After what feels like about 200 years of waiting, Oscar Sunday is finally on the horizon, and if there were ever an awards season race that needed to be a relay, it was this one. Between a collection of industry controversies and devastating natural disasters, a chance to catch our breath would be welcome.
As last year’s holiday movie season wrapped up and conversations focused on certain contenders, it initially looked like we were in for a pretty fun, if a little boring, Oscar race. The Academy held tight to its recent pattern, aiming for diversity in its nominations — both in terms of the performers nominated and the types of films it acknowledged — while still issuing some massive snubs. (Some of us were counting on hearing Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ “Challengers” score blaring through the Dolby Theater to jolt them back to reality Sunday night, but the only place that’ll be heard is from the Bose speaker in my living room.) Even without the freaky flavor of “Babygirl” or the chance to see Marianne Jean-Baptiste pick up her first Oscar, the nominations were exciting enough to surmise that the Academy is still chugging ahead into a forward-thinking era.
