The Oscar nominations 2017 – Shocks, snubs, and surprises

The Oscar nominations for 2017 have been announced and as ever, there are a handful of surprises and snubs, as well as all the stuff that everyone was expecting.

Read the full list of nominations here.

But what are the big talking points?

La La Land sets a record

What we predicted: ‘La La Land’ is expected to sweep the board, but will it top the record of 14 nominations, as received by the movies ‘Titanic’ and ‘All About Eve’? It’ll be an impressive achievement for director Damien Chazelle, who picked up a glut of awards for his last movie ‘Whiplash’ at last year’s awards. ‘La La Land’ is only his third feature.

What happened: 14 nominations for ‘La La Land’ confirms its place in the annals of Hollywood history, but how many will it scoop on the big night? It’ll need to beat ‘Ben Hur’ (1959), ‘Titanic’ (1997), and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003) who all won 11 Oscars to set a new record.

Oscars so white, again?

What we predicted: After the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of recent years, will changes in the membership of the Oscar voters, as implemented by Academy boss Cheryl Boone Isaacs last year, have led to increased diversity? Last year, for the second year running, no actors of colour were nominated in the lead acting categories.

What happened: Of the 20 available nominations for acting 7 went to non-white actors with 3 coming in the Best Supporting Actress category for Naomie Harris, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer.

The redemption of Mad Mel

What we predicted: Mel Gibson might find himself forgiven – at least partially – for past sexist and racist transgressions; his war movie ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ will likely haul in a nomination for Best Picture, and another for Andrew Garfield in the Best Actor category. But could he be welcomed wholeheartedly back into the fold with a Best Director nod?

What happened: ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ picked up 6 nominations in total including Best Picture and Directing, so we think it’s safe to say the resurrection of Mel Gibson is complete.

Queen Meryl strikes again

What we predicted: Meryl Streep could become the first actress to receive 20 Oscar nominations if she’s given the nod for her role in ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’. It would be one in the eye for Donald Trump too (he damned her as ‘overrated’ following her scathing speech about him at the Golden Globes), so considering Hollywood’s attitude towards the President, it could be very likely indeed.

What happened: As sure as day follows night, it was another Oscar nomination for Meryl Streep in ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’, taking her total lifetime Oscar noms to 20. Not bad for “the most overrated actress in Hollywood”, hey Donald?

Isabelle Huppert finally recognised

What we predicted: French grande dame of cinema Isabelle Huppert could be a possible nominee in the Best Actress category too – and for an extremely controversial role. Her part in Paul Verhoeven’s ‘Elle’ was much discussed among critics for its portrayal of rape, some calling into question the matter-of-fact reaction from her character, while others called it ‘brave’ and ‘audacious’.

What happened: With over 100 acting credits to her name, Isabelle Huppert has finally received recognition from the Academy for ‘Elle’, but she faces stiff competition for Best Actress from Natalie Portman (‘Jackie’), Ruth Negga (‘Loving’), Emma Stone (‘La La Land’) and, of course, Dame Meryl.

Deadpool snubbed

What we predicted: Could ‘Deadpool’ be nominated for Best Picture? The much-loved caper could be in with a chance, unheard of for a comicbook movie.

What happened: We’re pretty sure the Oscar campaign for ‘Deadpool’ was just a marketing wheeze, and so it transpired there was no room for Ryan Reynolds’ smart mouth antihero at the Best Picture table. ‘Suicide Squad’ got nominated though for Makeup and Hairstyling ensuring it wasn’t a complete superhero shut out.

British glory

What we predicted: Which British actors will be recognised in the nominations? It’s certainly not been our best year, but Naomie Harris for ‘Moonlight’ is almost a certainty. Also look out for recognition for Dev Patel (‘Lion’), and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (‘Nocturnal Animals’). Hugh Grant might even get a nod for ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ too. And though Andrew Garfield was born in the US, he grew up in Epson, so we’re having him too.

What happened: Naomie Harris, Dev Patel, and Andrew Garfield all got nominated for acting gongs, and Ireland’s Ruth Negga is also in the running for Best Actress which is close enough for us to celebrate too. Go UK (and Ireland)!

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