30 Random Thoughts About the Oscar Nominees

Yesterday was a very busy day at my office, so I didn't get to get this out into the universe then, but I still think we'd be remiss if I didn't do my annual random train of thought about the Oscar nominations.  So, without further adieu (as I'm sure you've dissected them all by now), here were my first thirty thoughts about yesterday's Oscar nominations:

1. Wow, no J. Lo.
2. I really wonder if Lopez's problem might be more that Hustlers wasn't a contender in any other categories, something pretty much every other "on the bubble" nominee who missed seemed to have struggled with.
3. Wait, Richard Jewell.  Maybe considering she missed the Emmys and the Oscars that people in Hollywood just don't like her?
4. Beyonce missing is going to add to the (earned) criticism this morning that Oscar ignored the achievements of women, and in particular, women-of-color, but this one I think may have to do more with The Lion King being the only movie that got two songs on Oscar's shortlist, lending credence to the recent tactics of A Star is Born and Frozen II to put all of their weight behind one song.
5. Frozen II missing is sending Disney some kind of message, but I'm not entirely sure what it is.  The fact that they actively sought out a movie like Klaus to bump a behemoth is telling that the animated branch is sick of having to get retreads.
6. The Two Popes was in tenth place and not Knives Out, right?  It's rare in the expanded field for a film to score two acting nominations & a writing citation and still miss the top race.
7. Ad Astra's nomination is my favorite of the morning because it's one of the rare moments that showed true originality in the pretty banal tech categories.
8. I don't have to see Uncut Gems, Aladdin, Just Mercy, or Alita Battle Angel for the OVP!
9. Oh good lord, I have to see Breakthrough.
10. Florence Pugh continues our No Globes/No SAG/No Problem streak.
11. Weird that Robert de Niro couldn't get any traction all season.
12. Man, that Rocketman buzz went nowhere.
13. I did really well with my viewings-as of this morning I now have only eight films left to see for the OVP, and only two with reviews still waiting from me (Star Wars and The Two Popes you'll be hearing my thoughts on later this week-the remainder will come as I have availability, but I'll make every effort to see as many as possible before the Oscars).
14. Why isn't Maleficent 2 on Disney+?  Why am I paying for this service if I can't watch these movies?
15. Lots of major gaps between nominations this year: Hanks (19 years), Hopkins (22), Bates (17), Zellweger (16), Pacino (27), Theron (14), and Pesci (29).
16. I would have preferred any other viable contender to Todd Phillips.
17. Seriously-Taika, Lulu, Noah, Greta, Pedro...all better.
18. What's it going to take for the Academy to seriously consider Asian actors when they star in a Best Picture frontrunner and win a Golden Globe...and still no nominations?
19. Bong Joon-Ho is the fourth Asian director ever nominated.
20. For all of that bluster about this being the year that the Academy finally takes Marvel seriously, Avengers: Endgame gets one nomination.  I'm not a big fan, but it's weird it couldn't get virtually any play being, you know, the highest-grossing film of all time.  It now joins Jurassic Park as the only other highest-grossing film of all time to not be nominated for Best Picture.
21. It's probably going to be a fight between Once and 1917, right?  Joker couldn't actually...win?
22. What do you think John Williams thinks of this particular nomination?  Can he name all of the films he's been nominated for?  Can I?
23. Is Diane Warren seriously going to lose again?  Maybe they'll pull a Randy Newman in 2010 on her and just call "mercy" from the music branch.
24. That didn't work, btw-Newman is nominated for a pair of trophies this year.
25. Seriously-Beyond the Lights, The Hunting Ground, Marshall, RBG, and now Breakthrough are Oscar-nominated because of Diane Warren.
26. Weirdly short list of first-timers this year for acting: Banderas, Pryce, ScarJo, Erivo, & Pugh the only ones.  Supporting Actor has five former winners, though I doubt many Academy members remember that Pitt was one of the winning producers of 12 Years a Slave (though he did give part of the speech).
27. Ronan's going to blast Kate Winslet's record out of the water, isn't she?
28. Could Erivo beat Zellweger?  In another year where the Academy is (deservedly) getting raked across the coals for not having enough actors of color nominated, are they really going to give four white actors the trophies?
29. Glenn Close Melissa McCarthy, and Lady Gaga would have beaten every person in this lineup.  This is the weakest Best Actress field since 2005.
30. Maybe they should have Madonna present Best Actor considering Pryce & Banderas both costarred with her in Evita.