LA LA LAND
(Lionsgate)
Damien Chazelle
Dec 9th
Box Office $148+

an original musical about sacrifice and dreams in Hollywood

14 nominations | 6 wins

A RARITY | COSTUMES | PODCAST | REVIEW | 2ND TAKE |  PROD. DESIGN

How'd it get nominated?

MOONLIGHT 
(A24)
Barry Jenkins
Oct 21st
Box Office $26+ 

a memoir about identity and growing up gay and black in Miami

8 nominations | 3 wins

REVIEW | PODCAST | THAT SCORE!

ARRIVAL
(Paramount)
Denis Villeneuve
Nov 11th
Box Office $100+

a scific drama about language, empathy, and memory

8 nominations | 1 win

REVIEW | INTERVIEW |  PODCAST | PRODUCTION DESIGN

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
(Amazon/Roadside)
Kenneth Lonergan
Nov 18th
Box Office $47+

a drama about grief and family

6 nominations | 2 wins

REVIEW | 2ND TAKE | 3RD TAKE

LION 
(Weinstein Co)
Garth Davis
Nov 25th
Box Office $46+

a drama about an adopted man searching for his biological family

6 nominations

REVIEW | PODCAST | NICOLE CHAT | BRIERLEY INTERVIEW

HACKSAW RIDGE
(Fox)
Mel Gibson
November 2nd
Box Office $67+

a war biography about the first conscientous objector given the Medal of Honor

6 nominations | 2 wins

REVIEW | PODCAST

FENCES
(Paramount)
Denzel Washington
Dec 25th
Box Office $57+

an adaptation of the classic stage tragedy about an unravelling marriage and unfulfilled dreams

4 nominations | 1 win

TEASER | HIS & HERS OSCARS | STAGE TO SCREEN ROLES

HELL OR HIGH WATER
(CBS Films/Lionsgate)
David Mackenzie
Aug 12th
Box Office $27 

a western drama about bank robbing brothers eager to save their land

4 nominations

REVIEW | PRODUCTION DESIGN

With 14 nominations, the most of all time (tied with Titanic and All About Eve), and the DGA and PGA prizes, the Oscar is La La Land's to lose. It probably won't be close though the weighted ballot might give movies with devout fanbases and no real haters (Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Manchester by the Sea) reason to hope for a shocking upset

What wasn't? Nine isn't a lot when you count the many wonderful films from 2016. The films that initially seemed like they had more heat that didn't make the finish line were Sully, 20th Century Women, Loving, and Jackie. Films that were surging at the last minute that didn't make the list included Deadpool and Nocturnal Animals. Here's my personal ballot and my top ten list.

RANDOM RANKINGS

Ranked by Domestic Gross

1. Hidden Figures $162+
2. La La Land $148+
3. Arrival $100+
4. Hacksaw Ridge $67+
5. Fences $57+
6. Lion $48
7. Manchester $47+
8. Hell or High Water $27
9. Moonlight $26+

Ranked by Global Gross

1. La La Land $396+
2. Arrival $197+
3. Hidden Figures $194+
4. Hacksaw Ridge $175+ 
5. Lion $102+ 
6. Fences $61+
7. Manchester $61+
8. Hell or High Water $27
9. Moonlight $20

Ranked by RT / Metacritic Scores

1. Moonlight 98/99
2. Manchester 96/96
3. La La Land 93/93
4. Hell or High Water 98 /88
5. Arrival 94/81
6. Fences 95/79
7. Hidden Figures 91/74
8. Hacksaw Ridge 86/71
9. Lion 87/69

MPAA Ratings

R
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Manchester
Moonlight
PG-13
Arrival
Fences
La La Land
Lion
PG
Hidden Figures

Ranked by Running Time

1. Fences 139 min
-- Hacksaw Ridge 139 min
3. Manchester 137 min
4. La La Land 128 min
5. Hidden Figures 127 min
6. Lion 120 min
7. Arrival 118 min
8. Moonlight 111 min
9. Hell or High 102 min

Ranked by Nathaniel's Preference

1. Moonlight
2. La La Land
3. Arrival
4. Fences
5. Lion
6. Hell or High Water
7. Hidden Figures
8. Manchester
9. Hacksaw

Ranked by # of Deaths

1. Hacksaw 500+
2. Hell or High Water 5+
3. Manchester by the Sea 4
4. Fences 2
5. 1 each
Moonlight &
Lion
none...
Arrival
La La Land
Hidden Figures

How well they pass the Bechdel Test?

EASY PASS
Hidden Figures
PASS
Fences
Manchester
UNSURE
Arrival (if you count voiceover)
Lion
FAIL
Hacksaw
Hell or...
La La Land
Moonlight

Female percentage of cast using SAG's ensemble rule for cast list

Hidden Figures 44%
La La Land / Lion 40%
Manchester 33%
Moonlight / Fences 28%
Arrival 25%
Hell or High 20%