Film aficionados and regular moviegoers wait eagerly for the prestigious Academy Awards nominations and results every winter. This year, it is no different with outstanding films nominated in the various categories, with several challenging the social boundaries.
Notable mentions include Eddie Redmayne nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, the first ever transgender woman; Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in Carol, a film that explores the story of two women falling in love; and Mad Max: Fury Road, which was nominated for Best Picture and countless other categories, with Charlize Theron taking on an originally male role. Leonardo DiCaprio was also nominated for The Revenant, which excited many fans as they hoped that the talented actor could finally take home an Oscar after his past five nominations. Fan favorite Jennifer Lawrence was also nominated for Best Actress once again, for her film Joy that portrays entrepreneur Joy Mangano.
However, the internet has exploded with criticism over the Academy Awards’ blatant act of racism. Curiously, all the actors and actresses mentioned above are white, and it has been pointed out that this is the second consecutive year that the Oscars have only white actors and actresses nominated. Jada Pinkett Smith even announced in a video message on Facebook that she is boycotting the Oscars this year for their racist actions, and actor Spike Lee has followed. The hashtag “OscarsSoWhite” is all over Twitter, as people join together to comment on the disappointing lack of diversity. Many believe that the esteemed biographical film Straight Outta Compton should have won awards that would celebrate the actors, but did not due to the fact that the protagonists of the film are African-American. It unfortunately only received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, where both of its writers are white. Not only that, but a plethora of other avid fans were dismayed over the fact that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not nominated in any major categories, even though it is now the highest-grossing film in North America and has been highly acclaimed.
For a widely broadcast award ceremony, the Academy Awards has let down a large portion of its audience for the lack of nominations for revered films and absence of racial diversity. Though it has improved liberally by including films that challenge gender norms, the Oscars clearly has more improvements to make in the future. Here is hoping that next year, we will see more indications of racial diversity and changes that value all aspects of film equally.