Team Experience Oscar Reactions: Mourning "Passing", relieved for Stewart, and celebrating "The Worst Person..."
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:39PM
NATHANIEL R in Best Actress, Jessie Buckley, Oscars (21), Penélope Cruz, Power of the Dog, Ruth Negga, Team Experience, Worst Person in the World

For each big awards events we like to quickly check in with the team and see how they're feelin. So herewith short blurbs from Team Experience about the Oscar nominations this morning. Which nomination was most thrilling and shocking? What omissions are they mourning for the next 24 hours? Find out after the jump and do chime in yourself on these four questions please. Join the conversation...

1. WHAT SINGLE NOMINATION MOST THRILLED YOU?

I'm cheating by putting Dunst and Plemons together. Neither ever felt truly locked, especially the latter, but make a truly wonderful pair. I hope that household is celebrating their first-ever nominations.  - Glenn Dunks

Jesse Plemons for Power of the Dog. I really didn't think he'd be acknowledged for his incredible work. -  Deborah Lipp

I was overjoyed by Stewart's success. I though her Oscar hopes were dead and buried but, alas, I was wrong. I love being wrong. - Cláudio Alves

Penelope Cruz. A not-flashy, fully-fleshed-out, moving performance that was on the bubble.  .- Eric Blume

I never had actual faith that Penelope Cruz could actually get an Oscar nomination, but I am more than happy to be proven wrong. Almodovar has the best rapport with familiar actors and Cruz delivered in a big way once again.  - Ben Miller


If we're limited to above the line: Cruz, given the tumult in that category. Obviously, the trio from Jane Campion put me in my happiest place, but I kind of knew to expect them. -  Nick Davis

Penélope making it after I had her in my predix since September. Flee going 3/3 but most of all Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom. I mean who doesn't want a film called Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom to win an Oscar??? It can be the Hard Out There For a Pimp of the International Feature category.  - Baby Clyde

I'm so happy Joachim Trier is an Oscar nominee. The closing chapter of an amazing trilogy and one of the best films of the year. - Eurocheese

Kristen Stewart, who gave one of my very favorite performances of the year in or out of the awards race. And it was even more thrilling because I'd written off her chances.  Tim Brayton

Kristen Stewart (Spencer). Terrific actress finally getting her first Oscar nom after hitting several roadblocks and people doubting her. LOVE   - Juan Carlos Ojano

Spielberg. His passion project and the most satisfying surprise of the year, the fact that West Side Story surpassed expectations and found new wings to soar on is testament to his love for the material. SO happy  - - Patrick Ball

Drive My Car for Best Picture: I had a feeling it was getting in, but SO happy to see that enough voters felt the passion I sensed (and shared).  -Lynn Lee

I KNEW JESSIE BUCKLEY WAS GONNA MAKE IT!!! I KNEW IT!!! BIIIIIIIITCH!!!!! - Nick Taylor

2. WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST SURPRISING?


The Worst Person in the World for Best Original Screenplay. It's insightful, gently humorous, wise, interestingly structured, and above all, Norwegian, so it never even crossed my mind that it had a chance. -  Tim Brayton

The Worst Person in the World. I knew a lot of fans wanted this film to do really well, but I'm surprised that it got this one over something like Being the Ricardos. Or even A Hero.  - Juan Carlos Ojano

A broad surprise but I’m so happy The Power of the Dog is the nomination leader. Jane Campion’s gonna fucking win Best Director! - Nick Taylor

I'm shocked Villeneuve didn't get in. I don't know how you can reward that movie as much as they did and not include him. Hopefully that means a win for Part II. Funnily enough, his nomination is reminiscent of Amy's for Arrival. Baffling how a person so integral to the success of the movie be left out.  - Josh Bierman

Jesse Plemons & Jessie Buckley I'm Thinking of Ending Things Snub Redemption!!! Really didn't think I'd see either of their names but both? A true treat. - Jason Adams

 Dench over Balfe?! - Mark Brinkerhoff

Judi Dench, and god love the woman, but it was not a pleasant surprise. And I doubt that she even wanted it and will be surprised if she attends, given the hardships.-  Nick Davis


Jessie Buckley. I had chalked up her BAFTA inclusion to another Wild Rose instance, and she managed to translate that to Oscar enthusiasm. She really was terrific in the film. -- Abe Friedtanzer

 Gaga missing after hitting every precursor. Sorkin missing as the film over performs with the acting branch. Villeneuve missing at the expense of Hamaguchi who I knew would make it but I assumed over PTA or Branagh. The overall batshittery of the Supporting categories.  - Baby Clyde

Jessie Buckley for Supporting Actress - I didn't think she had a chance against the bigger or starrier competitors she was up against (if there was a surprise, I was betting on Cate Blanchett). I also thought she might split some votes with Dakota Johnson. -Lynn Lee

The editing nod for tick, tick...BOOM! Where the hell did that come from? - Cláudio Alves

Denis Villeneuve missing. Did not see that happening and after Hamaguchi happily got in, it took me a second to realise the Dune helmer was the one left out. And the film still hit EVERYWHERE else it was expected to including Best Picture!  - Timothy Lyons

As if often the case with these things, it's who got left out rather than who made it in. In that regard, it's gotta be both Gaga and Leto missing for HOUSE OF GUCCI, and Villeneuve missing out for directing DUNE—especially given how receptive they've been to spectacle. On the flip side, that screenplay nomination for THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD is an immediate all-time great choice by the writing branch. However, the biggest surprise is NIGHTMARE ALLEY for Best Picture. I know Del Toro is well-liked, but that's a pretty wild turn of events considering its fate in recent months. Maybe it played well on cold winter nights on screener, who am I to know.  - Glenn Dunks

Gucci underperforming, and I'm thrilled. I was fully expecting its nominations to ruin my morning. - Eurocheese

3. WHAT MISSING FILM OR PERFORMANCE WILL YOU BE MOURNING THIS WEEK AND HOW WILL YOU DO SO?


Gonna go streak naked down Broadway for Simon Rex -- Jason Adams

The three big sadnesses are: Mike Faist, which I will mourn by showing the twinks in my life a little extra kindness. Ruth Negga, which I will mourn by even more glamorous and depressed than usual. And The French Dispatch, which I will mourn by continuing to write for this site, and also going to an art gallery. - Nick Taylor

Mass deserved better all season. I will comfort myself by knowing the Spirit Awards will do the right thing and give it the Ensemble love it deserves. - Eurocheese

In the Heights. I will buy something ice cold at the bodega in solidarity.   Deborah Lipp

While being on a my usual train, I'll cry for Compartment N6 missing the nomination- Elisa Giudici

Nicolas Cage in Pig. I will mourn it by not showering for three days and allowing a disgruntled stranger to beat me up. Just kidding: I will actually mourn it by enjoying a delicious dinner cooked with love and a glass of good wine. --Lynn Lee

A Hero, by doing a good deed solely because it will make me look impressive.  Tim Brayton

I will never understand why Mass never got any sort of awards traction, but I still have those four mesmerizing performances seared into my memory.  - Ben Miller

Caitriona Balfe. I'll be pointing my finger at Judi Dench. She's gotten in before for extremely minimal performances, and now it happened at the expense of someone far more deserving. I don't understand why the grandparent generation got the only love for Belfast when the parents (and the kids) stood out so much more. - - Abe Friedtanzer

[THE MOST COMMON ANSWER WAS RUTH NEGGA IN PASSING... BUT PLEASE SKIP THIS PART IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE. SO MANY SPOILERS]

I will not be defenestrating myself in honor of Queen Ruth Negga, but I will sit and look beguiling in and out of shadow for at *least* an hour  - Patrick Ball

Mourning Passing’s complete, egregious shutout by savoring a black-and-white cookie. -- Mark Brinkerhoff

Ruth Negga. I thought if she got nominated, she could Marcia Gay Harden her way to a win, and it's such a beautiful, interesting piece of acting. .- Eric Blume

Ruth Negga's. Don't invite me to any penthouse parties, Acting Branch, because I will be pushing some people out the windows, and that shit won't be ambiguous. -   Nick Davis

No love for Ruth Negga, Tessa Thompson or Passing. Is there someone responsible I can push or “have fall” out a window over this? Maybe I’ll settle for weeping quietly while wearing a fashionable hat.  - Timothy Lyons

Of those that felt as if they had a genuine chance, Ruth Negga for Passing is so sad. Especially so when you consider they didn't even nominate Balfe and then instead still gave Belfast a nomination in the form of Judi Dench. We can sit and ponder all day how they nominate Denzel for Macbeth and yet don't notice Kathryn Hunter, but I think we all have our suspicions on that. I'll mourn the latter by twisting myself into a pretzel (actually, i'll just EAT a whole bag of pretzels. Okay, bread. I'll eat bread. Just bread.) - Glenn Dunks

Negga, obviously. I shall mourn her loss by embodying her characterisation, making myself into a mysterious cypher, both a figure of desire and madness, aspiration and disgust, a self-destructive enigma. Basically, a normal Tuesday, though I don't look as good as Negga does. - Cláudio Alves

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4. WHAT'S THE SINGLE HIGHEST QUALITY CATEGORY THIS YEAR? NOT ONE DUD!


Adapted Screenplay could have gone a lot of ways, but when Dune is the worst of the bunch, I think you have done something correct.  -- Ben Miller

International Feature Film...but it was easy, there were just deserving candidates!   Elisa Giudici

Quite a few 4/5's. Take out CODA, for example, and Adapted Screenplay is amazing. So let's do that, let's take out CODA! -Nick Davis

Animated Feature is usually made up with fillers but even the worst this year could easily win in others.  - Baby Clyde

Best Actress. Five incredible performances, one of the all-time best Best Actress slates we've ever had, EVER. And better yet...any of the five could win! A real race! .- Eric Blume


Honestly, Lead Actress. Definitely not my top five but each actor is doing inspired and challenging work and a category that includes Cruz and Stewart when it seemed just as likely that they were both going to miss is worthy. - - Timothy Lyons

Honestly, Actress! Even without Gaga it feels like 5 interesting performances with actresses all with a real awards season narrative and no where NEAR a clear winner. Happy for them all.  - Patrick Ball

I'm so impressed with Actress overall. Four of my five favorites this year made it in, and I can pretend Renate is there by proxy thanks to Worst Person's Screenplay nomination. - Eurocheese

Actress. Come on. When we were fearing that it will be an all-biopic performance, we got three of those (all in various wavelengths) and two original creations (and one of them even not in English). Wow.  - Juan Carlos Ojano

Best Actress is stupendous, even though I rather loathe two of the nominated movies. Every performance delivers a distinctly different approach, acting strategies as varied as they are inspired. Plus, the quintet represents some of the finest thespians working today, so that's nice. Though, could we get Kidman nominated for one of her adventurous auteur pictures next time? - Cláudio Alves


The cinematography line up is a pretty impressive line up. I'd be happy to see any of them win, but surprised if it's not TPOTD. - Josh Bierman

Cinematography - and desperately hoping the DP of In Fabric takes it home! - Jason Adams

Costume design - although I'm sad that Spencer didn't make it.  -Lynn Lee

Best Production Design. Each of those films was a distinct visual experience built that felt like its own world. - - Abe Friedtanzer

Production Design. Bangers all 'round, right there. I was particularly so pleased to see the branch nominated The Tragedy of Macbeth when it's aesthetic choices could have so easily turned them off. It will never happen, but a production design/cinematography double win would fill me with immense joy on Oscar night.  - Glenn Dunks

 

More on the Oscars
All the nominations

Team Experience's Own Awards ICYMI

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