Above: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo starring as Glinda and Elphaba in 2024 movie, “Wicked.” Photo courtesy of Gizmodo.
The nominations are in, and the glitz and glam are on standby as the Academy makes their final decisions. The Academy Awards, or Oscars, will recognize the film industry’s top actors, writers, directors, and more from 2024. SAU students are among those with mixed opinions about this year’s nominations, especially when it comes to “Wicked” and “The Substance.”
The nominations for Best Picture include films such as “A Complete Unknown,” “Emilia Perez,” and “Wicked.” St. Ambrose students are divided over which film deserves to be named the best picture of 2024.
SAU junior Maddie Schuh says, “I would probably have to go with the general public in saying that ‘Wicked’ should win best film due to how much people have been talking about it since it first released.”
Meanwhile, Hannah Dewitte, a junior, argues for a different film, in favor of its craftsmanship and themes rather than audience reception. “I think ‘The Substance’ should win best picture…I appreciate the VFX (visual effects) being practical and not CGI (computer-generated imagery).
“I also appreciate the unique storyline with the message and undertones of bashing/critiquing the industry as well as society for how they treat and view women and beauty and the implications that can have on a person and their own body image.”
Other categories of high contention are Best Actor and Best Actress. Nominations include Timothée Chalamet, Adrien Brody, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan on the male side and Cynthia Erivo, Karla Sofia Gascon, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, and Feranda Torres on the female side.
SAU junior, Sofie Garcia, says Cynthia Erivo deserves to be named Best Actress. “It was clear from beginning to end that Erivo put everything into the role and became a part of it. Actors and actresses who can do that bring a type of dedication to the screen that people watching can see and feel.”
Meanwhile, Dewitte was pulling for a different actress. “I believe Demi Moore should win best actress for her role in ‘The Substance.’ There’s something so vulnerable with her performance; she does an amazing job at portraying the difficulties of going back and forth between self-love and self-hate.”
She also says she feels that Bill Skarsgard should have been nominated for Best Actor for his performance in “Nosferatu.”
“From a logistical standpoint, being in full-body makeup while filming is a huge feat, but going as far as risking damage to your vocal cords to nail the voice you’re trying to achieve shows how much work and care went into the role,” Dewitte said.
The debate amongst the SAU campus extends to other categories as well. Schuh adds, “Personally, I don’t think ‘Wicked’ should be considered for original music score, mostly because they not only had references from the musical that they could draw upon, but all of the big songs are pretty much the same.”
Conversely, Garcia expresses “Challengers” should have been nominated for Best Original Score but was snubbed in this category among others.
“I do think that there were many successes this past year within the film industry, and it just shows how talented some actors and actresses are. Still, I think that the Academy did a thorough job nominating those who contributed to impactful roles.
”Since 1929, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has chosen winners in 12 to 23 categories ranging from Best Actor in a Leading Role to Best Costume Design, and everything in between. According to Britannica, to be eligible for an award, a film must be shown publicly for paid admission for at least one week at a theater in Los Angeles County between January 1st and December 31st of that year. The Oscars will be televised on Sunday, March 2. To view the full list of Oscar nominations in all 23 categories, click here.
