As we do every year on this here blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.
It began with the ten BP contenders and now it alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the five other big races. Today we arrive at the Supporting Actor quintet and it starts with Sterling K. Brown in Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction. Let’s get to it!
Previous Oscar Acting Nominations:
None
The Case for Sterling K. Brown:
An Emmy and Globe winner for his small screen work on This Is Us, Brown breaks through with the Academy as Jeffrey Wright’s estranged brother in the BP contender. Fiction performed at the high end of its range on nomination morning with five and the Academy may wish to honor it somewhere. He made the cut at SAG and Critics Choice.
The Case Against Sterling K. Brown:
If voters do honor Fiction somewhere, it’s probably going to be in Adapted Screenplay. Brown did not get in at the Globes or BAFTA. And Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) has swept so far and is rightly seen as the favorite. In fact, in a recent interview, Brown himself said he anticipates RDJ taking the gold.
The Verdict:
This is not going to be a walk to the podium for Brown.
My Case Of posts will continue with Jonathan Glazer’s direction in The Zone of Interest…
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