The Oscar Race Enters February

THR’s awards expert looks at the landscape ahead of Santa Barbara Film Festival and Super Bowl weekend

BEST PICTURE

Tár

This sleeper best picture Oscar contender — also nominated for directing, writing and acting Oscars — was the big winner at the London Critics Circle Awards on Feb. 5, winning best film, director (Todd Field) and actress (Cate Blanchett).

BEST ACTRESS

Andrea Riseborough To Leslie

The Academy’s review of the grassroots campaign that led to the actress’ surprise nomination concluded Jan. 31 with no punitive action taken against her. And some Oscar voters who resented the review say they’re now going to vote for her.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Living

Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japan-born British novelist and sixth Nobel laureate to be Oscarnominated (after Shaw, Steinbeck, Sartre, Pinter and Dylan — incredible company), visited L.A. for a Jan. 28 Q&A and the AARP Awards, which named him best screenwriter.

Top Gun: Maverick

On the heels of unexpected USC Scripter and Oscar noms, this adaptation of the 1986 original — by Ehren Kruger, Christopher McQuarrie and Eric Warren Singer, from a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks — landed a Writers Guild Award nom on Jan. 25.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Hold My Hand” Top Gun: Maverick

Lady Gaga has been MIA from the campaign trail, and her Oscarnominated tune lost the best song written for visual media Grammy on Feb. 5 to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” a song from a 2021 film, Encanto.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Stranger at the Gate

Joshua Seftel’s portrait of an Afghan refugee and the Marine who planned to bomb her mosque is buoyed by news that its executive producer Malala Yousafzai will attend the Oscar Nominees Luncheon on Feb. 13 and do a March 1 Q&A with the director.