2021 Oscars - Best Pic

I wrote a much longer post talking about each of the seven Best Picture films, so this will just be a quick rundown. While the Oscars is oftentimes incredibly unreflective of society, and overwhelmingly skews white and male, this year there are a lot of historic firsts. 

• TWO women nominated for Best Director
• First male of Asian descent EVER nominated for Best Actor
• A University of Utah Film Studies MFA graduate is nominated for Best Director! 

I am very happy that stories about women told by women are getting recognized. I know that in the grand scheme of representation and equity, the Oscars are small potatoes - they are a symptom of issues and change that needs to happy. Once women and people of color get more access at the beginning of the process - being hired as writers, directors, stars, DPs, producers - they would be more likely to end up in nominations. We aren't there yet, so we'll start with celebrating this first until they become second nature. 

Lots of interesting and diverse stories were told this year, and I LOVE that women were nominated in Lead and Supporting in roles that were more than just "the wife" or "the girlfriend". So often a film centers on a male protagonist, and the woman that is nominated (and wins, see: Jennifer Connolly, Alicia Vikander) has played a supporting role in his story. Or the woman is nominated, but their film is overlooked in the Best Pic category (see: Wild, Monster, Still Alice). 

I haven't done any prognosticating or read anything about odds on who will win, so here's my thoughts on what I want to win with absolutely no outside influence of who I think will win. 

Best Pic
The only one I actively dislike is Mank. I'd be okay if Minari, The Father, Nomdland, or Promising Young Woman won. I appreciated what was being said in The Trial of the Chicago 7, but I'd be surprised and a little displeased if it won. 

Best Actor - Leading
Honestly, anyone but Gary Oldman would be fine with me. My knowledge of the Academy and awarding posthumous awards has me thinking Chadwick Boseman will win. 

Best Actress
Oh I definitely want Carey Mulligan to win. I love her and it is a powerhouse performance. However, I'm concerned she might lose to Frances McDormand. And Frances is great in Nomadland, way better than her performance in Three Billboards that got her an Oscar a few years ago. 

Best Actor - Supporting
I'm definitely rooting for Daniel Kaluuya. I hope he and Lakeith Stanford don't split votes since they're in the same movie. 

Best Actress - Supporting
Olivia Colman was so great in The Father and it'd be great if she won, but also I'm pulling for Yuh-Jung Youn from Minari. 

Best Director
Y'all, I am conflicted with this category. I want Lee Isaac Chung because he's a U grad, but I also am pulling for Chloe Zhao and Emeral Fennel. I liked all their films so I guess I'd be okay with any of them winning.