We can’t deny it’s been a bumpy road for the world of movies in recent years, from theaters shuttering for an extended stretch during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the writers and actors strikes, to the continued proliferation and dominance of the streaming giants, giving moviegoers more at-home choices than ever before.
But hope lives when we take a look at the 10 films nominated for the Academy Award for best picture of 2023:
- “American Fiction”
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “Barbie”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Maestro”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Past Lives”
- “Poor Things”
- “The Zone of Interest”
That is not a list of good films. That is a list of great and nearly great works, covering genres from sly satire, to genre commentary, to showbiz biopic, to World War II stories, to historical drama, to resonant films told primarily in a language other than English.
Christopher Nolan’s profound and magnificent “Oppenheimer” remains the heavy favorite to win best picture, but there’s not a single title in the top 10 that would be frowned upon in the years and decades to come. If you haven’t seen some of these films, you’d be doing yourself a favor by catching up between now and March 10, when the 96th annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Jimmy Kimmel returning to host, marking his fourth time,
It’s Nomination Coverage Law that we must include the term “snubs & surprises” in any article, so let’s take a look at this year’s S&S candidates, as well as some other notable developments from the nominations, which (in typical and inexplicable Academy-mandated fashion) were rattled off at 5:30 a.m. from the academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. (Kudos to presenters Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid for getting right to it without any painful banter, and for doing a wonderful job with the pronunciations of names and titles.)
It’s a Barbie World — somewhat
Box-office sensation and critical fave “Barbie” garnered eight nominations, including Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for adapted screenplay, America Ferrera for supporting actress and Ryan Gosling for supporting actor. Many cried “Snub!” over Gerwig not getting a directing nod and Margot Robbie not making the cut for best actress — but Gerwig does become the first woman to have directed three best picture nominees in “Lady Bird,” “Little Women” and now “Barbie.”
Making history
For the first time in history, three best picture nominees were directed by women: “Barbie,” Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Celine Song’s “Past Lives.”
Anatomy of a rise
Many awards oddsmakers (and that’s definitely a thing these days) had Robbie ahead of eventual nominees Annette Bening (“Nyad”) and Sandra Hüller, the great German actress nominated for “Anatomy of a Fall.” In fact, Hüller delivered TWO of the best performances of 2023, as her supporting work in “The Zone of Interest” (a best picture nominee) was a chillingly effective master class.
First in their class
Given Cillian Murphy’s status as one of the most respected actors of his generation, it might come as a surprise to learn Murphy’s nomination for “Oppenheimer” is his first.
In addition to the aforementioned Sandra Hüller, other first-timers, all well-deserving:
- Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”)
- Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)
- Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”)
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”)
- Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”)
- Colman Domingo (“Rustin”)
- America Ferrera (“Barbie”)
- Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”)
It’s always a kick to see the first-time nominees on Oscar night. Win or lose, the first line of their biographies has a new and permanent addition.
Making more history
Lily Gladstone of “Killers of the Flower Moon” becomes the first Native American nominated for a best actress Oscar, and she is the odds-on choice (and my personal favorite) to win. That will surely make for one of the most memorable moments at the ceremony. (Gladstone is the fourth Indigenous person nominated for best actress after Merle Oberon (part Maori), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Maori) and Yalitza Aparicio (Mixtec and Trique).
Unfairly overlooked
Nominations or not, I still say various performances in “Air,” “The Killer,” “Ferrari,” “Dream Scenario,” “Saltburn,” “May December,” “Origin” and “The Iron Claw” were worthy of a nod.
Ah, but that’s the thing with Oscar nominations. It’s a competition, which means there will be happy surprises for some and deep disappointments for others. As always, though, it helps to keep a sense of balance about these things. To borrow a perspective from the world of sports, as the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen said on the day after a heartbreaking playoff loss: “On the bright side, we woke up this morning.”
