‘Favourite,’ ‘Roma’ lead with 10 Oscar nominations each
A diverse list has “Black Panther” as first superhero film in the running for best picture.
The Oscars are spreading the love around in a wild awards season: “Roma” and “The Favourite” landed 10 nominations each Tuesday morning, and “Black Panther” became the first superhero film in the running for best picture.
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron’s emotional drama about a year in the life of a Mexican maid, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ 18th-century costume farce “The Favourite” garnered nominations for best picture and director for the 91st Academy Awards.
They each were led by their women: Yalitza Aparicio of “Roma” and Olivia Colman of “The Favourite” are up for best actress, and “Favourite” landed two spots in the supporting category for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Marina de Tavira of “Roma” scored a surprise supporting nomination.
Spike Lee was honored with the first best-picture and best-director nominations of his career for ’70s cop movie “BlacKkKlansman.”
In addition to “Roma,” “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “The Favourite,” the films competing for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ big prize – best picture – will be the musically tinged drama “A Star Is Born,” period dramedy “Green Book,” Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and political satire “Vice.”
Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”) and Glenn Close (“The Wife”) have tussled for various best-actress trophies – they tied for the Critics’ Choice Award, and Close nabbed Globe gold – and they’re up for an Academy Award alongside Aparicio, Colman and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”).
“Vice” star Christian Bale won Gold- en Globe and Critics’ Choice honors for playing Vice President Dick Cheney, and he’s in a race for best actor with Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) and Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”).
On a roll is Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), the Globe winner who leads the Oscar field for best supporting actor. In the category with him: Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), Sam Elliott (“A Star Is Born”), Sam Rockwell (“Vice”) and Adam Driver (“BlackKklansman”).
The supporting-actress category features de Tavira, Globe winner Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Amy Adams (“Vice”) and “The Favourite” costars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
The best-director category features Cuaron, Lanthimos, Lee, Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) and Adam McKay (“Vice”).
Left somewhat out in the cold was Cooper, who scored a Directors Guild of America nomination for “A Star Is Born” but was snubbed for best director.
The movie was one of the major contenders heading into Tuesday’s announcement but came away with only eight nominations. (In the past, lacking a best-director nomination lessened chances for a best-picture win, though a recent exception was Ben Affleck’s “Argo.”)
Another underperformer was “Green Book” – five nominations total for the Golden Globe and Producers Guild winner.
DGA nominee Peter Farrelly lost out on a best-director nod, and film editing was its lone technical category nomination.
The winners will be revealed when the 91st Academy Awards airs live Feb. 24 (ABC, 8 EST/5 PST).