By Sophie Afdhal ’15, Assistant Sports Editor
With the release of Oscar nominations this week and the Golden Globes occurring last Sunday, the glamorous season of movie awards is well underway. Now that the nominations have been released, the Oscar buzz and speculation have already begun.
Certain pictures garnered a great deal of notice. Gravity and American Hustle were the most nominated, with 10 nominations each, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. The Best Picture nominations included American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years A Slave, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
There is much diversity and talent in this group, so much so that any of the films could win the award. The Golden Globes often serve as a predictor for the Oscars and 12 Years a Slave won the award for Best Picture at the Golden Globes. American Hustle is likely the other main competitor. It features many talented actors who have received Os- cars before, including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Christian Bale and is also the kind of film that the members of the academy tend to choose. For the Best Actor award, the men nominated all gave excellent performances and will be strong contenders.
Matthew McConaughey won the Golden Globe for role in Dallas Buyers Club, in which he portrays an AIDs patient who smuggled unapproved alternative drugs into the U.S. for himself and other AIDs patients. He has a good chance of winning the award on Oscar night.
Leonardo DiCaprio is also nominated for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio has never won the Oscar, and it would be exciting to see the long time star take home his first win.
For the Best Actress award there are some very talented women nominated. Meryl Streep, the long-time Oscar favorite, is nominated for her role in August: Osage County and has a strong chance. Cate Blanchett is the Golden Globe winner for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine. Considering the Academy’s love of Allen and the fact she also won the Screen Actor’s Guild award, Blanchett is in the best position for Oscar glory.
To discuss Oscar nominations, it is important to note the snubs and surprises. Tom Hanks was not nominated for his role in Captain Phillips, a surprise given how strong his performance is and the fact that he is so beloved in Hollywood.
Neither Oprah Winfrey or, more surprisingly, The Butler, have been nominated. This is a shock given it is a film about the butler to three presidents and the great performances in the film. The film received no nominations at all.
Similarly, Saving Mr. Banks was almost entirely passed over except for a Best Score nomination. Predictions for Best Picture had included Saving Mr. Banks and it was a surprise to see it so ignored. American Hustle received 10 nominations, but wasn’t recognized for Best Makeup and Hair despite having expertly created an outrageous parade of 70’s hair and makeup.
The most surprising nomination goes to Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa. Who would have thought Jackass would ever receive an Oscar nomination?
Now that the nominations are out and the initial judgements have been made, we will anxiously await March 2 Oscar night to see who will win the most coveted statuette in Hollywood.
Junior Sophie Afdhal is Assistant Sports Editor. Her email is safdhal@fandm.edu.