W
hile the acceptance speech notion that “it’s just an honor to be nominated” may be true, I always like to see when the winner acknowledges the others in their category
HITTING THEIR MARKS
and how it’s amazing to be nominated along with them. Sometimes it’s their best acting in not showing disappointment. But more so enjoyable to see whose cheese is truly whizzed by having lost, be it with a terse smile or withering side eye denoting their defeat. And here are the nominees for Best Actress, Actor, Supporting
Actress and Actor . . . Let’s start with a ladies-first approach and give the Academy kudos
for actually showing diversity with their nominations, with both Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which was not what I thought it would be about, given the title) and Andra Day (The United States v. Billie Holiday) playing real-life bisexual ladies of song. Previous Oscar darling and two-time Best Actress winner Frances
McDormand (Nomadland) is going for the gold yet again, as Carey Mulligan’s(Promising Young Woman) amazing turn as the human personification of the gothic rock band She Wants Revenge, a Best Actress hopeful for An Education in 2010. British actress Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) rose above
the real-life drama surrounding the film she’s nominated for, with accusations of “sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress” being leveled at co-star Shia LeBeouf by ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs. Those lending more support than a sports bra to their respective
movies includes a previous winner, an always the bridesmaid and never the bride, and three newbies . . . and we’ll begin there. Amanda Seyfried (Mank) ditched singing ABBA songs for the Mamma Mia! movies for her turn as Hollywood actress Marion Davies. South Korean actress Yuh-jung Youn (Minari) makes Oscar history as the first actress of Asian-American actress to receive an Oscar nom, and Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) is up for playing everyone’s favorite Kazakhstan reporter’s daughter. Olivia Colman (The Father) snatched a trophy for being The
Favourite actress in 2019, while Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) has many nominations under her belt with zero wins. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
COULD WIN: Day, who is from San Diego bee tee dub, already won a
Golden Globe for her portrayal of Lady Day and often playing a real-life person equates Oscar gold. The odds-on fave seems to be Bakalova, who probably secured her nod on the strength of making Rudy Ghouliani lie down on a bed. This caused him to begin, ahem, tucking his shirt in during a compromising scene in the comedy sequel that he claims was most certainly not him unzipping his pants. Sure, Jan. SHOULD WIN: McDormand’s low-key approach to fleshing out her character Fern was equal parts quiet, thoughtful and inspirational. Even though the movie she’s nominated for left audiences divided if they gave it a thumbs up or a snap in a G formation, Close is long overdue for recognition with seven previous nominations.
waters. The Best Actor nominees illustrate the sentiment with the first Muslim lead actor nominee, Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), being singled out for his portrayal of a drummer in a metal band grappling with losing his hearing. Additionally, Steven Yeun (Minari) shows he has come a long way
A
from his role of Glenn on The Walking Dead, as the head of a Korean- American farmer family and makes history in the process as the first actor of Asian-American descent to claim this achievement. The late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) hit all the right notes in his turn as a cornet player in the 1920s. Rounding out the best of the best are Anthony Hopkins (The Father) and Gary Oldman (Mank), who have nine career nominations between them and one win apiece in this very category.
COULD WIN: Boseman had a posthumous win at the Golden Globes, and if this is the case, he’d be the third actor in Oscar history to do so.
SHOULD WIN: It would be amazing to see Yeun take home the win, especially in light of all the senseless violence surrounding the Asian-American community.
s for the men vying for the penultimate acting awards, the batch of contenders encompasses Oscar vets, first-timers, and the Academy steering its ship into more inclusive
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ragemonthly.com | APRIL 2021
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