Nods, snubs and buzz

The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards are out this morning, after one of the strangest years in movies pretty much ever. It is the kind of nominee list the Academy has feared for years—since it has a powerful incentive (ad $) to get as many people to watch the ceremony as possible and this list will yield, I predict, the lowest ratings for the show in decades. That this list is also one of the strongest across the board in years in terms of the quality of the films and probably the most diverse set of nominees ever neatly demonstrates the tensions that animate the annual lala-land self-lovefest.

Two women nominated for director! The first Asian woman director nominee and two Asian male actor nominees; plus six black acting nominees! This is how we’ve gotten used to looking at these awards; and the Academy really spread the love around this year. Many worthy nominees from many quarters.

And with all the diversity, there’s still a strong chance that David Fincher’s Mank will dominate because of the old, white voting base of the Academy and that film’s old Hollywood setting. In fact, the nominations for Mank seem calculated almost to give that base something to vote for, since we know the members of the Academy don’t actually like to watch movies all that much. Still, it’s an honor just to be nominated, right? And these nominations will open a lot of doors for this talented group of people, many of whom would never have gotten this kind of recognition in a “normal” year.

Delroy Lindo was snubbed after a terrific performance in Da 5 Bloods. There were no nominations for First Cow or the Small Axe films or Never Rarely Sometimes Always or I’m Thinking of Ending Things, all among my favorites of the year. I think Promising Young Woman has been overpraised and, while I liked Mank, it doesn’t deserve to take the place of some of the ignored films. On the other hand, there is a refreshing absence of stars (there are a few old hands) and a lot of deserving talents elevated for the first time. The ratings might tank, but the triumphant diversity will make history.