Photo:Jaap Buitendijk
Jaap Buitendijk
WithMargot RobbieandGreta Gerwig’snames absent in the Best Actress and Best Director 2024Oscarcategories, many were left confused and frustrated and looking for answers.
According to one member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, this year’s exclusion of Robbie in the Best Actress category and Gerwig in Best Director are an example of “the ultimate in patriarchy.”
Robbie was nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film while Gerwig was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay with her husband Noah Baumbach. For his role as Ken,Ryan Gosling received a Best Supporting Actor nomination, along with America Ferrera, who scored a Best Supporting Actress nod for her work inBarbie.
But for some, the absences were glaring in Best Actress and Best Director. “I feel sad that that recognition, which is so deserving, was snubbed because it’s wrong on every level,” the source tells PEOPLE.
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“That’s how the nominations work," adds the source. “Every branch nominates for their branch and everybody votes for final voting.”
Academy members use preferential ballots weighted towards voters’ No. 1 and No. 2 favorites, but still, the source says given how well the movie did across the ballot, it’s unclear “how the algorithm worked that she [Gerwig] didn’t get enough votes for a directing nod.”
The film’s comedic nature may have also affected the outcome. “Comedies traditionally don’t do well at the Academy,” the source says. “And this is a film that, yes, was a comedy andit grossed over $1 billion. How do you not give credit to the director?”
“How many female directors had films that gross that?” asks the source. “This was a phenomenon.”
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Although the source notes the headline-making snubs are “a terrible miss,” the nominations did showcase historic diversity, includingKillers of the Flower MoonBest Actress hopefulLily Gladstone, who is the thefirst Native American actress to be nominated for an Oscar.Emily Blunt,Jeffrey Wright,Sterling K. Brown,America FerreraandCillian Murphyearned the first nominations of their career.
Since the start of the Oscars in 1929, only eight women, including Triet, 45, have beennominated in the Best Director category. Just three have won:Jane Campionin 2021,Chloé Zhaoin 2020 andKathryn Bigelowin 2009.
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The Academy member says a feeling of inevitability aroundBarbiemay have ultimately cost it votes.
“When you’ve got a film that’s such a populist film, I think the popularity of it just made people think, ‘Oh well, people went to see it. Let’s show some love to other films, such asPoor Things. Let’s show some love toAnatomy of a Fall.’”
This year’s Best Director nominations includeJustine Triet(Anatomy of a Fall),Martin Scorsese(Killers of the Flower Moon),Christopher Nolan(Oppenheimer),Yorgos Lanthimos(Poor Things) andJonathan Glazer(The Zone of Interest).
In the Best Actress category areAnnette Bening(Nyad),Lily Gladstone(Killers of the Flower Moon),Sandra Hüller(Anatomy of a Fall),Carey Mulligan(Maestro) andEmma Stone(Poor Things).
On Wednesday’s episode ofThe View,Whoopi Goldbergdisagreed with the discourse around Gerwig and Robbie being left out of the Best Actress and Best Director categories.
“Here’s the deal: Everybody doesn’t win!” Goldberg said as the hosts discussed their favorite films that did or did not snag nominations. “They’re not snubs, and that’s what I want to point out.”
source: people.com
