Academy's Make Up and Hairstyling Branch Triple-Down on Tom Hardy
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 7:00AM 
Glenn here. If there's one thing we know about the Academy's make up and hairstyling branch it's that we know nothing about what they will or will not like. Evidence of that is quite clear in this year's preliminary shortlist of seven contenders, of which three will be selected as the nominees. As we are all aware, the make up and hairstyling category remains the only one with three nominees each year - give or take a slow year in the world of animation - despite every film having it in some capacity and despite being one of the few categories that doesn't have a predetermined sway towards prestige.
This year's field of seven is as wholly unexpected as we have come to expect from both the branch and from this year in general. The list of films in contention for a nomination who will get to present their works to the branch, include Tom Hardy, Tom Hardy, and Tom Hardy. [More...]
- Black Mass
- Concussion
- Legend
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Mr. Holmes
- The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
- The Revenant
Say what you will about other branches being too enslaved to best picture contenders, because lord knows the make up artists and hairstylists don't give a damn about that!
We could conceivably have a set of nominees of Tom Hardy films as Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant are all accounted for. And who could blame being blinded by his beauty, no matter how roughed up he looks? Likewise, we could get a collection of movies in which big, famous actors like Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Sir Ian McKellen are transformed. Is there room for the admittedly impressive old-age make up of both Mr. Holmes and The 100-Year-Old Man? We will certainly never know what lead them to give a slot on the shortlist to that Swedish film over the transformation of Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl, or what they saw in Legend (were they playing extra-close attention to Hardy's teeth?) as opposed to the glossy wig work of Carol or Cinderella, but they did and let's just be thankful this branch is rarely boring (and never have been).
When it comes to predictions, it feels honestly like shooting fish in a barrel. I can see logical arguments for all of them, except maybe Legend, which managed to make twin Hardys distinguishably individual but only really has some neat '60s bouffants to warrant its inclusion at the expense of other films. Industry attention, plus having make up work that became a popular Halloween costume could help Mad Max: Fury Road, as could the shaggy beards and bear wounds of The Revevant. And despite Johnny Depp looking like an inhuman lizard creature, this branch did nominate Hitchcock, which is food for thought. And lastly, while I haven't seen The 100-Year-Old Man, the mere fact that Love Larson and Eva Von Bahr's work appeared here makes me suspect it will be nominated. In fact, I'm the most confident of that of all. Make up artists certainly love it, and it works not only in the realm of old-age make up, but also making up actors to look like famous people in history like Ronald Reagan and Joseph Stalin. Don't dismiss it simply because it's got a silly name.
What do we think of the shortlist? Are we all secretly rooting for The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared just because it'd be funny to hear Jennifer Lopez or Amy Schumer up on stage reading it out to millions of viewers?
Reader Comments (12)
It's actually Tom Hardy and Tom Hardy and Tom Hardy AND TOM HARDY since he's double already in Legend.
Great call on 100 year old man. changing my predicitons now.
Technically, yes. ALL OF THE TOM HARDYS.
Regarding THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN, this link that I included and which I got the fantastic images from has even more incredible images of the transformations therein. https://makeupmag.com/age-make-ups-amaze-in-swedish-blockbuster/
It also amuses me that they had to change the title of this movie from The Centenarian Who Climbed Out the Window and Vanished because, one must assume they figured people wouldn't know what a centenarian is. Or what the word "vanished" means?
My reactions to this shortlist are pretty much the same every year: Ugh. Fine. Cool. YESSSSS! Fine. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT MOVIE WAS IT EVEN RELEASED WHAT THE FU...Fine. Ugh. Fine.
Based on these seven I think we will definitely get at least one movie with Tom Hardy in the final three (Mad Max) (citing Legend indicates that, at the very least, the make-up branch is hooked on the guy) and The 100-Year-Old-Man who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. Though we won't be seeing Concussion make it all the way, though, the third slot is still very hazy with the other four all seeming plausible.
Man I wish this category expanded to five!
Black Mass is the only objectionable title on the short list. The Jheri Curl wigs in Straight Outta Compton should have made it further with the branch.
I watched '100 Year Old Man' with my Swedish girlfriend about a year ago and was pretty blown away by its makeup, and was thinking that if it was eligible, there's no way it would be ignored for an Oscar nomination, but I assumed it would have been eligible last year.
This is all by way of saying... I think it's a shoo-in for a nomination, and maybe even the win if enough of the voters get a look at it.
I want to see "100 Year Old Man" now if only to find out the context of this picture:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1833171712/tt2113681
I thought the make-up work in LEGEND was excellent. Hardy played one brother in the morning and switched to playing the other in the afternoon. There was about 90 minutes of make-up needed to transform from one to the other, including wig, fake teeth and plumping up the nose. They really do seem like distinct characters on screen and the make-up surely played a key part in it, along with his stellar performance of course.
don't you mean, QUADRUPLE DOWN? BAZINGA!
Beautiful! Hopefully Legend has some small, but has, a chance in lead performance