Want the inside scoop on all things awards? Welcome to Letter From the Awards Editor, our weekly series where Backstage’s Jack Smart takes a look at the latest film and television news, industry trends, and awards projections that matter to today’s working actor.
Dear Backstage reader,
At every Thanksgiving growing up, I would join my family to hold hands in a circle and announce what I’m thankful for. So in that spirit—and since the entertainment industry, and Backstage, are taking a slight breather for the holiday—we’re trying something a little different for this week’s Letter from the Awards Editor.
Below is a roundup of the performances, moments, and award-worthy or award-adjacent ephemera that has resonated with me in 2019. You won’t catch Backstage making outright Oscar predictions, but having said that, don’t be surprised if many of the people and projects from the entirely subjective list below appear in nominations announcements in the new year. These are the kinds of things that remind me why I love great filmmaking, great storytelling, great artists.
- Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers.” Jennifer Lopez’s glamorously tacky costumes in “Hustlers.” One of the first scenes in “Hustlers,” in which Jennifer Lopez executes a pole dancing sequence to Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” so athletically impressive and powerful it seems to ask, “Yes, I can command the male gaze. But now what? I want more.” The female camaraderie, and lack of male characters, in “Hustlers.” And the fact that writer-director Lorene Scafaria assembled such a kickass cast to elevate a real-life story about strippers taking what’s theirs, and subverted our every expectation of what could be considered an awards hit.
- The SAG Awards having only 15 categories to worry about and cover. Brevity is the soul of an awards ceremony.
- The wordless acting sequences in Chinonye Chukwu’s stunning film “Clemency.” In a season where many films in the awards conversation are helmed by writer-directors, I keep thinking about the synthesis between brilliant scripts and actors, and how dialogue-free moments best represent the cast and crew’s trust in each other. Using only their faces and gestures, Alfre Woodard’s prison warden and Aldis Hodge’s death row inmate are poets speaking volumes.
- Billy Porter’s red carpet looks. Excuse me, I mean, Primetime Emmy Award winner Billy Porter’s red carpet looks. (Plus the looks on his Backstage cover, too!)
- The resurgence of our collective fascination with Judy Garland, thanks mostly to the Renée Zellweger-led biopic “Judy.” Maybe by giving an Oscar to the actor playing her, Hollywood can partially make up for never having crowned the legend herself.
- Ava DuVernay and her invigorating, 16-time Emmy–nominated “When They See Us.” The seemingly effortless way she elevates other artists who deserve to have their voices heard. The future of Hollywood looks bright with her behind the camera.
- The delicate way Scarlett Johansson ties somebody else’s shoes in not one but two of this year’s most talked-about films. As a charming single mother in Taika Waititi’s wacky take on WWII in “Jojo Rabbit,” and as the heartbroken half of a divorcing couple in Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” she tightens up shoelaces along with the odds she’ll be competing in both leading and supporting categories come January.
- “Fleabag.” “Pose.” “Watchmen.” “Russian Doll.” “The Morning Show.” “The Good Place.” “Succession.” “The Other Two.” “BoJack Horseman.” “Big Mouth.” “Game of Thrones.” Having too much TV to watch...! It’s a good thing.
- A particularly strong year for leading men on film: Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite Is My Name,” Taron Egerton in “Rocketman,” Christian Bale and Matt Damon in “Ford v. Ferrari,” Antonio Banderas in “Pain & Glory,” Adam Sandler in “Uncut Gems,” Edward Norton in “Motherless Brooklyn,” Robert De Niro in “The Irishman,” Jonathan Pryce in “The Two Popes,” Adam Driver in both “Marriage Story” and “The Report”.... And that’s only scratching the surface. It’s an embarrassment of manly riches!
- Bong Joon-ho. His boldness of vision in the cinematic mindfuck that is “Parasite.” And his ability to give interviews as insightful as they are charming.
- Screening links. Don’t get me wrong, going to screenings is great! Many movies are meant to be seen on the big screen! But amid the craziness of film and guilds awards season, I appreciate the ability to catch up on something whenever and wherever I want to. Take note, publicists.
- The artists who in 2019 opened up and shared with me glimpses into their creative process, inspirations, and inner life: Tony Hale, Betty Gilpin, and Lucy Liu among them.
Lastly, I feel thankful for the team at Backstage. You may not know it, given the quantity and, if I may say so, quality of our content, but we’re a tiny group working hard to highlight great work and how aspiring entertainers can create great work, too. Cheers to us!
Happy holiday season,
Jack