‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Barbie’ Claim Academy Award Nominations

February 9, 2024Arts + Entertainment0

With 2023 a closed book with more than enough newly minted movies to recap and review, the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony has us waiting with bated breath until the winners of each genre and category are announced.

Until that fateful day on March 10, here are the three biggest movies to keep an eye on during your next lazy day and a glance at what people have to say about the nominees and movies themselves.

Kicking things off with 13 nominations is “Oppenheimer,” a popular biographical thriller following the development of the atomic bomb. The movie was an acclaimed success, making nearly 10 times its $100 million budget at the box office. It has a star-studded cast; most notably its titular role of J. Robert Oppenheimer is played by Cillian Murphy, who earned his first Oscars nomination for Best Actor.

Murphy’s frequent cohort and the director of the film, Christopher Nolan, also received three nominations for his work on the film – for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Nolan has astonishingly never won an Oscar, despite having nearly 200 other awards under his belt and having been previously nominated for his direction on films including “Memento” and “Inception.”

Oppenheimer’s success also led to several nominations in categories reflecting the intensive work on the aesthetics of the film, such as its costuming and cinematography.

As for controversy over nominations (or the lack thereof), you can look to “Barbie.” The movie pulled an astounding $1.4 billion in sales, catapulting it to No. 15 on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time, but received only eight nominations, the majority of which focus on the aesthetics of the movie rather than its content.

The uproar is mostly centered on how lead actress Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig received no nominations despite the movie’s success. This wouldn’t be as notable if not for Ryan Gosling, who played (the leading) Ken, receiving a nomination as Best Supporting Actor. This hilariously and sadly serves as a real-life parody of the message and plot of the movie, where Barbie and Ken are brought out of Barbie Land and into the real world, where Ken learns about the patriarchy and goes mad with power upon his return home.

Actress America Ferrera, who played Gloria in the film, was also nominated for her supporting role. While watching the movie, Gloria’s monologue about the expectations of women brought me to tears and has had the same effect for many women across the world, even sparking a feminist movement in China, which treats the movie as a litmus test for potential romantic partners.

While I personally am raising an eyebrow at how the top-grossing film of 2023 wasn’t nominated for two of the most important categories, I believe the nominations the movie did receive are more than justified.

The slightly shocking third movie on this list is “Poor Things,” a Sci-Fi comedy about Bella, who had her fetus’s brain transplanted into her dead body after commiting suicide while in an abusive relationship and is now trying to deal with life as a person who has never experienced independence in an already matured adult body.

The raunchy, and honestly horrifying at times film earned 11 nominations across categories ranging from Best Actress and Best Director, to Best Original Score and Best Editing. These were widely unexpected, while lead actress Emma Stone stated it was her favorite role ever and was quoted saying “It was a really beautiful thing to experience.”

An odd but significant point of contention among fans of the movie’s actors is Mark Ruffalo, who plays Duncan, the horny lawyer, being chosen for the nomination of Best Supporting Actor over Willem Dafoe, the mad scientist who created Bella.

Beyond all that, the majority of Oscars fans are just looking for the next interesting tidbit or interview to come out regarding any of the films in the lineup. Despite the controversy surrounding the films on this year’s list, I personally am hoping for a nice, amicable evening where no one gets slapped!

Were you shocked by any of these big-name contenders? What big moment are you hoping will define this year’s Oscars?