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,
What do we think of this year’s Academy Award nominations? The usual jolts of surprise and cries of “snub!” followed the Jan. 13 announcement, with familiar yet no less vehement criticisms (no women recognized for best director, and only two people of color in the acting lists, for example) again leveled at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Admittedly, I was disheartened to see that my personal months-long campaign for an Oscar nomination for Jennifer Lopez had been for naught.
But as I’ve said before in my letters from the awards desk, these many perceived snubs suggest an encouraging truth: that Oscar competition is stiff because the year’s moviemaking is strong.
What struck me about the list is what it indicates about Hollywood at this very moment in its evolution. Answers to questions that have been debated for months—like how streaming services are changing the way entertainment is distributed, or what the industry’s massive studio mergers mean for our cultural landscape—lie in the Academy’s selections.
Last year, after a couple of wins in documentary categories, Netflix tasted Oscar gold in a major way, winning for best foreign film, cinematography, and director. Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” sure was an interesting way to break into this awards landscape: A black-and-white, Spanish-language epic with no recognizable stars isn’t necessarily within the realm of what the Academy might consider best picture material. But the Netflix factor confused matters. It was around then that a school of thought was formed, with traditionalist moviemakers like Steven Spielberg and the film festivals at Cannes and Berlin worried about preserving the theatergoing experience and championing features as they are designed to be seen—on the big screen. Would Academy gatekeepers consider a television streaming service, releasing projects for consumers to check out however and wherever they like, worthy of Oscar’s honor?
READ: 10 Oscar-Less Actors Who Deserve That Little Gold Man Already!
If the answer with “Roma” in 2019 was a timid yes, then 2020 looks to be a full-throated roar of assent. Noah Baumbach’s divorce drama “Marriage Story” and Martin Scorsese’s mobster epic “The Irishman” dominated this year’s nomination list, and with additional love for “The Two Popes,” Netflix totaled a leading 24 nods. The Screen Actors Guild Awards’ nominating committees, which have for years favored Netflix in their TV categories, also gave the streamer the most film nods for the first time, as did the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with their Golden Globe nods.
Not only are a divorce drama and a mobster epic historically more suited to Hollywood’s idea of prestige, it seems there’s a growing sentiment that Netflix’s ability to finance original ideas will only help the industry. If a beloved ol’ goodfella like Scorsese, who has pointed out that “The Irishman” would not have received the green light at any other studio, approves of this unconventional means of distribution, then that settles it for everyone. Netflix is here to stay and will continue to shake things up.
Of course, that brings up another takeaway from this year in film. Scorsese has repeatedly articulated his concerns about the industry’s willingness, or ability, to only finance superhero spectacles like those of Marvel Entertainment. Disney, Marvel’s distributor now also merged with megastudio Fox, was responsible for seven of 2019’s top 10 highest grossing movies. The conglomerate’s growth naturally has industry insiders voicing concerns about original ideas being stifled and audiences being spoon-fed narrower and narrower definitions of what they want, edging ever closer to what could be a cultural monopoly.
And the thing is, Netflix could be one, too! Their “quantity and quality” approach to content has extended their reach to unprecedented levels, bringing a growing number of talented showrunners, filmmakers, and producers under their auspices. To be clear, I’m not complaining. Great art is great art, and it’s worth pointing out that there’s no sameness to the wide array of Netflix content. And if the so-called Baby Yoda of Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” was generated from an algorithm designed to make me tune in and maximize profit, so be it. That little green guy Force-waved his way into my heart.
READ: Inside Every Recent Oscar Best Picture Winner
But the consolidation of films and TV series under fewer distributors is worth keeping an eye on in this golden age of scripted content. Look again at the Oscar nominations list: off-the-beaten-path indie distributor A24, a previous winner for “Room” and “Moonlight,” missed out this year. Film Independent’s Spirit Awards gave plenty of recognition to “The Farewell,” “The Lighthouse,” and “Uncut Gems,” and among critics and niche audiences, the voice of indie filmmaking is alive and well. Yet the Academy Awards went big, anointing many of the hits we’ve come to expect. This year’s race is far from dull, but there’s a future version of Hollywood predictably nominating and awarding projects from only a handful of big distributors. Stay vigilant, readers.
As for whether that divorce drama or mobster epic will come out on top at the Feb. 9 Oscars ceremony, only time and those accountants with their cute little suitcases will tell. Make no mistake, traditional studios like Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. are very much still in best picture contention, campaigning dreamy love letters to a bygone Hollywood and gritty superhero rethinks, while Fox Searchlight seeks to extend its track record to four victories in seven years, and newcomer Neon pushes the Academy’s first-ever Korean nominee in the foreign film race. All that’s certain is that the best picture contender that emerges victorious will provide a snapshot of a fascinating and tumultuous time in Hollywood.
Happy Oscar season, everyone—
Jack
Some More Smart Stuff:
- The hits keep on coming, with last weekend’s Critics’ Choice Awards crowning critical faves, and the coming weekend’s 26th SAG Awards ceremony! SAG-AFTRA members, this is your last week to vote on the nominees—and Backstage has handy voting guides for you here, here, and here. Who are you rooting for?
- It was a dazzling year for big-screen animation as well. Here’s a handy guide to the 2020 animated film Oscar nominees.
- And do not sleep on this week’s cover star: the magnificent and hilarious Rose Byrne!
Ready to get to work? Check out Backstage’s film audition listings!