The Oscars

Matt Roush Says...

The Academy Awards are finally here! In a much delayed awards season, the ceremony to honor the best in film felt like it would never come. It’s been a tough year for going to the movies, but hopefully you managed to see some of the contenders due to so many of them being available on streaming or VOD. There are things to celebrate though, like the level of diversity in this year’s nominees. After last year where only one of twenty acting nominees was a person of color, it’s completely refreshing to see nine POC receive nods this year. Additionally, Chloe Zhao is the favorite to win best director for her moving film Nomadland (streaming on Hulu). If she wins, she’ll be only the second woman to do so (after Kathryn Bigelow). Netflix’s Mank leads the pack with ten nominations, and the best actress category is turning into the most competitive of night without a clear frontrunner. Meanwhile the late Chadwick Boseman may win a posthumous award for his leading role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.