This upcoming Sunday is the 92nd annual Academy Awards.
While I’m sure we’re all excited to see which films do well and which don’t, who’s best dressed and who isn’t, one thing is evidently clear: women and minorities are once again left out, proving the Academy hasn’t kept their promise following the chaos that ensued from the 2016 #OscarsSoWhite disaster.
I have to argue against Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’s Best Picture nomination, especially when placed alongside the global phenomenon Parasite. For one, Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate hardly speaks. Tarantino’s excuse was that it wasn’t necessary, even though Tate was a women’s rights advocate who actively spoke out on issues of oversexualisation of women in Hollywood. Think about how Tate was reduced to a self-absorbed bimbo who twirled around often, with her most generous screen-time dedicated to her going to a theater to watch herself in a movie. Consider how Brad Pitt’s character is implied to have brutally murdered his wife, but it’s okay because he’s a cool guy and she was a nagging, whiny materialist. Was that necessary? I am confident there are better ways to highlight the greatness of Hollywood’s golden era than the way this Tarantino piece was focused.
Also, Hollywood, minority women exist too.
Though Jordan Peele’s Us lacked the concrete themes and social commentary that kept Get Out in the public’s mind, Lupita Nyong’o’s dynamic acting in the film was unforgettable. It was one of the most captivating performances I’ve seen this awards season, and it is mind-boggling to me that the Academy chose not to recognize that. Part of the fault, of course, is on the lack of campaigning the film as an Oscars contender. Nyong’o’s performance was terrifying, brave, and gentle all at once; if you’ve seen it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
And perhaps the biggest snub of them all was the lack of acknowledgment for director Greta Gerwig.
Fearless, beautiful, and complex, Little Women deserves the attention it got from the Academy, scoring nominations in Costume Design, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, and Saoirse Ronan for Actress in a Leading Role and Florence Pugh for Actress in a Supporting Role.
Yet, one obvious nomination has been glaringly absent: Gerwig’s directing. Every aspect of Little Women can be attributed to her incredible attention to detail and dedication to the art of filmmaking. Consider the warm, orange filter laid over the shots of the March sisters’ dreamlike childhood memories compared to the harsh, blue-gray tones that signified the crushing reality of present-day adulthood. Gerwig uses time-jumps generously, and these lenses are her aids. She created a heartfelt and joyous, yet agonizing and realistic piece from a classic era and relates it to the modern woman. She, along with the brilliant Florence Pugh, turned the youngest (and most hated) March sister Amy from a shallow brat to a misunderstood young woman whose only crime is knowing what she wants. Gerwig has a special talent for conveying the stories of women who have been cast aside and deemed troublesome by society (as evident from Ladybird) by reshaping their narrative. It’s a gift.
I could go on forever with my appraisal of Gerwig’s directing style, but for now I will say this. No matter who comes out on top this Oscars Sunday, keep in mind: not all who are there are deservedly so, nor are all those who are deservedly so, there. Hollywood and the Academy have a great deal of learning — and sharing — to do.
If the Academy wants to maintain the prestige and relevance that they still have, they should make space and invite more women and people of color into their ranks.
Our stories are important, too.