By Chris Sabga
As I've done for the past seven years, I will list the nominations, snubs, and "Silver Screen Surprises" for all of the major categories.
And the Oscar goes to...
Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Surprises: I'm both surprised and not surprised that Netflix's "Two Popes" – a Golden Globes nominee – was snubbed by Oscar. It is represented in both male acting categories and for Best Adapted Screenplay though.
Globes nominees "Knives Out," "Rocketman," and "Dolemite Is My Name" being snubbed here in favor of "Little Women" might be considered mildly surprising, but I can't say I'm exactly shocked by any of it.
Lead Actor
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Surprises: There was talk of Eddie Murphy getting an Oscar nomination for "Dolemite Is His Name," but that obviously didn't happen. It's no surprise that #OscarsSoWhite is trending again on Twitter as I write this. As others have no doubt already pointed out, the only black acting nominee this year – Cynthia Erivo for "Harriet" – played a slave.
Lead Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Surprises: The only surprise would be if someone other than Renée Zellweger wins.
Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Surprises: I guess poor Robert De Niro being shut out of the "Irishman" party in this category qualifies as a mild surprise.
Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Surprises: Am I the only one who wishes Florence Pugh had been nominated for "Fighting with My Family" instead? Yeah, probably. But the movie was great, and she was great in it!
Director
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joo Ho, Parasite
Surprises: Another Globes repeat in what is shaping up to be one of the least surprising Oscar races ever.
Anyone expecting Greta Gerwig to get nominated for "Little Women" after being snubbed for "Lady Bird" two years ago clearly no longer pays attention to the Oscars or how they work. In other words, most of the world. Every year, I tell myself I'm going to stop writing about the boring, stale, stuck in the past Academy Awards. And yet – here we are. Maybe I'll stick to that New Year's Resolution next year.
Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Surprises: Finally, a genuine surprise! "Klaus" was unfairly snubbed by the Golden Globes but rightfully represented here. It's a delightful movie, and artistically beautiful. The same can be said for shocking Globes winner "Missing Link." Can that repeat its success here? I am expecting both to lose to "Toy Story 4," but this race is far from a sure thing.
Original Screenplay
Knives Out
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
Surprises: I guess I'm surprised to see "Joker" recognized in a writing category. Comic book fans finally have their day in the sun, as they've insisted for years that comic books have stories just as rich and layered as anything in literature. Oh, who am I kidding? No comic book fan is actually watching this show – "Joker" or not.
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Other thoughts: A dear friend of mine summed it up perfectly: "BLERG!"
I had another paragraph or two written, but I just erased all of it. "BLERG!" really is the best way to describe this geriatric snoozefest.
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The rest of the categories and nominees are:
Best Documentary Feature
American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland
Animated Short
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister
Cinematography
The Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Documentary Short Subject
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Best Live Action Short Film
Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister
Best Foreign Language Film
Corpus Christi (Poland)
Honeyland (North Macedonia)
Les Misérables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
Film Editing
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite
Sound Editing
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Sound Mixing
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Production Design
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Original Score
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Original Song
"I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away," Toy Story 4
"(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again," Rocketman
"I’m Standing With You," Breakthrough
"Into the Unknown," Frozen 2
"Stand Up," Harriet
Makeup and Hair
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917
Costume Design
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman
Joker
Little Women
Visual Effects
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
