This year’s nominees include films and performances with diversity between actors, meaningful lessons, and plot lines that allow the audience to view the world in different ways. Leading the pack with 13 nominations is Emilia Perez, which attained the Critics Choice Movie Award, Best Director from Jaques Audiard, the Golden Globe award for Best Picture, and many more. But, following closely behind Emilia Perez is The Brutalist and Wicked, both acquiring 10 nominations. When asked about this year’s movie nominations, Juliet Perez ’28 states “I really loved Wicked, Cynthia Erivo really filled out the role very well.” Mrs. Pietrolungo, history teacher here at BHS said she too looks forward to “Kieran Culkin and Jesse Esienberg’s nominations for a Real Pain”. She also says she “tries to see as many of the nominated films as possible” and looks forward to watching each year’s Oscars. 

Best Picture Pretenders 

This year’s competition for Best Picture Award is stacked. Known for his role in Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and hit show Peaky Blinders, this year’s Best Picture award will be announced by none other than Cillian Murphy! The contenders for Best Picture include standout films such as: 

Emilia Perez: 

This thriller directed by Jaques Audiard follows a Mexican lawyer who is offered an abnormal job in assisting a notorious cartel boss retire and then transition into living as a woman, his true desire. 

The Brutalist:

Directed by Brady Corbett, the drama “The Brutalist” is about a visionary architect who escapes the horrific post-war Europe and comes to America, hoping to reconstruct his family and his career. He settles down in Pennsylvania, where an industrialist will soon recognize his talent. r

Wicked:

Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda, a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.

A Complete Unknown:

Starring Timothee Chalamet, this film set in the early 1960s regards 19-year-old Bob Dylan when he arrives in New York with just a guitar and pure talent. Destined to change the course of American music, he forms his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame. He begins to feel restless with the folk movement, sparking a controversial choice that reverberates worldwide 

Anora:

Sean Baker’s story of a young woman from Brooklyn who gets a chance to have her own Cinderella story. She marries the son of a ruler, but once the story makes its way to her family in Russia, the chances of pulling off this marriage are slim, as they set off to New York to get the marriage annulled.

Aspiring Actors and Actresses

Best Actor Nominees: Ralph Fieness from The Conclave, Timothee Chalamet from A Complete Unknown, Adrien Brody from The Brutalist, Sebastian Stan from The Apprentice, Colman Domingo from Sing Sing

Best Actress Nominees: Cynthia Erivo from Wicked, Karla Sofia Gascon from Emilia Perez, Mikey Madison from Anora, Demi Moore from The Substance and Fernanda Torres from I’m Still Here

Best Supporting Actor Nominees: Jeremy Strong from The Apprentice, Guy Pearce from The Brutalist, Edward Norton from The Complete Unknown, Kieran Culkin from A Real Pain, and Yura Borisov from Anora

Best Supporting Actress Nominees: Monica Barbaro from A Complete Unknown, Ariana Grande from Wicked, Felicity Jones from The Brutalist, Isabella Rossellini from The Conclave, and Zoe Saldana from Emilia Perez

Watch, Relax, and Enjoy the Show

Starting at 7 pm ET, the 97th annual academy awards will air on streaming services such as: YoutubeTV, ABC, AT&T TV, Hulu Live TV, and FuboTV. Tune in on Sunday March 2, to see who will claim their academy award.

Conclusion

This year’s 97th annual academy awards promise to be a memorable and exciting event. As the date comes closer, audiences and filmmakers across the country are in deep anticipation waiting for this day. This year’s Oscars celebrate the past year’s greatest movies, actors, and those behind the scenes.