Film Bitch Awards: Casting, Ensemble, Breakthrough, Young Actors
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 1:11AM by Nathaniel R
We're still hoping to have the Film Bitch Awards wrapped up before Oscar night. Tonight, the remaining "extra" acting categories. We've already shared the Best Cameo performances so here's four more prizes to discuss and consider. Please do share your own favourites in these categories, too.
BEST CASTING / BEST ENSEMBLE
Some might argue that these categories go hand in hand (the way others object to the notion of Picture/Director splits) but we think of them as two different though highly complimentary accomplishments...
One thing that's particularly impressive with casting directors is when they find lesser knowns of great talent or think of enduring performers in a new or career-rejuvenating way, plugging them into very sweet spots. Many all-star ensembles feel less like a casting accomplishment (beyond managing to schedule the same in-demand performers everyone is hiring) and much more of an acting achievement once they're all working together and sparking off each other's gifts. Support the Girls and Widows are perfect examples of those two separate types of achievements. Films like Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman are hitting both of those tasks with inspiration. Click for the rest of the nominees and finalists.
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Remember "My Vag" from six years back? My bestie and I used to watch that on repeat and just lol.
It's time that we let the world know
Bitch, your vag is only so-so
Awkwafina's a genius
And her vagina is 50 times better than a penis 🎵
Who'da thunk that that novelty hit and its deadpan DIY braggadacio would prove prophetic? Maybe Awkwafina is a genius (if not 50 times better than a penis). At the very least she's proved herself capable of swerving right into the movies with as much verve as she had on the mic. Click for the rest of the nominees and finalists.
BEST JUVENILE PERFORMANCE (UNDER 18)
Each year we try to help the BFCA choose wisely in their Young Actor or Actress category by doing the research on who is actually eligible. Each year our helpful cheatsheets don't seem to steer them towards discernment and they just pick five kids with large roles in high profile films. It's time that we let the world know we're 50 times better than that so-so.
If you're doing prizes like this and excluding film-carrying greatness like Evan Rosado's dawning self-awareness of his otherness in We the Animals or the nuanced soulful work of Jyo Kairi in the Shoplifters ensemble, you're doing it all wrong. Click for the rest of the nominees and finalists.
Henry Golding, Joanna Kulig, Cynthia Erivo, Elsie Fisher, Victor Polser
Reader Comments (12)
Great shout-outs with Shoplifters in Ensemble and CYEFM/Support the Girls in Casting. Others I would FYC for their casting would be Capernaum (so much resting on unknowns and a complete natural novice child star), or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (so many voice roles creatively but pitch-perfectly cast; Jake Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Kathryn Hahn), all exactly as those characters would sound in my head.
I really hope Zain Al Rafeea can still find his way into your Best Actor line-up since I really think he gave perhaps THE performance of the year, regardless of age or category.
The girl from Hereditary. Such a disturbing performance.
I'd give Disobedience recognition for casting. The three corners of the love triangle are impeccable (despite neither McAdams nor Nivola screaming their parts on paper) and Lelio filled that family/community with so much texture. Without great casting from top to bottom that film doesn't work.
Some really great, precise writing in these blurbs Nathaniel.
I had no idea that was Alex Sharp’s debut film performance in How to Talk to Girls at Parties. He’s a natural.
I don't remember half of those actors cited for their ensemble work in The Favourite, even after looking them up in IMDB. The movie is a three-hander. The other four ensembles noted, and the runners up, are great.
Now that I think about it I thought Jackie Weaver and Robert Duvall were going to get nominated for Widows in the cameo categories.
It was a great year for kids acting. Tough choices to make in that category. I really loved Ed Oxenbould in Wildlife, but I can't disagree with the nominees (I have yet to see "Girl").
Robert G -- he's already a tony winner! The youngest winner ever of "Best Actor in a Play" (for THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME)
Arkaan -- thank you!
Suzanne -- Obviously the ladies are central to The Favourite but I think the overall cast is great. Nicholas Hoult is hilarious and so punchy as the smarmy politician trying to control Emma Stone, Joe Alwyn is of course her hapless soon to be husband who cant keep up with everyone else's hidden agendas, James Smith is I think one of the movies secret MVPs as the frustrated politician (with the duck) who is at war with Hoult over the Queen's political decisions, and Mark Gatiss is Rachel Weisz's often missing husband. Horatio was a joke -- thats the duck!
Oh okay, that answers a lot of my questions! And the duck was one of the more memorable cast members. I am glad to see Awkwafina appreciated, anyway. She would have made my Supporting Actress five.
Nathaniel, that makes so much more sense. I knew I recognized him from somewhere.
Nathaniel, I really think Lean on Pete and Private Life would show up in several categories for you!