“Oppenheimer,” a sprawling examination of the dawn of the Atomic Age, kicked off the race for the 96th Academy Awards on Tuesday, earning 13 nominations. It was followed closely behind by “Poor Things,” a feminist fantasy set in a steampunk world of mutants and male chauvinist pigs, which earned 11 nominations.
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historical crime drama about a vast conspiracy to rob the Osage Nation of its oil wealth, received 10 nominations. Both “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” drawn from painful chapters of American history, were recognized at a moment of political unrest and division in the country, which seemed to give their dark subject matter an added resonance.
“Barbie,” last year’s biggest box office hit, earned eight nominations — even as Greta Gerwig, the film’s director, and Margot Robbie, its star and producer, were both shut out. Released on the same weekend as “Oppenheimer,” the twin blockbusters became a viral phenomenon, inspiring people to book double features and leading to the creation of the “Barbenheimer” meme. Together, the movies earned more than $2 billion globally, a massive number at a time when movie theaters are still struggling to rebound from the pandemic.
“Oppenheimer,” “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” all scored best picture nominations. They were joined by “Poor Things,” “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Holdovers,” “Maestro,” “Past Lives,” and “The Zone of Interest.” For the first time, three best picture contenders — “Barbie,” “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Past Lives” — were directed by women. However, only one of those filmmakers, Justine Triet, earned a best director nomination.
At 81, Martin Scorsese made history by becoming the oldest directing nominee. Triet and Scorsese will face off against Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) and Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”).
Best actor will be a race between Paul Giamatti, playing a prickly boarding school teacher in “The Holdovers”; Cillian Murphy, who portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of the Manhattan Project in “Oppenheimer”; Bradley Cooper, who directed himself as composer Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro”; Colman Domingo, who embodies Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin in “Rustin”; and Jeffrey Wright, recognized for his performance as an underappreciated novelist engaged in an elaborate ruse in “American Fiction.”
Best actress is a contest between “Killers of the Flower Moon’s” Lily Gladstone, who is the first Native American performer to be nominated for the prize; Emma Stone, who plays the child-like protagonist in “Poor Things”; Annette Bening for her performance as a competitive swimmer, defying the odds (and time) in “Nyad”; Sandra Hüller, playing a woman on trial for murder in “Anatomy of a Fall”; and Carey Mulligan for her turn as Felicia Montealegre, the loyal wife of Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro.”
As with any Oscar season, some performers and artists who had been mainstays at the Golden Globes and other critics associations awards shows failed to land a nomination. “May December’s” Charles Melton, acclaimed for his work as a man whose life becomes tabloid fodder, and Leonardo DiCaprio, whose work as a dim-witted criminal in “Killers of the Flower Moon” scored him critical raves, were overlooked. But other stars will be fielding congratulatory calls that they may not have anticipated receiving. “Barbie’s” America Ferrera, whose monologue about the unfair expectations society places on women drew cheers in screenings, scored a surprise best supporting actress nod; and “American Fiction’s” Sterling K. Brown nabbed an unexpected best supporting actor nomination.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety