ZHIVOTOVSKI: Oscars need to reconsider what is considered award worthy
Column: Are You Thinking What I Am Thinking?
This year’s Academy Awards mark a momentous occasion in the history of the awards show: 16 out of the 20 actors nominated for the night's biggest awards are first-time nominees.
With a lead actor category completely made up of Oscars newcomers and the list of those whose first golden statue is up for grabs, including stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh and Brendan Gleeson, to name a few, one has to wonder: what took them so long?
All actors with an extensive catalog of films, every one of these nominees have impacted the film industry and permeated our homes with their talent. So why have they remained shut out of the Oscars for most of their careers?
The Oscars, in conjunction with the academy, is considered the most prestigious authority on deciding what movies have triumphed over others and has set the standards in film for 95 years. Distributing awards on criteria ranging from cinematography, screenwriting, directing, costume design, music and, of course, acting, the academy has failed to account for the greatest factor of them all: enjoyment.
Of course, the art of a movie comes from its masterful scriptwriting and one-of-a-kind directing, but what keeps you grounded in your seat and your eyes glued to the screen is the emotions you feel when you watch a film. Movies have the power to make us cry, make us laugh, make us so angry we could scream and so excited we could jump out of our seats.
They transport us to worlds we could not even imagine while also grounding us in stories so real that it feels as though we have been given a mirror into our own existence. At the true heart of every movie we have ever enjoyed, we see some reflection of our lives — whether the way it is or how we wish it could be and that essence cannot possibly be captured in an award show.
Not every movie needs to be a spectacle. Some films are simply meant to be enjoyed for the ride they take you on and the joy they leave you with. My most memorable watching experiences come from the times I cozied onto a perfectly worn-in couch with a large bowl of popcorn and a blanket and watched "The Mummy" or "Freaky Friday."
Long before Fraser or Curtis would receive their first Oscar nominations, they were pleasing my parents and me on our weekly Friday movie nights. Watching Gleeson as "mad eye" Moody in any of my countless Harry Potter movie marathons until I could recite the films by heart was an integral part of my childhood (and adult life, who am I kidding).
We have loved these actors’ performances for so many years, considering them icons of the industry. It is a shame it has taken this long for the academy to catch up and give credit where it is surely due. The Oscars have not only snubbed actors who have for years contributed influential and enjoyable performances but have excluded entire genres of film.
This year especially has been the era of innovative horror movies from "Pearl" to "Nope," all of which have been shut out from receiving a nomination. This omission highlights the gaping hole in the show's categories concerning its lack of any proper slot to even celebrate the horror and suspense genre.
Consistently, the academy has also chosen to maintain its preference for only a certain type of film and actor. Despite rave reviews and other nominations at similar awards shows such as the Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Film Awards, at the last minute, both Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler were left off the best actress category and instead replaced by Andrea Riseborough, leaving the leading actress category without any actresses of color nominated.
This switch not only highlights the difficulty actors of color face when it comes to being celebrated for their work but is exemplary of the political nature behind the nominations system. Especially with more well-connected actors such as Riseborough and the heads behind her film "To Leslie" being able to lobby networks in Hollywood for professional gain.
For me, the one shining light in this murky industry is the success of the film "Everything Everywhere All at Once." With 11 nominations, including best picture and four acting nods from the film, all first-time nominees up for the night's biggest awards, there remains hope that original and truly enjoyable films can still be celebrated. Transcending genres, this movie was a true combination of action, drama and comedy that touched on the deeply emotional story of an immigrant family and a mother’s relationship with her daughter and husband.
The film is an inspiration not only for its emotional story on camera but for the inspiration first-time nominees Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan provide to those who are following their dreams: never give up. Quan’s journey, in particular, going from child star in "Indiana Jones" to taking a 20-year hiatus from the industry due to not obtaining film roles, highlights the perseverance needed to make it in the industry.
Packed with newcomers and Hollywood legends, both equally brand new to the show, this Oscars ceremony has the potential to change the tide regarding what kind of work is celebrated while also showing viewers that the movie industry sees and hears them. It remains to be seen if this year's show will truly be more enjoyable than watching "The Mummy," but the potential keeps me hopeful that a change is possible.
Emily Zhivotovski is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in cell biology and neuroscience and minoring in health and society. Her column, "Are You Thinking what I am Thinking," runs on alternate Fridays.
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