2018 Oscar Nominations

Another year, another Oscar season.  While there are a lot of expected names on the nomination list this year, it’s not wholly predictable, and there are a few surprises amid the “well, of course” entries, along with a few inevitable disappointments.

Looking at the major categories (best picture, acting, writing, directing,) The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri are the heavy hitters, as expected.  Phantom Thread did a little better than I would have thought, and I was surprised by Darkest Hour’s best picture nod – I’d have figured that film would mainly be up for Gary Oldman’s acting and nothing else.  At the same time, I’d been expecting a little more for Call Me By Your Name and would’ve liked to see more for I, Tonya.

Overall, I’m pleased with the showings Get Out and Lady Bird made, especially that both are up for best director as well as best original screenplay.  In the former category, I’m pleased that the Academy recognized these talented newcomers instead of defaulting to more renowned directors – I mean, Spielberg is great, but The Post isn’t as good as Get Out.  I imagine, though, that that award is Guillermo del Toro’s to lose at this point, and I’m curious if the omission of Three Billboards in this category will hurt its best picture chances.

Both the screenplay categories are pretty interesting this year.  I love that four of the best picture nominees are up for orginal screenplay, along with The Big Sick – it always feels special when so many of the year’s best films feature original stories, rather than solely adaptations or biopics.  By contrast, only one of the best picture nominees, Call Me By Your Name, got an adapted screenplay nod.  The rest of that category ranges from Mudbound (putting Netflix on the map in a big way with a few significant nominations) to, impressively, Logan.

Not a ton of surprise in the acting categories.  I hadn’t expected Denzel Washington to pull a best actor nod this time around, and while I’m pleased to see Christopher Plummer nominated for All the Money in the World, I would’ve liked to see Michelle Williams make it in, too.  The lead actor and actress categories are evenly matched, with four of the five nominees for each being from best picture nominees.  I like seeing that, that there’s a mix of both men’s and women’s stories up for best picture.

As always, there are some nominations I’m disappointed not to see.  I know comic-book movies are a hard sell to the Academy, despite Logan snagging a nomination, but I would’ve liked to see something for Wonder Woman.  In an ideal world, I would’ve put it up for best picture and best director, and its costume work is great as well.  Also, I know it got a few production/technical nominations here and there, but I’m kind of crushed that Beauty and the Beast didn’t get a best original song nomination – I love “Evermore” so much.

My one big concern with these nominations is that I’m not sure I want to see either Three Billboards or The Shape of Water, both of which are likely to take home some big trophies.  With Three Billboards, I love all the nominated actors, and the story does intrigue me, but I’ve heard enough about the film’s handling of race to be wary of giving my dollars to it.  And The Shape of Water?  That’s a rough one, because it looks awesome – amazing actors, cool story, and the one-of-a-kind Guillermo del Toro.  I’d like nothing more than to be all over that.  However, I don’t know if I can take a full movie of what looks like Sally Hawkins’s awkward signing.  Maybe I just need to see a longer sustained clip of her character to reassure me, but from the brief snippets we get in the trailer, it looks so nonfluent, and I think that could be really annoying to watch.