By Abigail Chai, Staff Writer
Among the dozens of prestigious award shows that take place every year, The Academy Awards, most known as The Oscars, is arguably the most reputable and significant in the film industry. 2022 was an incredible year for movies all around, with stellar performances, directing, and a particularly successful year for box office revenue, bringing forth tons of potential Oscar nominees. While the 95 year-old award show is both controversial and at times deemed, “overrated”, every year moviegoers excitedly await the announcement of the nominee.
With an anticipated, but deserved lead, Everything Everywhere All At Once scored 11 nominations, a majority of them being in major categories. Released on March 11, 2022, the film was largely talked about on social media, with praise for its plot, directing, and incredible cast. From its first appearance on the big screen, it was clear the film was on a path towards success. Following Everything Everywhere’s groundbreaking lead are The Banshees of Insherin and All Quiet On The Western Front, which each hold 9 nominations.
And while the list seems to have satisfied most, it came with several upsets and surprises, most of them stemming from the Best Actress in a leading role category. There’s been much uproar surrounding Ana De Armas nomination for Blonde, a “biopic” that is a fictionalized take on the fame of the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Blonde is a widely controversial film, largely due to its exploitative nature surrounding Marilyn Monroe, and while Ana De Armas is undoubtedly a talented actress, to some her nomination seems more like a punch to Marilyn Monroe’s legacy. Perhaps even more controversial is Andrea Riseborough’s surprise nomination for To Leslie, which could possibly be revoked due to the possibility of illegal campaigning. The underground “marketing” created a cloud of false publicity for the movie.
At Mills, some students expressed their opinions on nominees this year, and the potential snubs. Sophomore, Phoebe Piserchio, voiced her displeasure towards the Oscars and the blind eye they turned on actress Florence Pugh. Piserchio, states, “She was robbed of an Oscar Nomination for Don’t Worry Darling because she clearly carried the movie with her compelling performance as the lead.”
For me personally, the biggest upset is against the horror genre as a whole. 2022 was a great year for horror, and while not all of them were necessarily “Oscar worthy”, a few of them certainly were. Jordan Peele’s Nope and Ti West’s Pearl were both extremely successful in their own ways, the films being a fresh new addition to the horror genre, so it’s truly a shame that both films were completely ignored by the Academy. The biggest disappointment was Mia Goth being snubbed for her leading role in Pearl, as it’s plain to see the talent and passion the actress poured into the role. You may have seen Goth on your TikTok for-you-page, adorned in a red dress screaming at the top of her lungs “I’M A STAR” in an aggressively southern accent. Goth’s performance in Pearl went viral for all the right reasons, so it was truly astounding to not see her nominated for Best Actress. To add, Nope particularly shone through its visual effects, sound design, and compelling plot. It deserved a spot in the Best Sound Editing category, and possibly even Best Picture.
The Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, and until then all we can do is wait in anticipation for the big day. Regardless of the upsets/snubs of the year, it’s important to recognize the talent of all who were nominated. With such a competitive year in the entertainment history, it was definitely a fight to even make the list. And while a few deserving movies, actors, and actresses did go unnoticed this year, those who were recognized are undeniably deserving of their spot.
