Atlanta film circuit hopes for local names among Academy Awards nominees
When the nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards are announced on the morning of Jan. 24, two local actresses hope to see their names among the acting nominees, as does another who starred in an Atlanta film blockbuster.
Atlanta native Danielle Deadwyler has received rave reviews in the Georgia-lensed “Till,” director Chinonye Chukwu’s film about Mamie Till and her relationship with her son, Emmett, who was killed by white supremacists after he allegedly whistled at a white woman. It’s the highest-profile work yet for the performer, who acted all over Atlanta theater stages before segueing into television and film work. Deadwyler won the Gotham Award for best actress for her work in the film and, at one time, was considered a sure-fire Oscar nominee and potentially even a dark horse surprise winner. “Till” was not a box-office success, and she missed out on a Golden Globe nomination. Yet her recent Screen Actor’s Guild nomination seems to have shifted her back into the running.
The general consensus seems to be that the top two best actress contenders are Cate Blanchett for “Tár” and Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Those angling for the remaining three spots are Deadwyler, Michelle Williams for “The Fabelmans,” Viola Davis for “The Woman King,” Margot Robbie for “Babylon” and maybe even Ana de Armas, who played Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde.” Deadwyler absolutely deserves a nomination for her courtroom scene alone, and most expert prognosticators — 21 of out 23 at the prediction site GoldDerby.com — expect to see her as one of the five nominees.
Janelle Monáe, who also calls Atlanta home, has received the best reviews of her life for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” In it, she plays (spoiler alert) dual roles — Andi Brand and her sister Helen — and it’s a juicy part she sinks her teeth into, revealing a lot of layers. Numerous people have been watching the comedy prior to the voting period, and Monáe has won a few precursor best supporting actress awards to boot. That category, though, might be the toughest of all the acting fields to predict this year, with contenders such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu from “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Kerry Condon from “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Dolly de Leon from “Triangle of Sadness,” Hong Chau of “The Whale” and Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley from the underappreciated “Women Talking.”
Ironically, the current favorite in the category is Angela Bassett, who just won the Golden Globe last week for her performance in the locally made “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the sequel to 2018′s “Black Panther.” A win for Bassett would be the first acting Oscar award for a film based on a Marvel comic. Her role as Ramonda isn’t as challenging as some of her other work, but certainly she’s an actress who has paid her dues over the years — she was an Oscar nominee way back in 1993 for “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Bassett seems to be a shoo-in nominee this year while Monáe is a longer shot.
“Till’ seems unlikely to figure in any races except for best actress, but “Glass Onion” is a possibility for a best picture nomination, and Rian Johnson’s witty screenplay will almost certainly land a best adapted screenplay nomination. He was nominated in the same category for the original “Knives Out.”
One former Atlantan received unexpected bad news before the nominations were even announced. Former Atlantan Ryan White was considered a strong bet for a best documentary feature nomination and possibly even a win for his lauded and popular “Good Night Oppy,” about the exploration rover sent to Mars on a 90-day mission that turned into almost 15 years. Yet, “Oppy” was not included in the 15-film shortlist announced on Dec. 21. White had made the documentary feature shortlist for the 87th Oscars with “The Case Against 8,” a documentary he co-directed with Ben Cotner.
Emmy winner Colman Domingo is no stranger to filming in Atlanta or in Georgia; both “Selma” and the upcoming “The Color Purple” were made in and around the area. “New Moon,” based on Domingo’s autobiographical one-man play, is on the shortlist for best animated short film. It’s produced by Colman and his husband Raul, and if “New Moon” makes it in, the two will make history as the first married LGBTQ couple nominated in any category.
Will any films made in the Atlanta or Georgia area be included in the Best Picture field? “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” seems to have the only real chance, as it made money and satisfied a lot of critics and patrons. What might hold it back, aside from some heavy competition, is the fact that two other blockbusters are likely in: “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” are tapped as sure-fire best picture nominees. Will the Academy make room for a third?
Surprises, unexpected nods and exclusions are part of the business. The ceremony itself will be held on March 12. Last year, Atlanta’s Will Packer made history, heading up the first all-Black production team of the Oscars. Little did he know at the time that last year’s ceremony would be forever remembered instead for Will Smith, Chris Rock and the slap seen and heard around the world.
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