So, the Oscar nominations dropped, and you know how it goes – some head-scratching surprises and a bunch of letdowns. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room – Barbie. Got a solid eight nods, but they still managed to miss the bus on some big ones. Oppenheimer stole the show with 13 nominations, leaving Barbie, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon to duke it out for attention.
Barbie, though, got a bit of a bummer deal. Greta Gerwig got snubbed for best director, and Margot Robbie got the cold shoulder for best actress. Tough crowd.
Let’s break down five juicy points from the nominations, and spill some tea on Barbie’s supposed snubs.
1. Golda and Maestro’s ‘Jewface’ Drama
Golda didn’t exactly steal the spotlight at the Oscars, but it did manage to squeeze into the best makeup and hairstyling category. Cue the drama. Dame Helen Mirren playing Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir stirred up a debate about non-Jewish actors taking on Jewish roles. Maestro had its own mess with Bradley Cooper’s tweaked appearance as Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein. Twitter blew up, with David Baddiel calling it “Oscar nominations for Jewface.”
2. LGBT History in the Making
Colman Domingo nabbed a best actor nomination for Rustin, and Jodie Foster scooped up a best supporting actress nod for Nyad. Why is it a big deal? Well, it’s the first time we’ve got two openly LGBT actors snagging nominations for playing LGBT characters. Domingo rocked it as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, and Foster nailed it as swimming coach Bonnie Stoll. Also, shoutout to the 10 first-time nominees this year, including Emily Blunt, Jeffrey Wright, and crew.
3. Saltburn’s Oscar Snub
Saltburn, the underdog, didn’t catch any love from the Oscars, despite being a cult hit and making waves on social media. Golden Globes nodded, and Bafta gave it five nominations, but the US Academy voters weren’t feeling it. Maybe the wild scenes with bathtubs and graveyards were a bit too out there for the conservative crowd.
4. Slow ‘Revolution’ for Female Directors
Greta Gerwig got the short end of the stick, missing out on the best director list. Justine Triet from France repped the ladies in the category this year – only the eighth time that’s happened in Oscars history. Triet spilled the beans to BBC about feeling the winds of change for women in the film biz. This year also marked a first – three films directed by women getting nods for best picture.
5. Lily Gladstone’s Oscar Journey
Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone is on track to make history. She could be the first Native American actress to snag an Oscar, playing a woman from the Osage tribe dealing with some heavy stuff. Directed by Martin Scorsese, who’s now the oldest nominee for best director at a cool 81. Oh, and get this – an old high school yearbook pic of Gladstone surfaced, and guess what? Her classmates called it – “most likely to win an Oscar.” Smart bunch.
So, in the grand Oscars saga, we’ve got drama, history, and maybe a bit of fate in the mix. Who’s walking away with the gold? Your guess is as good as ours, but until then, let the movie world keep buzzing.
