The 96th annual Academy Awards, more popularly known as the Oscars, debuts at the start of this year on March 10th. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the awards show is preparing to crown the best in the movie industry. Among the countless amazing films and actors nominated for this year’s Oscars, the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, Maestro, Poor Things, and The Holdovers, sit at the top, all nominated for Best Picture. In acting, Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Jeffrey Wright, and Emma Stone are all possible winners for Best Actor/Actress.
However, one film truly surpasses the rest this Oscar season. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer holds the record for the highest Oscar Nominations this year with a total of 13 nominations. Which include best picture, best actor, best cinematography, best sound, best director, best original score, best adapted screenplay, best production and costume design, best editing, best production design, best makeup and finally best supporting actress. Oppenheimer’s cinematic explosion at the Oscars should be no surprise, and the film currently holds the odds to win both of the most prestigious awards during this year’s Oscars for both best actor and best picture.
Even with a stacked lineup of beloved actors and actresses, the Oscars are rarely able to make everyone happy. Margot Robbie, one of the most beloved actresses of contemporary times who starred in 2024’s record-breaking Barbie, was glaringly missing from the nominations. This sparked debate online about whether or not she was snubbed and, more interestingly, why? But she was not the only absent figure, as Greta Gerwig, the director behind the film, was also not nominated for Best Director despite the film being a Best Picture nominee. This added fuel to an already fiery online outrage, with many claiming some kind of ill intent on the Academies part.
Unfortunately, the situation only worsened as Ryan Gosling, who played the hyper-masculine parodic figure Ken, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor despite his co-star Margot Robbie being increasingly absent. Many fans took to calling out their perceived “irony” of the situation, saying, “You’re telling me Margot Robbie didn’t receive an Oscar nomination for playing freaking Barbie, but Ryan Gosling got a nomination for playing Ken?” stated one angry TikTok user. But the situation may not be as straightforward as it appears; others took the position that Ryan Gosling, who was hailed by nearly every major critic as a scene-stealer, simply had the better and more impressive role in the film.
Whether or not the Academy scratched each individual itch, it is sure to be one of the biggest and most important Oscars in decades, helming some of the most impactful and anticipated movies in recent times. Who do you think will win? Find out by tuning in on Sunday, March 10 at 4 PM PT/7 PM ET.
