We’re looking at the 2019 Oscars aka the 91st Academy Awards on this edition of The Big Story. And unlike the 2019 Oscar ceremony, this podcast has a host. I’m your host Vishnu Gopinath, and here’s EVERYTHING you need to know about the 2019 Oscars.
The 2019 Academy Awards ceremony will go live at 5 pm Greenwich Mean Time on Sunday 24 February. If you’re watching from India, you’re going to have an early day because that means 6.30 am 25 Feb, and that’s a Monday morning.
The 2019 Oscars have been a lot more controversial than usual, so on this episode we’ll look at the nominees, the awards and the controversy…oh my god so much controversy.
We have a lot to go over, so let’s not mess about. And don’t worry, we’ll also tell you who the winner might be, and who we think could steal a surprise win from under everyone’s noses!
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the movies. Click on the player below and listen to the podcast for the full story:
Oscars 2019 - The Nominees
1. Roma
The first is Netflix’s Roma directed by Alfonso Cuaron – which is a semi-autobiographical movie about Cuaron’s childhood in Mexico’s Colonia Roma.
Roma is a hot favourite for best picture. It’s already won best film at the BAFTAs and the Directors Guild awards. It’s the first film that was primarily distributed on a streaming service that’s been nominated for the best picture.
It’s been nominated for 10 Oscars including best picture, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and best supporting actress. It’s one of the few movies that hasn’t been gripped with controversy in the 2019 Oscars.
Count that as a win, because there aren’t many moments in the run up to the 2019 Oscars that weren’t controversial. Cuaron is the clear favourite for Best Director this year, with little likelihood that the Oscar will go to anyone else.
2. Green Book
Next up for Best picture we have Green Book.
A biopic about jazz pianist Don Shirley and the man who was his bodyguard and driver, Tony Vallelonga. The movie stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, and is the other hot favourite for best picture.
Like Roma, Green Book has already picked up Best picture at the Golden Globes and the Producers Guild awards. Both Mortensen and Ali have been nominated for best actor and best supporting actor. But the sailing hasn’t been smooth for Green Book. Viggo Mortensen hit the news after he said the n-word at a Q and A promotion for Green Book.
The Lord of the Rings actor apologised later for his statement. Then there was a 2015 tweet from Green Book’s producer Nick Vallelonga which resurfaced, in which Vallelonga says that he saw “Muslims in jersey city cheering” the 9/11 attacks.
A 1998 quote from director Peter Farelly also caused a stir because it said that he used to “jokingly flash his penis” during filming some of his past movies.
Heavy stuff right? And we’re JUST getting started.
3. Bohemian Rhapsody
The third nominee for Best picture is Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie is a biopic on rock band Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury. All eyes have been on Mercury who is played by Mr Robot’s Rami Malek, and there’s two good reasons for that.
First, Rami Malek is a spectacular actor who’s delivered a HAUNTING portrayal of Freddie Mercury. And the second, more important reason is because Director Bryan Singer was fired from the movie just before filming ended, and he’s been dropped from the movie’s promotions after he was accused of sexual assault by at least four men when they were underage. Rhapsody has been nominated for Best Picture and Malek has been nominated for best actor.
4. BlacKkKlansman
Fourth up for Best Picture is Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, another biopic about Ron Stallworth, the first African American detective in the Colorado Springs Police department who goes undercover to expose the white extremist hate group the Ku Klux Klan.
BlacKkKlansman is director Spike Lee’s first film to be nominated for an Oscar. It’s received SIX Oscar nominations including best picture, best director, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay. BlacKkKlansman is a hot favourite to win best adapted screenplay.
5. Black Panther
Next we have an entry from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that’s right, we’re talking about the MCU’s Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman as King T’çhalla, the Black Panther. It’s the FIRST superhero film to be nominated for Best picture. The movie which was a critical and commercial hit has been nominated for seven Oscars including best picture, best costume design and best original score. Of course, a sequel is in the works.
Interval: The Controversy Around the 2019 Oscars
Now, before we continue with the nominations, let’s take a two second sidebar. Remember we said the Oscars this year were controversial? Critics and journalists have made a note of this. First there was Kevin Hart being signed as the host for the Oscars and then dropping out after a few of his old anti-gay tweets resurfaced in the media.
What else?
The Quint spoke to entertainment journalist Udita Jhunjhunwala about this. This was what she had to say:
“The 2019 Oscars have been controversial for multiple reasons. From comments from the host and actors in the movies that were nominated, to the decision to announce four of the technical awards including the one for cinematography during commercial breaks, 2019 has been a very controversial season for the Oscars.”Udita Jhunjhunwala, Entertainment Journalist
After the decision to move the four awards to commercial breaks there was the addition of the popular film category. Both of these decisions were quickly reversed after SEVERE backlash on social media. Then there was the Screen Actors Guild calling out the Oscars for telling stars not to appear at the Guild awards if they wanted to present the Oscars. I mean, it’s been a REAL doozy, this Oscar season.
Oh of course there’s also the fact that the viewership for the Oscars has steadily been dropping every year, falling by a whole 20 percent in 2018 alone.
6. The Favourite
The next movie on the lineup is The Favourite! And boy is it a FAVOURITE at the Oscars.
It’s a black comedy period piece and is helmed by a primarily female cast. The Favourite has been nominated in 10 categories and is tied with Cuaron’s Roma for most nominations including Best picture, best director, best actress, two nominations for best supporting actress, best original screenplay and best cinematography.
Olivia Colman is a hot favourite for best actress, second only to Glenn Close as Joan Castleman in The Wife.
7. Vice
Next up is Vice, a comedy drama biopic about former US Vice President Dick Cheney. Vice has been nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor – for Christian Bale, Best Director, best supporting actor and actress, and best screenplay. Of course, Vice also came under controversy, because of several people questioning the accuracy of the movie’s claims about Cheney.
8. A Star is Born
And finally we have A Star is Born, with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. It’s a remake of the 1937 film of the same name. It’s the FOURTH remake of A Star is Born, which was remade in 1954 and 1976.
Bollywood also remade the movie in 2013, and called it Aashiqui 2. I’m not joking .
Anyway, A Star is Born is tied with Vice with eight nominations including the Oscar for best picture, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor and best cinematography.
Apart from these eight films, the Oscar for Best Animated Feature is a throwdown between Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mirai, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse.
The favourite for best animated feature is Into the Spiderverse, which has become a critical darling. Will there be an upset though? Highly unlikely.
With that said, the 2019 Oscars may have a secret surprise host, with some reports saying that Whoopi Goldberg could fill in the role. She’s hosted the Oscars four times in the past, and has been a smash hit every time. We’ll only know for sure come Monday morning!
So there’s your round-up of everything you need to know about the 2019 Oscars.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)