Here are the 2024 Oscar Nominations

The 2024 Oscar nominations that rolled in bright and early Tuesday morning leaned toward artsy, prestige fare — and away from more obvious blockbuster success. When Greta Gerwig didn’t get nominated for best director for “Barbie,” you could almost hear a collective gasp across the country.

The love for “Barbie” seemed weak everywhere, with eight nominations compared with 13 for “Oppenheimer,” 11 for “Poor Things” and 10 for “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Despite hitting double digits, “Killers’ ‘ also landed fewer nods than many expected — with no recognition for best actor or adapted screenplay, for instance. (Although Martin Scorsese just passed Steven Spielberg as the most-nominated living director and Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American best actress nominee.) Surging movies? Those would be “American Fiction” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” which seemed to rack up surprising nods in every category academy members could think to nominate them for.

Best Actor

The competition for Best Actor boils down to a contest between Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), both Golden Globe winners in their respective genres. However, the noteworthy aspect is the inclusion of Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), and Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”) in the nominations, rather than Leonardo DiCaprio, who was overlooked for his lead role in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The Screen Actors Guild had already recognized these same five actors for its own awards show, perhaps foreshadowing the Oscar snub.

May December

Despite featuring acclaimed actresses Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, Todd Haynes’s film “May December” secured its sole nomination in the original screenplay category. The campy drama, drawing inspiration from the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal of the 1990s, has faced oversight from various voting bodies this awards season. However, breakout star Charles Melton, lauded by critics for his nuanced portrayal of a 36-year-old man pursued as a teenager by Moore’s character, managed to accumulate several industry nominations. Unfortunately, he was overlooked in the Oscars’ supporting actor category, where more established performers took the spotlight this time. Here’s hoping for better luck in the future.

SAG

Although the SAG Awards typically serve as a reliable indicator for acting nominations, the Oscars demonstrated a slight deviation in the supporting actor category. While the union chose to nominate Willem Dafoe for his portrayal of the eccentric scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter in “Poor Things,” the academy opted to recognize Dafoe’s co-star Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo portrays the blustering Duncan Wedderburn, accompanying Emma Stone’s character on her coming-of-age journey. The frontrunner for victory appears to be Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”), so neither actor from “Poor Things” should lose too much sleep over the outcome.

Greta Gerwig

What proved surprising, however, was the inclusion of French director Justine Triet in the nominations for “Anatomy of a Fall,” while Greta Gerwig, whose “Barbie” stands as the highest-grossing film from a female director in history, found herself excluded. In the days leading up to the nominations, Gerwig had appeared vulnerable, and she shared company with other overlooked American directors, including Bradley Cooper for “Maestro” and Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers.”

The directing branch’s international inclination was further evident with Jonathan Glazer receiving recognition for the German-language “Zone of Interest,” tying with “Anatomy of a Fall” (in French and English) with a robust five nominations each. Both films were standout performers at the recent Cannes Film Festival.

Barbie Overlooked

While we understand that box office triumph doesn’t guarantee Oscar nominations, it’s striking how consistently “Barbie,” the highest-grossing film of 2023, was overlooked in various categories. Perhaps most glaring is the absence of recognition for lead actress Margot Robbie, whose performance is pivotal to the film, and for director Gerwig, previously a nominee in 2018 for “Lady Bird.” Additionally, Rodrigo Prieto didn’t secure a nomination for the film’s cinematography, although he did earn recognition for “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Origin

The journey to securing nominations for Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” was undoubtedly challenging. As an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s seemingly challenging nonfiction bestseller “Caste,” the movie essentially revolves around a woman crafting a thesis that connects Nazi Germany, the killing of Trayvon Martin, and the struggles of Dalits in India. The film’s synopsis doesn’t immediately resonate as something that Academy members would eagerly embrace.

Independent Financing

Financing the film independently with support from philanthropists like Melinda Gates and Laurene Powell Jobs, DuVernay faced hurdles from the outset. “Origin” only found a distributor at the conclusion of the Venice Film Festival and had its theatrical release in January. Despite DuVernay’s tireless promotional efforts this month, the dynamics of the awards race already seemed firmly established. It all came a little (or, truly, a lot) too late.

Controversy

The big Oscar controversy this fall was when France decided to submit “The Taste of Things,” a sumptuous food movie starring Juliette Binoche, as its official selection for international feature over the Palme d’Or-winning “Anatomy of a Fall.” France hasn’t won an Oscar in that category since Régis Wargnier’s “Indochine” in 1993, and this, many thought, could be its year.

Fast forward to the present, and “The Taste of Things” failed to secure a spot, while “Anatomy of a Fall” garnered nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actress (Sandra Hüller), Original Screenplay, and Editing—the latter being a category Oscar enthusiasts consider crucial for contention in the race for the grand prize. If included in the international feature category, it would be a frontrunner, but it appears “The Zone of Interest” will likely emerge as the victor in that category now.

And the Nominees are:

Best picture

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best actor in a leading role

Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction

Best actor in a supporting role

Sterling K Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things

Best actress in a leading role

Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Emma Stone – Poor Things

Best actress in a supporting role

Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

Best directing

Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese
Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
Poor Things – Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer

Best animated feature film

The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best adapted screenplay

American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best original screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

Best cinematography

El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best costume design

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best documentary feature film

Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol

Best documentary short film

The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Best film editing

Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best international feature film

Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers’ Lounge
The Zone of Interest

Best makeup and hairstyling

Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow

Best original score

American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best original song

The Fire Inside – Flamin’ Hot
I’m Just Ken – Barbie
It Never Went Away – American Symphony
Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) – Killers of the Flower Moon
What Was I Made For? – Barbie

Best production design

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best animated short film

Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

Best live action short film

The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Best sound

The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Best visual effects

The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

As the anticipation builds for the upcoming Oscars, the diverse array of nominees showcases the richness and talent within the film industry. From thought-provoking dramas to captivating animations, each nomination represents a unique contribution to cinematic art. As we eagerly await the grand celebration of storytelling and creativity, the nominees, both seasoned veterans and emerging talents, stand as a testament to the power of storytelling on the global stage. The Oscars promise to be a night of recognition, celebration, and, above all, a tribute to the artistry that continues to captivate audiences around the world.

by Myles Shane

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