The world is changing so fast around the Academy – I don’t think it even realizes it yet. And why should it? This is as closed off a group as you could imagine – insulated, isolated, voting in anonymity. But in case you can’t yet figure out what the fuss is all about – here’s an easy to follow info piece [and yes we know that the Babadook was not eligible]:
probably because asian look white enough even if their not caucasian their skin color is some shade of white !
sad to say but i love some of the comments here very insightful breakdowns that do away with the emotional upheaval due to blacks non inclusion among nominees and just look at the facts from A to Z
Maybe they implement affirmative action and keep a spot for a token black nomination in each category , and if there are more good performances they want to recognize by a black person its added to that token nomination , like that whether deserving or not there will be blacks represented and everyone is happy on the surface !
america is funny but you still have it better , france has an even worse report card on that subject ! someone who is more familiar with the cesars would have to tell me how france fares on diversity , as a movie-goer i rarely see films with french black actors in it or an only black cast or getting recognition , off the top of my head i’m thinking omar sy but that’s it , they won’t or very rarely show american movies with a black cast only , kevin hart couldnt get think like a man 1 or 2 to be distributed in france as if the black population here is non-existent and there’s no money to be made or white majority wouldnt care to watch !
i definitely agree though that SELMA if they really had confidence in their product they should have postpone its release and keep it for the next award season circuit thus giving it time to shine , hope the producers learned their lesson sometimes you mess up sometimes you don’t ehhh
Strange how nobody cared last year, or any other year, about the long-term lack of Asian representation in Oscar nominations. In the past thirty years, the number of Asian actors/actresses nominated for Oscars can be counted on one hand: Rinko Kikuchi, Ken Wantanabe, and Haing S. Ngor. Conversely, there have been many African American nominees (and several winners). It’s a shame that many people care about only some forms of diversity.
Speaking of Chris Rock, he got the best reviews of his film career with ”Top Five” (87% at Rotten Tomatoes), but all he could manage was a Best Actor in a Comedy nomination at Broadcast Film Critics. Not even a Best Actor in a Comedy at Globes. Before all this diversity debate broke out over the Oscar nominations, Rock wrote a blistering, insightful and funny essay for the Hollywood Reporter: ”[Hollywood] is a white industry. Just as the NBA is a black industry. I’m not even saying it’s a bad thing. It just is. … How many black men have you met working in Hollywood? They don’t really hire black men. Not going to happen. … But forget if Hollywood is black enough. A better question is: Is Hollywood Mexican enough? … You’re telling me that no Mexicans are qualified to do anything at a studio? Really? Nothing but mop up? … Look, most movies suck. Absolutely suck. They just do. Most TV shows suck. Most books suck. … But when you have a system where you probably only see three movies with African-American leads in them a year, they’re going to be judged more harshly, and you’re really rooting for them to be good a little more so than the 140 movies starring white people every year.”
Many white writers have weighed in on diversity but how often do writers of color get the same forum? Please read Rock’s entire commentary. He’s got a lot to say, especially as an Emmy-winning writer (and actor, director and producer).
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/top-five-filmmaker-chris-rock-753223
If you look at who gets invited to join the Academy (and really surprising as some of these people do much more TV than film), diversity must be a criterion (how else do you explain Paula Patton in 2013???). And some of the people are, let’s be frank, already has-beens. Must be friends with somebody high up.
In 2012 ONLY, Terrence Malick was invited to become a member. Malick is, yes an old white man, but still that’s incredible.
Actors only:
The 2012 invitees are:
Actors
Simon Baker – “Margin Call,” “L.A. Confidential”
Sean Bean – “Flightplan,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”
Bérénice Bejo – “The Artist,” “OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies”
Tom Berenger – “Inception,” “Platoon”
Demián Bichir – “A Better Life,” “Che”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help,” “The Tree of Life”
Clifton Collins Jr. – “Star Trek,” “Traffic”
Bryan Cranston – “Contagion,” “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jean Dujardin – “Les infidèls,” “The Artist”
Richard E. Grant – “The Iron Lady,” “Withnail & I”
Jonah Hill – “Moneyball,” “Superbad”
Ken Howard – “J. Edgar,” “In Her Shoes”
Diego Luna – “Milk,” “Y Tu Mamá También”
Margo Martindale – “Secretariat,” “Million Dollar Baby”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids,” “The Back-Up Plan”
Matthew McConaughey – “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “A Time to Kill”
Janet McTeer – “Albert Nobbs,” “Tumbleweeds”
S. Epatha Merkerson – “Mother and Child,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
Sam Rockwell – “Cowboys & Aliens,” “Moon”
Andy Serkis – “The Prestige,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help,” “The Soloist”
Lili Taylor – “Being Flynn,” “High Fidelity”
Nia Vardalos – “For a Good Time, Call…,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
Kerry Washington – “Django Unchained,” “Ray”
Michelle Yeoh – “The Lady,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
2014:
Actors
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
Clancy Brown – “The Hurricane,” “The Shawshank Redeption”
Paul Dano – “12 Years a Slave,” “Prisoners”
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave,” “Shame”
Ben Foster – “Lone Survivor,” “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”
Beth Grant – “The Artist,” “No Country for Old Men”
Clark Gregg – “Much Ado about Nothing,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine,” “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Josh Hutcherson – “The Hunger Games,” “The Kids Are All Right”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “Enough Said,” “Planes”
Kelly Macdonald – “Brave,” “No Country for Old Men”
Mads Mikkelsen – “The Hunt,” “Casino Royale”
Joel McKinnon Miller – “Super 8,” “The Truman Show”
Cillian Murphy – “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Inception”
Lupita Nyong’o – “Non-Stop,” “12 Years a Slave”
Rob Riggle – “21 Jump Street,” “The Hangover”
Chris Rock – “Grown Ups 2,” “Madagascar”
June Squibb – “Nebraska,” “About Schmidt”
Jason Statham – “Parker,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”
David Strathairn – “Lincoln,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.”
Jason Stratham??? Who wants him voting on the Oscars?? LOL!
Thank you, WW, that is indeed part of what I meant.
“I recall Jean Dujardin a year or so after he won saying he hadn’t voted because he hadn’t had time to see enough of the films.”
JD did the right thing. I’ll bet a majority of voters don’t see enough to make an educated choice, yet vote anyway based on affiliation, personal faves, whatever is the collective cool at the moment.
Thanks, WW, that is a part of what I mean. But I also mean that film writers that cover the Oscars–both pundits and critics–are fully aware of their influence on the race, how they set in stone a large chunk of what becomes nominated very early in the season. It is hypocritical to see some of these writers attack AMPAS for the lack of diversity this year when they’ve been complicit in the narrative of the season since the beginning.
To illustrate this point, let’s take a look at Guru o’ Gold. In their first chart of the year, posted at the end of August “Pre-Venice/Telluride/Toronto,” they as a group projected 25 films as contenders and only ONE of them (Selma) is non-white (2 if you count Rosewater, 3 if you count Trash). The post-festival chart includes 27 films, two of which are non-white (Selma & Top Five–a “one vote wonder”). From that point on, Top Five dropped from their charts and no other non-white film was added to it.
In their “After New York” post in October they charted the acting races for the first time, and in a collection of 59 actors only 4 aren’t white (one in each field). None of those 4 actors are in the top five of their field, two of them are one vote wonders. In this same post they chart 14 directors–2 are women, 1 isn’t white. These stats don’t get better as the season progresses–why? Because the pre-cursor awards bodies continued the tone by nominating and awarding the white actors and filmmakers that I listed in my first comment.
Complicity.
I should point out that I think Awards Daily is one of the least complicit sites in this regard. Sasha has championed minority filmmakers all season and has helped keep them in the conversation.
I really wonder how many newer members vote. I recall Jean Dujardin a year or so after he won saying he hadn’t voted because he hadn’t had time to see enough of the films. You can bring in younger, more diverse members but if they don’t vote then it isn’t going to impact on the results much at all, which will still be dominated by the older retired crowd who have time on their hands.
Maybe the ”complicity” that Benutty is referring to is the movie writers/critics who scold the Oscars for its lack of diversity, but belong to critics’ organizations that announced awards that were just as all-white. To me, the Oscar-blogging/punditry universe looks like a largely all-white, mostly male world, and often one that defends the status quo. It would be great if those websites introduced more diversity.Here’s one rare example of Latin women tackling the topic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/michell-mulligan-oscars-diversity_n_6486700.html
I just checked Ava Du Vernay is a member of the Academy. She was nominated in 2013 and here is a list of the actors (I won’t include the others as they are not as well known).
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,” “Chaplin”
Lucy Liu – “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” “Chicago”
Jennifer Lopez – “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “Selena”
Alma Martinez – “Born in East L.A.,” “Under Fire”
Emily Mortimer – “Hugo,” “Lars and the Real Girl”
Sandra Oh – “Rabbit Hole,” “Sideways”
Paula Patton – “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Michael Peña – “End of Watch,” “Crash”
Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour,” “Hiroshima, Mon Amour”
Jason Schwartzman – “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Rushmore”
Geno Silva – “Mulholland Drive,” “Amistad”
Danny Trejo – “Machete,” “Heat”
Chris Tucker – “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Rush Hour”
Looks pretty diverse to me, even some rather dubious choices I’d say.
Steven, “easy way out” is a perfect phrase because, I think, in a lot of ways there are many pundits & critics speaking about this Oscar diversity issue as a distraction to their own complicity in the larger issue.
” in a lot of ways there are many pundits and critics speaking about this Oscar diversity issue as a distraction to their own complicity”
Who whoa whoa, I do not think people who write about movies are complicit in the sins or failures of the movie industry, and I do not think they would write about it if they secretly felt like they were to blame .
Benutty, that’s a good post with all the awards bodies. Going after the academy is the easy way out because they are the most visible.
Good to see Pete Hammond coming out with some truths: http://deadline.com/2015/01/oscar-sag-awards-diversity-controversy-1201352852/
To continue: The critics groups also jumped aboard the storyline that Julianne Moore was overdue to finally win her Oscar. That’s my problem with too many of the critics’ groups. They’re sheep all trying to predict the Oscars. And the Academy rightfully has been criticized for its 94% white membership. But let’s not kid ourselves: The critics are largely all-white. And yes, the face of the major Oscar bloggers is all-white. Studio execs, etc. Yes, we need more movies about people of color. But we need diversity and more people of color in all those areas. There are no quick fixes, but this is ultimately a good debate to have.
Benutty, you make a great point about many of the precursor awards being all-white. Obviously, the Oscars get the most heat because they are considered THE top movie awards. But the problem of diversity, or recognizing it, is much larger than the Academy. The critics failed, too. They often set the table and call attention to notable performances. For instance, if a bunch of them had given prizes to, say, David Oyelowo for Best Actor or Gugu Mbatha-Raw for Best Actress. Instead, they each echoed one another: Michael Keaton was due for a lifetime achievement award;
The hell with the Oscars. The O word is Opportunity. Hire people of color and women for more projects. Give women and poc the oppportunity to excel and they will. Then for example the best performances in one year for best director includes more than 1 person of color/female than it will be hard for the The Academy to not vote for them.
THIS.
it would be interesting if all of this controversy resulted in “Selma” actually winning Best Picture. It seems plausible.
The only category that everyone in the Academy votes for during nominations is Best Picture. Selma got in for Best Picture, despite the majority of directors not thinking the directing was distinguished (it wasn’t), the majority of the writers thinking the writing wasn’t distinguished) it wasn’t, the majority of the actors not thinking the acting was top 5 (hard to say – though this years’ acting nominees are all pretty damn amazing), the majority of the costumers… well, you get my drift. So the story being told is that the Academy shut out Selma, when the truth is, despite no one but the musicians saw a top 5 effort in their respective fields, enough voters still put it at the top of their ballot for Best Picture. Snub??
Foxcatcher, a superior film with nominations in writing, directing, and acting, did not get a BP nomination. That is a snub.
I find it disappointing that this argument is being levied against the Oscars only and not the following groups, some of which select by committee where a debate could be had and a decision made about being more inclusive in their choices:
– Women Film Journalists: all white acting nominees
– BFCA: 23/24 white acting nominees
– Denver Film Critics: all white/male BP & BD nominees, all white acting nominees
– Detroit Film Critics: all white/male BP & BD nominees, all white acting nominees, all male writers
– Florida Film Critics Circle: all white/male BP & BD nominees, all white acting nominees
– Gay and Lesbian Critics: all white acting nominees, all white BP nominees
– HFPA: 28/30 white acting nominees
– Houston Film Critics: all white/male BD nominees, all white acting nominees, all male writers
– London Film Critics: 15 white film nominees in 2 categories, 33/35 white acting nominees, all male writers, all white/male directors
– National Society of Film Critics: all white from top to bottom
– LA Film Critics: all white acting/directing/BP winners & runners-up
– NYFCC: all white acting/director/BP/writing winners
– NYFCO: all white/acting/director/BP/writing winners
– NC Film Critics: all white acting nominees
– Online Film Critics: all white acting nominees
– Phoenix Film Critics: all white BP/director/acting nominees
– San Diego Film Critics: all white director, 20/21 white acting nominees
– San Francisco Film Critics: all white BP/director/acting nominees
– St. Louis Film Critics: all white BP/director nominees, 21/22 white acting nominees
– DGA: all white/male nominees
– PGA: all white nominees
– SAG: all white nominees
– AFI: 10/11 white nominees
– Gotham: all white BP nominees
– NBR: all white, including 20/20 white films in top
Look, the issue isn’t Oscar it’s, as many have already said, the industry. Somehow people are surprised that AMPAS nominated all white actors and all white, male directors, but looking back on the season you can see that MANY groups did the same. On top of that, Oscar nominees don’t start the season, they end it. An argument can be made that AMPAS just follows the trend and this was set by an army of critics/pundits/voters that had the chance to nominate and/or talk about different films & actors and, frankly, didn’t.
I find it really disappointing to see so many Oscar pundits suddenly damn AMPAS for their lack of diversity in nominations when all along they’ve been predicting exactly what happened. It’s also disappointing that instead of talking about how AMPAS more or less has their hands tied by the time they get to vote, these writers are throwing AMPAS under the bus. The system is broken.
And that’s not even getting to the chronic misuse of the term “snub” because Selma was quite literally NOT snubbed. Selma got a BP nomination. It got a Song nomination. These are the fields it was MOST competitive in–the director, acting, writing and cinematography fields it was vying for from a long-shot status and pundits, of all people, should know that. Pundits also know the MANY factors that have led to Selma’s underperformance with awards, most of which stem from the film’s and the studio’s truly awful timeline.
A lot of talk about how the lack of diversity in the nominations, and not enough about how there was only one film, one director and one actor even coming close to challenging that.
Saw this on a friend’s timeline on Facebook. Hopefully the link works/shows up…
https://www.facebook.com/364490060297502/photos/a.364520086961166.83565.364490060297502/798072256939278/?type=1&theater
The hell with the Oscars. The O word is Opportunity. Hire people of color and women for more projects. Give women and poc the oppportunity to excel and they will. Then for example the best performances in one year for best director includes more than 1 person of color/female than it will be hard for the The Academy to not vote for them.
Lupita got Star Wars after her Oscar last year. Which is nice. I guess. We will see what comes next for Lupita, Ava, David and all those other talented people who just want a chance.
I think a lot of Hollywood is like Woody Allen. When asked why he does not hire black people. He said I just don’t see black people in these characters. The O word is Opportunity.
The diversity thing will remain in a rut because Hollywood just does not make very pictures about people of color. The ones they do make typically have low production value.
There is no excuse for the gender inequality among their ranks. The movie-going public is over 50% female and some of the biggest stars (including the biggest movie star – Jennifer Lawrence) are women.
The Academy needs to boot some of those members that just do not work that often anymore. If you have not contributed to a film/project in the last 5 years, then your membership should be suspended until you do something. Perhaps then some of the old fogies will not have a say. Of course, a disproportionate amount of old ladies (actresses) will probably suffer due to the difficulty in finding work, so who knows?
I’m still bummed that a mediocre film like American Sniper/The Theory of Everything/Imitation Game can garner so many nominations while critically acclaimed films like Gone Girl, Wild, and Selma are barely recognized.
”Why aren’t there more films about non-white men?” Simple. $$$$$$$. George Lucas ran into this reality when he went to various studios to back ”Red Tails,” his movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, the black hero pilots of World War II. All the studios turned him down because, Lucas said, “They don’t believe there’s any foreign market for it and that’s 60 percent of their profit.” … And for indies, ”Fruitvale Station” was showered with tons of awards and critical acclaim (94% at Rotten Tomatoes), but it couldn’t catch the attention of the Oscar voters, even though the Weinstein Co. handled its campaign.
@AARON. QUOTE: “Just want to say, I LOVE your post.” Thank you! I love your post as well. QUOTE: “Go see A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Go see Wild. Go see Beyond the Lights, Belle, Ida, Two Days One Night, Obvious Child, etc. Don’t pirate these films. Don’t wait to watch it on Netflix or HBO. Support these films with your wallet at the box-office and send a clear message to Hollywood that you support films by women, starring women, starring women of color. It’s no coincidence that after the huge success of Bridesmaids we’ve seen a plethora of female comediennes make a dent in both TV and film. From Melissa McCarthy to Amy Schumer to Amy Poehler to Kristen Wiig to the ladies of Broad City. Hollywood is a business so if something works, they’re going to produce it.” Yes, yes, yes!
@DH. QUOTE: “To say there’s a lack of African-American nominees is only scratching the surface of the issue. To say this is caused by the lack of African-American contenders goes a bit deeper. When studios and the people making the money decisions finally understand that not enough films by and about African-American are being made, that gets at the heart of the issue. Then, the job is to change that.” This is very well said and exactly what I was trying to get to (but only implied) in my post.
@HOLDEN. QUOTE: “Do we need to make more films, perhaps better films that represent women, people of color, or non-heterosexual individuals, and their stories?” Yes. Absolutely. QUOTE: “Do filmmakers need to be taken to task as well?” Perhaps, however, if you look at the lineups at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, etc., every year there are films and filmmakers out there that represent these underserved groups. Not all are good or even great. But some actually are. Not all get (or even deserve to get) distribution. But some do. And many of these films aren’t even getting a chance.
So, why aren’t there more films about non-white men? Certainly, there are bigger studios who are trying to think bigger, but what about independent studios that are supposedly supporting forward-thinking artists that would be in a position to rectify this? Why aren’t more people willing to tell these stories? And for the few that are, why aren’t they being heard? Racism and sexism, okay. But what can we correct? Do we need to make more films, perhaps better films that represent women, people of color, or non-heterosexual individuals, and their stories? Do filmmakers need to be taken to task as well? Obviously, this is an issue. How do we correct it?
DH,
Awesome breakdown.
The more I think of this, the more I’m convinced that you cannot fix the Oscars without fixing the larger problem: Hollywood. The nominated films are worthy to be in the top 8, and I would hate to have someone use their vote on a film that they don’t think is the best in order to meet a diversity obligation.
The root cause of why there are no people of color in any of the acting categories, or women in directing or writing, is that there aren’t many choices of visible films with non-white roles where the actor or actress can really shine. Same thing goes for writing and directing. Selma and Gone Girl had women in prominent creative positions, and they were ignored. It may be that those films were not liked by the members, as hard-to-believe as that concept may be. But there are no other visible selections for them to make their choices.
I use “visible” because there are alternate choices out there to bring diversity into the Oscars. The problem is that the studios do not get behind them. And I’m not talking about Oscar campaigning, rather studios promoting films in general with a diverse creative team. This gets to Sasha’s broader complaint about Hollywood. Why not tell more stories that revolve around non-white-heterosexual men? In 2013, two three of the top box office draws were female centric. Gravity was a box office success, a critical one, and one in the Awards season. In 2014, Mockingjay is #2 for box office, soon to be #1 either this weekend or next. Women CAN lead successful movies, so can people of color. The studios need to allow those films to get out there and be seen outside the limited LA/NYC arthouses.
They also need to allow more blockbuster types of films with female leads. I wonder what Interstellar would have been like if the genders were switched—Chastain the astronaut, McConaughey as her grown son, even Hathaway and Damon switching roles; I think it would have been way more interesting. And why is Scarlett Johansson not being utilized more? She’s a capable actress that can do drama and action films. Where is her Marvell film? They think no one will see it; bullshit. What about Lupita Nyong-o? She was the “it” girl last awards season. Her career should be skyrocketing, but no big roles her way, save Star Wars.
Only when the industry allows for change, will the Oscars show a consistent recognition of diversity. Having the Academy fix “their” problems without fixing the root industry cause will result in this issue to continually come up.
@DH
That’s an interesting list. Really shows that the films released late in the season that make a dent with Oscar have huge names attached (Eastwood, Scorsese, Spielberg, Russell, Tarantino, Bigelow, Coens, Cameron…names the Academy are obviously familiar with). Even Her was being screened in October at the New York Film Festival, thus having time to build up buzz.
Point #2: In the six years since 2009 (when the Academy altered the number of best picture nominees), there have only been 11 films to be nominated for best picture that were released in the second half of December. They have all had major name recognition for their director or stars (except for Selma). More than anything, Selma suffered from a late release date. Without a well known director or stars, the film barely got out of the gate. The other 10 films listed below were able to build up a lot of steam before they were ever released. Selma had an uphill battle before it was ever released (due to subject, no director or star power, date of release, and lack of screeners). In my mind, the producers flubbed the opening. Yes, the producers were probably fact a host of decisions I can’t even imagine. However, if Selma had been released a month earlier, maybe the result would have been entirely different. People would have had time to see it before nominee voting took place. Screeners would have been available to Academy members. The film would have had time to build momentum.
Release Date – Title (limited/nationwide) – Star Power
12/25/2014 – Selma (limited) – none
12/25/2014 – American Sniper (limited) – Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper
12/25/2013 – American Hustle (nationwide) – David O. Russell, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
12/25/2013 – The Wolf of Wall Street (nationwide) – Martin Scorcese, Leonardo DiCaprio
12/18/2013 – Her (nationwide) – Spike Jonze, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams
12/25/2012 – Django Unchained (nationwide) – Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson
12/19/2012 – Zero Dark Thirty (limited) – Kathryn Bigelow, Jessica Chastain
12/25/2011 – War Horse (nationwide) – Steven Spielberg
12/25/2011 – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (limited) – Stephen Daldry, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks
12/22/2010 – True Grit (nationwide) – Coen Brothers, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
12/18/2009 – Avatar (nationwide) – James Cameron
Academy Awards reflect the studios. They decide which films to promote and fund in the Oscar race. The voters respond to the campaigns. That’s just the way. Neither studios nor academy are advocacy groups.
Outstanding comments, vital conversation. At this point, we all know about the Academy’s lack of diversity and many people have written (and spoken) with outstanding and sharp insight. I don’t want to sound like an Academy apologist in terms of the diversity issues they’re facing. There is, however, a larger problem than the Academy. There simply aren’t enough African-American contenders for Oscars. Which means there aren’t enough films being made with African-American themes, by African-Americans, or with African-American stars.
Selma is an amazing film. Why is it that an entire group of people has to pin their hopes on one single film? According to MetaCritic, there were 655 films released in 2014, 66 receiving ‘universal acclaim’ with a score of 81 or higher. I count three with African-American themes (Selma; Top Five, which as a comedy, was never meant to be Oscar bait; and Timbuktu, which is nominated for best foreign film).
The day before the Oscar nominations were announced, the Awards Daily Contender Tracker showed Selma in contention for ten awards (picture, director, screenplay, actor, editing, cinematography, production design, costume design, score, song). Other than that, no other African-American or African-American themed film really had a chance. In fact, of the 153 people in the most visible categories, only six African-Americans were even in contention for best picture, director, the two writing categories, and the four acting categories. (See the list below).
To say there’s a lack of African-American nominees is only scratching the surface of the issue. To say this is caused by the lack of African-American contenders goes a bit deeper. When studios and the people making the money decisions finally understand that not enough films by and about African-American are being made, that gets at the heart of the issue. Then, the job is to change that.
Does all this mean we should cut the Academy a little slack? No. The Academy is made up of some of the people who can make a difference and need to be listening right now. But even if they increase their diversity, are those new people going to vote for films that are only average? No. Are they going to vote for films with African-American themes that aren’t being made? No – because not enough quality African-American films are being made. Different cast, same problem, same results: The Continuing Caucasian Awards.
Subtotals from the Awards Daily Contender Tracker
153 Total – In Contention
97 White Males (63.4%)
43 White Females (28.1%)
7 Latino Males (4.6%)
4 Black Female (2.6%)
2 Black Male (1.3%)
Best Picture
58 Total (40 White Males / 16 White Females / 1 Latino Male / 1 Black Female)
Boyhood – White Male / White Female
The Grand Budapest Hotel – 4 White Males
The Imitation Game White – Female / 2 White Males
Birdman – Latino Male / 2 White Males
American Sniper – 5 White Males
Gone Girl – 2 White Females / 2 White Males
Nightcrawler – 4 White Males / White Female
Whiplash – 2 White Males / White Female
The Theory of Everything – 3 White Males / White Female
Foxcatcher – 3 White Males / White Female
Selma – 2 White Males / Black Female / White Female
Into the Woods – 4 White Males
Unbroken – White Female / 3 White Males
Interstellar – White Male / 2 White Females
A Most Violent Year – White Male / White Female
Mr. Turner – White Female
Wild – White Male / 2 White Females
Best Actor
20 Total (18 White Males / 1 Black Male / 1 Latino Male)
Michael Keaton, Birdman – White Male
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything – White Male
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler – White Male
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game – White Male
David Oyelowo, Selma – Black Male
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel – White Male
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher – White Male
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper – White Male
Timothy Spall, Mr. Turner – White Male
Bill Murray St. Vincent – White Male
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice – White Male
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes – White Male
Oscar Isaac, A Most Violent Year – Latino Male
Thomas Hardy, Locke – White Male
Jack O’Connell, Unbroken – White Male
John Lithgow, Love is Strange – White Male
Mark Wahlberg, The Gambler – White Male
Ben Affleck, Gone Girl – White Male
Miles Teller, Whiplash – White Male
Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood – White Male
Best Actress
14 Total (13 White Females / 1 Black Female)
Julianne Moore, Still Alice – White Female
Reese Witherspoon, Wild – White Female
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl – White Female
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything – White Female
Jennifer Aniston, Cake – White Female
Amy Adams, Big Eyes – White Female
Marion Cotillard, 2 Days, 1 Night – White Female
Hilary Swank, The Homesman – White Female
Scarlett Johannson, Under the Skin – White Female
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood – White Female
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle – Black Female
Shailene Woodley, The Fault in our Stars – White Female
Jessica Chastain, Eleanor Rigby – White Female
Anne Dorval, Mommy – White Female
Supporting Actor
7 Total (7 White Males)
JK Simmons, Whiplash – White Male
Edward Norton, Birdman – White Male
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher – White Male
Robert Duvall, The Judge – White Male
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood – White Male
Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice – White Male
Alfred Molina, Love is Strange – White Male
Supporting Actress
8 Total (8 White Females)
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood – White Female
Emma Stone, Birdman – White Female
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game – White Female
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods – White Female
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year – White Female
Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer – White Female
Naomi Watts, St. Vincent – White Female
Laura Dern Wild – White Female
Director
14 Total (11 White Males / 1 Latino Male / 1 Black Female / 1 White Female)
Richard Linklater, Boyhood – White Male
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman – Latino Male
Wes Anderson, Grand Budapest Hotel – White Male
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game – White Male
Clint Eastwood, American Sniper – White Male
Ava DuVernay, Selma – Black Female
David Fincher, Gone Girl – White Male
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash – White Male
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher – White Male
Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner – White Male
James Marsh, Theory of Everything – White Male
JC Chandor, A Most Violent Year – White Male
Rob Marshall, Into the Woods – White Male
Angelina Jolie, Unbroken – White Female
Original Screenplay
21 Total (15 White Males / 4 Latino Males / 1 Black Female / 1 Black Male)
Alejandro Inarritu et al, Birdman – 4 Latino Males
Wes Anderson, Grand Budapest Hotel – White Male
Richard Linklater, Boyhood – White Male
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash – White Male
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler – White Male
E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher – 2 White Males
Paul Webb, Selma – White Male
Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (The LEGO Movie) – 2 White Males
Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias, Love is Strange – 2 White Males
Gina Pryce Bythwood, Beyond the Lights – Black Female
Dear White People, Justin Simien – Black Male
JC Chandor, A Most Violent Year – White Male
Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner – White Male
Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Interstellar – 2 White Males
Adapted Screenplay
11 Total (6 White Males / 5 White Females)
Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl – White Female
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game – White Male
Nick Hornby, Wild – White Male
Paul Thoman Anderson, Inherent Vice – White Male
Anthony McCarten, The Thoery of Everything – White Male
Jason Hall, American Sniper – White Male
Nick Gunn, Nicole Perlamn, Guardians of the Galaxy – White Male / White Female
Gillian Robespierre, Elisabeth Holm, Karen Maine, Obvious Child – 3 White Females
This video doesn’t really explain things so much as it just reiterates facts and stats most of us already know.
“Two days, one night wasn’t even on the shortlist of 9 for Best Foreign Language Feature, yet Cotillard was nommed for Best Actress. I really wonder what happened there.”
I really think the critics came through for her and as a result it piqued the curiosity of the voting members to actually watch her film. Thank god. She’s one of the most pleasant and well-deserved nominations this year. And she did it without virtually any campaign or precursor buzz. Plus, her Rust & Bone snub a couple of years ago might’ve helped.
@JASCO. Just want to say, I LOVE your post. So many nuggets of truth and so much more reasoned than the viciousness coming from so many people on opposing sides of the spectrum. A lot of this focus on diversity lies at the responsibility of consumers and movie lovers like us. Go see A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Go see Wild. Go see Beyond the Lights, Belle, Ida, Two Days One Night, Obvious Child, etc. Don’t pirate these films. Don’t wait to watch it on Netflix or HBO. Support these films with your wallet at the box-office and send a clear message to Hollywood that you support films by women, starring women, starring women of color. It’s no coincidence that after the huge success of Bridesmaids we’ve seen a plethora of female comediennes make a dent in both TV and film. From Melissa McCarthy to Amy Schumer to Amy Poehler to Kristen Wiig to the ladies of Broad City. Hollywood is a business so if something works, they’re going to produce it.
Also, everyone must address the elephant in the room this awards season about the necessity of screeners. It’s obvious that guilds and Academy members rely on them. We can have arguments all day about this but the fact is that they watch them, and the earlier you send them the better. I think this is what ultimately screwed Selma from racking up a higher nomination count. I really think if Paramount had followed a similar path as Sony Classics did with Foxcatcher then the outcome would’ve been much different. Foxcatcher wasn’t ready in 2013, so instead of rushing the editing process to release it in time for Oscars they delayed it till Cannes and therefore had the whole year to build substantial buzz. And it paid off. I wish Selma had followed this particular course of action because it ultimately seems like the studio and filmmakers were just rushing too hard to release it by year’s end.
I really do hope this discussion of race and racial diversity in the Academy is fruitful. I think Cheryl Boone Isaacs is doing a great thing in trying to reach out to a more eclectic variety of cinema artists to join the Academy. More women, more minorities, more artists from other cultures and countries is a great thing. At the same time, I really hope we don’t get into the habit every time of ranting and accusing everyone of racism or misogyny whenever their favorite isn’t nominated. It’s a brash, simplistic, and counterproductive practice. Yes, this is the Academy that awarded Crash for best picture and Roberto Benigni for best actor, but it’s also the Academy that nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild, Rinko Kikuchi, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Who gave Lupita Nyong’o and Mo’Nique very well-deserved Oscars. Racial injustice and cultural diversity is a serious issue and an imperative priority–and it deserves to be treated with much more respect than in a case where someone’s favorite film or movie star isn’t nominated for a Hollywood award.
Clearly what needs to happen to make everyone happy is to have the Oscars decided by committee. They could then stop nominating white male-centered movies like Boyhood, Birdman, Grand Budapest and Whiplash that over represent their limited cultural point of view and do 2 things: cherry pick the least embrassing choices from the yearly box office top ten for half of the Best Picture list, and fill in the other half with minority-centered films. Of course, by doing this they would cease to be meaningful, thereby ensuring that no one would give a shit about the Oscars any longer, and for good reason. But they’d at least be “relevant”, right?
”I wonder why no one has leveled this charge at the Golden Globes.”
Maybe because the HFPA nominated David Oyelowo and Quvenzhane Wallis (and on the TV side, Viola Davis, Gina Rodriguez, Uzu Aduba).
”Even though there are only eighty or less voting members.”
The N.Y. Film Critics Circle consists of 34 members.
And many of the regional critics’ groups far fewer than that.
”Borgnine was not the only one to think that way [about ‘Brokeback Mountain’].”
Indeed not. Tony Curtis said he hadn’t seen it and had no intention to do so. He claimed that other Academy members felt the same way. “This picture is not as important as we make it. It’s nothing unique. The only thing unique about it is they put it on the screen. And they make ’em [gay] cowboys. Howard Hughes and John Wayne wouldn’t like it.” Nothing ”unique,” huh? So far, it is the only gay love story nominated for Best Picture in 86 years.
Two days, one night wasn’t even on the shortlist of 9 for Best Foreign Language Feature, yet Cotillard was nommed for Best Actress. I really wonder what happened there.
@JASCO
Thanks for your response.
Apparently, I’ve come across as using the term “Indo-European (descent)” loosely (at least to you). But one of the points lies in that they look more or less European regardless of their places of birth. Del Toro, probably for his height as well [for good measure, the famed Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin as well (Rick looks totally, let’s say, Spanish, to me)], looks more on the Caucasian side to me than, let’s say, the talented Colombian-American actor John Leguizamo or the fascinating Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzman.
I guess outside academic sphere as far as Oscar and pop-culture context goes, at the end of the day, it depends on the way people interpret the meaning and scope of the definition of the term non-Caucasian or non-White when it comes to certain South American performers, certain Spanish/Portuguese actors/actresses et al.
For now and for the sake of discussion, neutrally speaking, using their logics, to me people who reportedly take Penelope Cruz as non-White should supposedly also perceive Ruffalo (or Pacino et al for that matter) that way as well.
QUOTE: “Not to stir it up or anything, but technically speaking, if Benecio Del Toro, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Penelope Cruze et al, all of who are of Indo-European descent…”
I believe Del Toro is of Puerto Rican descent and Catalina Sandino Moreno is Columbian. I’m not sure of their respective ancestry beyond where they were born, but technically, I believe Cruz is the only one of the three you highlighted of Indo-European descent.
QUOTE: “Also, over the past 20 years, the Actors branch has consistently voted for people of color. Although it’s been a while since all 20 acting nominees were white (as is the case this year), there are a typically a few actors of color nominated. In some years, more than a few. Here are some semi-recent examples: In 2004, ##Benicio Del Toro, Djimoun Hounsou, Ken Watanabe, Shoreh Aghdashloo and Keisha Castle-Hughes all received nominations. In 2005, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, ##Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sophie Okonedo all received a nomination, and Jamie Foxx received 2! In 2006, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, Djimoun Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, ##Penelope Cruz, Adriana Barraza, Jennifer Hudson and Rinko Kikuchi were nominated.”
—
(I’ve used the quote as springboard; it doesn’t necessarily mean that this comment is to be taken as one made in response exclusively to JASCO’s. [Other than Jasco’s comment, occasionally back then I’ve also likely spotted articles that seemingly conveniently included Del Toro, Moreno, Cruz et al as non-Caucasian (or not) as well] And I will make it brief — since the disparity between individual perceptions in English-speaking cultures seems clear at least to me.)
Not to stir it up or anything, but technically speaking, if Benecio Del Toro, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Penelope Cruze et al, all of who are of Indo-European descent, were *reportedly passed as non-Caucasian (or not) at least from their +physical appearances, why wouldn’t this year nominee the talented Mark Ruffalo (his father reportedly being of Italian descent, mother reportedly of half French [French Canadian] and half Italian ancestry notwitstanding) for +that reason?
(Whether or not I disagree is another story for now; it seems to me a Fareast Asian observer that people’s perceptions in English-speaking cultures vary in terms of who should be included in the non-Caucasian group.)
Hmm…I wonder why nobody has ever leveled this charge at the HFPA? The Hollywood Foreign Press who give out the Golden Globes. Being foreigners from all over the world. Even though there only eighty or less voting members..
I just read that Ernest Borgnine comment and it really disgust me. I always thought people from entertainment background should be more open minded towards differences. But sadly I think Ernest Borgnine is not the only one who thought that way. I hope the younger generations will learn from it.
The Oscars should not be voted on by a branch comprised of mostly White Males. Since the the art of film making is not limited to the United States, the Academy should reflect the demographics of the global community almost how they do it at the Cannes Film Festival.
I agree that America has a huge problem with race. And Hollywood in particular has a big problem with gender.
(For the record, I also agree that SELMA was deserving of more nominations than it received and that AMPAS was overgenerous to AMERICAN SNIPER.)
However, I take issue with the oversimplified reaction to this year’s nominations. There are two themes that have emerged since this year’s Academy Awards were announced: AMPAS has a problem with race, and it’s all politics.
As folks who follow these awards, it seems clear there are always many, many factors at play in determining who gets nominated and who’s left out.
As others have said, 12 YEARS A SLAVE took the Oscar for Best Picture just last year. Also, in 2006, the Academy honored CRASH, a film about race relations (albeit from a white man’s point of view), over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, an arguably superior film with gay subjects. But awarding Best Picture to two films on the subject of race in less than ten years suggests to me that AMPAS does not have a problem with this subject matter. (Rhetorical question: is AMPAS required to nominate and/or reward every excellent film that takes on an important and noble topic?)
Also, over the past 20 years, the Actors branch has consistently voted for people of color. Although it’s been a while since all 20 acting nominees were white (as is the case this year), there are a typically a few actors of color nominated. In some years, more than a few. Here are some semi-recent examples: In 2004, Benicio Del Toro, Djimoun Hounsou, Ken Watanabe, Shoreh Aghdashloo and Keisha Castle-Hughes all received nominations. In 2005, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sophie Okonedo all received a nomination, and Jamie Foxx received 2! In 2006, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, Djimoun Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Penelope Cruz, Adriana Barraza, Jennifer Hudson and Rinko Kikuchi were nominated. And this happened with a voting body that was more male and more white than the voting body AMPAS has today.
This is not to defend any perceived snub, but just to suggest that AMPAS does not consistently have a problem nominating (and even awarding) people of color in the Actors Branch.
The Directors Branch does not have an inclusive track record. In its entire history, only three black men (John Singleton, Lee Daniels and Steve McQueen) and four women (Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola and Kathryn Bigelow) have received nominations. And sadly, the Directors Branch (and the DGA) missed the opportunity to make history this year. (Although, history was still made. Ava DuVernay is the first African-American woman to direct a Best Picture nominee, correct?) But women and people of color are woefully under-represented as directors of films. Period. And that needs to change first and foremost.
As for politics, some of the same prognosticators who were politicking the hardest, are now protesting about politicking the loudest. I am not so blind as to think politics plays no role, however, if it is “all politics,” Jennifer Aniston, who was out there shaking hands and playing the press game really well, would be a best actress nominee. And Mo’Nique, who refused to campaign, would not be an Oscar winner. And Woody Allen, who also doesn’t campaign, wouldn’t have 24 nominations and 4 wins. And Mickey Rourke – who wanted that win really, really bad – probably would have bested Sean Penn. Does politics play a role? Certainly. But if AMPAS doesn’t like you, or your film – or, more importantly – doesn’t see your film, there’s a limit to how much anyone can move the needle with politicking.
Women and people of color should absolutely have the same opportunities to make movies and tell stories as white men. But it’s also true that women and people of color are making movies… and no one’s going to them. If we want to see more movies by women and people of color, seek them out. (Ana Lily Amirpour’s A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT is excellent.) They play at film festivals. Sometimes, they play in art houses or on demand. We need to show the industry that these movies actually do have an audience. Fundamentally, Hollywood is a business. If the studios see a business model that doesn’t involve franchises and/or superheroes, they’ll bite.
It’s sad that this year’s controversy clouds the achievement of those who did get nominations. Quite honestly, the nominations, with all their surprises and snubs, aren’t wildly different from what anyone was predicting.