One Day More (of Oscar Voting)
I think this must be a first. In the response to technical difficulties and voting problems with their new online balloting system, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended Oscar nomination balloting by a single day. Ballots are now due by Friday January 4th, by paper or online, instead of January 3rd. (The nominees will still be announced on January 10th). I'm not sure how much 24 hours will help but given all the long-ass movies on offer, but it can't actually hurt. (I've taken their cue and also given myself a couple more days on my top 20ish list so that starts on Thursday.)
So herewith my plea to voters:
Have a Great 2013 Academy Members!
It's Nathaniel at the Film Experience. One of the ways you can make the new year happy is by really thinking over your ballot. So many film fans obsess over your choices.
And though you'll never please everyone, those Supporting lineups are going to be so much more exciting (think of the Oscar night clips!) if you include Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike and Nicole Kidman in The Paperboy. No matter what you think of either film, great risky artistic stretching from big stars shouldn't be tossed aside just because the film containing it isn't being widely "considered" in any other way if you know what I mean. I mean why give all the nominations to the frontrunning heavyweights like Lincoln, Les Miz, and Argo when there's so much good work out there in so many films! Put in those Beasts of the Southern Wild and Moonrise Kingdom screeners (to name just two examples) -- aren't you curious? -- and see how visually and sonically rich movies can be without mega-budgets.
Finally, here's to the underdogs -- have you seen Perks of Being a Wallflower or Anna Karenina or Middle of Nowhere or Amour or Compliance yet? You've got a whole extra day. Stay in and watch some movies!
Reader Comments (18)
People I'd love to be switched in for some of the current likely nominees:
Actress:
Quvenzhané Wallis
Emanuelle Riva
Rachel Wesiz
Actor:
Actually pretty content with this category
Supporting Actress:
Ann Dowd
Kerry Washington (I just really want her Oscar nominated, okay??)
Emma Watson
Supporting Actor:
Scrap this whole damn category aside from maybe TLJ and PSH.
Samuel L. Jackson
Leonardo DiCaprio
Eddie Redmayne
Matthew McConaughey
Ezra Miller
If there's one thing I look forward to about te new year it's that magic mike will be tossed to the dustbin of history! Supporting actor: ewan mcgregor, Ezra miller, Eddie redmayne, and Dwight Henry!
Dear Music Branch,
Please be advised that you no longer have an excuse not to watch Damsels in Distress before your ballots are due. I expect to see The Sambola! International Dance Craze performed on the Oscar telecast this year.
Thank you for your cooperation,
--Robert G
Dear Acting Branch,
The same, only vote for Greta Gerwig in Leading Actress. You've rewarded stranger performances in far worse films.
Deuces,
--Robert G
Nathaniel - HAPPY NEW YEAR
I am one of the those "who mosting lurk" without writing anything, I luv your articles, they keep me in touch - sometimes its as simple as an alternate opinion, that sends me to the theatre.
Thanks for all your articles
Picture: Alps; The Master.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos (Alps); Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master).
Screenplay (original): Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou (Alps); Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master).
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master); Denzel Washington (Flight).
Actor in a Supporting Role: Samuel L Jackson; Leonardo Dicaprio; Christoph Waltz for (Django Unchained).
Actress: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Actress in a Supporting Role: Nicole Kidman; Macy Gray for (The Paperboy); Kerry Washington (Django Unchained); Ann Dowd (Compliance); Tarama Tunie (Flight).
Score: Jonny Greenwood (The Master).
Cinematography: The Master.
Editing: Alps; The Master.
Production Design: The Master; Django Unchained.
Costume Design: The Master; Django Unchained.
I hope Nicole lands that fourth Oscar nod, I hope even more John Cusack gets a suprise supporting actor nod for "the Paperboy".
He was 2012 villain of the year, Javier bardem couldnt hold a candle to John Cusack's Hillary van wetter.
CONSIDER (in my best poolside, fur-coated Melissa Leo impers):
- Best Picture, Amour
- Best Director: Joe Wright, Anna Karenina
- Best Actor: Richard Gere, Arbitrage
- Best Actress: Keira Knightley (who also should've been nominated last year), Anna Karenina
- Best Supporting Actor: Jude Law, Anna Karenina
- Best Supporting Actress: Susan Sarandon, Arbitrage
- Best Original Screenplay: Sarah Polley, Take This Waltz
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Bernie
- Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Best Editing: Andrew Weisblum, Moonrise Kingdom
- Best Production Design: Sarah Greenwood, Anna Karenina
- Best Art Direction: David Hindle and Sarah Pasquali, The Deep Blue Sea
- Best Costume Design: Anna Bingemann, Bachelorette
...to name a few.
Here here for Keira whose best performance in The Duchess was over loooked,please no Eddie Redmayne in les mis.
First of all, Happy New Year, Nathaniel :)
I really hope my personal favorite "Beasts of the Southern Wild" will get a big couple of Oscar nods: Best Picture, Best Actress (there's no justice in the world if the young Wallis won't get nominated), Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. I would also say Best Director, but I know Benh Zeitlin has almost 0 chances in such a competitive Best Director year.
The Best Actress category is extremely exciting, from my point of view: the only major locks are Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts (but the AMPAS already snubed her so many times that I'm afraid she gets the same treatment this year). So we have Cotillard Vs Riva Vs Wallis Vs Mirren Vs Weisz for the last 2 spots.
In the Best Supporting Actress field, I guess I only want Kidman to get her fourth nod and Ann Dowd getting the nod instead of Amy Adams for THAT OVERRATED performance in The Master.
Best Supporting Actor is delicious to watch this year. Arkin, De Niro, TLJ and PSH seem all locks, but then we have the "Django men" (DiCaprio and Waltz), McConaughey and I would say Ezra Miller (a strong contender for the "surprise nominee" title). Personally, I would choose McConaughey and put Waltz instead of Arkin
please never nominate kidman, her movie is the worst
Happy New Year all!
Give us some shocks Academy. I say leave off Cooper in Best Actor and replace him with Gere for Arbitrage, McGregor for Salmon Fishing or McConaughey for Killer Joe.
Mirren can be replaced with Winstead for Smashed in the Best Actress race. That would cause some gasps.
Break the unwritten rule that male actors must be gray, wrinkled or have the sex appeal of a mop to be considered for an Oscar. Give us McConaughey, DiCaprio, Miller, McGregor and Redmayne for Best Supporting Actor.
People might not take a bathroom break during the Best Costume category if you include the actors modeling their costumes from Magic Mike. Just a thought to liven up that section of the show.
Eddie -- i would like to publicly endorse your last suggestion.
Magic Mike for Best Costume...lol. Reminds me of when my dad and I saw a preview for Showgirls (aw-w-wkwa-a-ard-d-d), and he muttered, "Bet that wins an Oscar for costume."
As much as I like Eddie Redmayne, alternating from winsome to wistful to (literally) shit-faced does not an Academy Award-worthy performance make. Matthew McConaughey FTW.
The Oscars should go back to March.
I was underwhelmed with Rachel Weisz. I wish Nina Hoss and Suzanne Clément would get nominations though I knew from the start it would be nearly impossible. Recognition of Logan Learman would be nice also.
Nominate anything except Kidman, her movie is the worst movie ever made recently.
@Arin and @Solomon: Who cares if her movie sucked? After all, the category is "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" NOT "Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Film."
If you nom Amy Adams, make it for Trouble With the Curve. Much better perf. Also, Joaquin Phoenix's overwrought, overthought, overshot, overfought, overeverything performance in The Master of Disaster does not deserve an Oscar nom, no matter how big the hype. THE disappointment of the year.