By The 87th Annual Academy Awards might just be the whitest Academy Award ceremony since they actually started letting actors of color into the building. In fact the joke has been made, more than once, that the Oscar itself will be the only person of color in attendance that evening. But, of course, this is expected since, according to a 2012 survey by LA Times,
94% of of the Academy is caucasian, 77% is male, and the median age is 62.
I mean, the odds aren’t exactly in favor of females or people of color. That’s probably why Selma, a beautiful film about MLK and his struggle, was, quite frankly, snubbed.
What the world of movie lovers has found unusual is that Selma does not appear in any of the other major categories. The actors and directors are not nominated for anything; it’s almost as if this movie just magically made itself. So who and what is being nominated? The full list can be found here, and if you want to make an informed guess on your Oscar party ballots, some of the nominated films are now streaming online or playing in theaters. The nominations I’d like to shed some light on are the three big ones. Maybe you’re thinking, aren’t they all big? Frankly, no. I’d bet a shiny penny that the average movie goer does not remember who won the Oscar for film editing or foreign language film last year, but we almost all remember Matthew McCounaghey winning best actor and sending the beloved Leonardo DiCaprio into another Oscarless year. We will never let go Leo, we will never let go.
The big three – best picture, best actor in a lead role, best actress in a lead role. It’s these awards that people remember most, and it’s winning these awards that equate to more money for the recipients. So basically, recognition and glory lies within these three categories.