie. Hopefully, these discussions between critics and the media can lead to a change in gender disparities in the future. Also, there has been a rallying support for Robbie and Gerwig. For me, the one that stood out the most was Gosling’s response to their lack of nominations.
“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film,” wrote Gosling in a statement released on Tuesday, following the release of the nominees.
Gosling completely hit the nail on the head. The masterminds behind this film are the two that have been unnoticed. I couldn’t have worded it better.
All in all, these are just movies. I understand that not everyone gets a prize and there are limited spaces in these categories. However, I think it is fair to call out the noticeable missing nominees. Unfortunately, I think that The Academy loses credibility each time it makes a very obvious mistake in its judgments.
