After the 2023 strike of the Writers Guild of America delayed the most anticipated movies of the year, 2024 was bound to be a unique year for the film industry. This year saw the sequels to many beloved franchises with Inside Out 2, Dune: Part Two, and Despicable Me 4. We also saw a flurry of original storytelling with many hits, and quite a few misses. The Academy celebrates these successes and the occasional sneaks with the annual Oscars ceremony.
The 97th Academy Awards occurs Sunday, March 2nd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The Oscars commemorates films and the creatives behind them in twenty-three different categories. Highlight categories include Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Animated Feature Film, and the final award of the night: Best Picture.
Receiving an Oscar is considered one of the highest forms of cinematic achievement for these creatives, and they come to win.
Amongst the films nominated, there are many standouts with multiple nominations across a variety of categories. 2024 witnessed the release of long-awaited musical-movie, Wicked, based on the Broadway sensation. Not only was Wicked nominated for Best Picture, but both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who played the leading characters; Elphaba and Glinda, were nominated for best actress and supporting actress in their respective roles. Wicked was also recognized for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and many more. Wicked was wonderfully received by critics and fans alike, and film enthusiasts were ecstatic about its nominations. On the reverse side, the masses were generally displeased with Emilia P?rez, which received a whopping thirteen nominations. The movie has been critiqued for its harmful representation of transgender individuals and has been brutalized on social media. The film was intended to be groundbreaking for transgender storytelling and Mexican representation, however, many consider the film borderline offensive and unwatchable. Despite the controversy, Emilia P?rez was nominated for Best Picture and its lead actress, Karla Sofi? Gascón, received a Best Actress nomination as well.
Another standout of the year, receiving six nominations, is romantic comedy, Anora. Starring Mikey Madison, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Anora has been praised for its dazzling performances and humanist portrayal of sex work. Anora is anticipated to win big at the Oscars due to it winning Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards and Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards. Edward Berger’s Conclave is another noteworthy film in the Oscars this year. Conclave exposes the otherwise very secretive process of the Roman Catholic Church electing a new pope. This film is packed with drama accompanied by a very intelligent screenplay. Critics adored its thought-provoking dialogue and expect for it to receive its flowers at the Oscars.
As far as actors nominated, there was one actor who lived in our heads all year: Timoth?e Chalamet. The hearthrob himself starred in two major films this year: Dune: Part Two and A Complete Unknown, which were both nominated for Best Picture. Additionally, Chalamet received recognition for his performance as musician Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. This is Chalamet’s second Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Leading Role with his previous nomination being for his performance in Call Me By Your Name. Chalamet continues to show us that he is not just a pretty face but a fantastic actor too.
While many amazing films were acknowledged in the Oscars, fans of the hit film, Challengers, were devastated to see it excluded from the nominations altogether. The film stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor in a juicy, sports drama. Fans expected at least a nomination for its iconic, original score but it was snubbed as many say. Another shock to audiences was prison drama, Sing Sing not receiving a Best Picture nomination. Unlike Challengers though, Sing Sing still received recognition with a Best Actor nomination for Colman Domingo, a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination, and Best Original Song, but many expected to land itself in the Best Picture category. While watching The Academy Awards can often make us want to throw our remotes at the television, they are still an exciting night for filmmakers and fans alike. While sometimes our favorite films do not receive the flowers we think they deserve, it is still an honor to be nominated. Every filmmaker should be proud of themselves for their hard work and for making it to the big stage, and we look forward to seeing what next year brings!