The 97th Academy Award nominations were announced on January 23 by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott, coming at a contentious moment, both locally and nationally. The nominations were originally scheduled to be announced on January 17 but were delayed a week given the pressing fires in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, the nomination ceremony coincided with President Trump’s inauguration, which dominated public attention and largely overshadowed the announcement. The Academy, in its own way, seems to have attempted to read the room, responding with a slew of nominations that celebrate diversity while still leaving much to critique.
Emilia Pérez led with 13 nominations, much to the dismay of many online. The film centers around a Mexican cartel leader who enlists a lawyer to help her transition into a woman. On top of that, it’s a musical. The film has been criticized by many for its perceived insensitivity, made worse by the French director’s open admission of not researching Mexican culture. “I guess I’m just confused where all the love for Emilia Pérez is coming from,” said Dane Printz, a La Jolla High senior. “From what I’ve read online, it feels like no one likes it.” Yet, the Academy’s embrace of the film has been resolute, a move that seems both provocative and inexplicably tone-deaf.
The Brutalist and Wicked both tied for 10 nominations. Wicked, arguably the most talked-about film of the year, scored nominations for both its leading ladies, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. “I like [Wicked], but I feel like there were deeper stories that could have gotten the nominations,” Kate Morgan, a junior at La Jolla High, said.
One of the nominees for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land, which explores the destruction of a Palestinian village by Israeli forces, has yet to be acquired by a U.S. distributor likely because of the subject matter and Hollywood’s collective political opinions, stirring up additional controversy online. This is a reminder of the Academy’s growing lack of influence; while they have elevated the film’s profile, the industry at large, based on subject matter or perceived commercial success, still decides what gets put into theaters and seen.
Demi Moore was nominated for her turn in The Substance, a body-horror film about an aging Hollywood star who takes a substance to reclaim her youth. Horror has historically been overlooked at the Oscars. This nomination is a potential sign that the Academy is shedding its distaste for genre films.
This year’s slate of nominations reflects an industry in flux. Most of these recognitions were predictable, but some were surprising given the Academy’s more sentimental taste in the past. While the Academy is indeed trying to pivot towards more international releases and inclusive films, it remains a question of if audiences will follow.