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 our second performer in Best Actress and that’s Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon. Let’s get to it!
Previous Oscar Acting Nominations:
None
The Case for Lily Gladstone:
After critically appreciated roles in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women and First Cow, Gladstone has been in the awards conversation since Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon was announced. Her work as Mollie Kyle in the historical epic won her the Golden Globe for Actress in Drama and the National Board of Review prize. That’s in addition to nominations at Critics Choice and SAG. Gladstone could make history as the first Native-American thespian to emerge victorious in the category.
The Case Against Lily Gladstone:
Any possibility of a sweep ended when Emma Stone took Critics Choice for Poor Things. Then there’s the shocking BAFTA omission. Gladstone did not make the cut for that show. Since 2010, only one Best Actress Oscar winner (Jessica Chastain for 2021’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye) has missed BAFTA. Killers also underperformed a bit with misses in Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Adapted Screenplay.
The Verdict:
SAG on February 24th could offer a gigantic clue as to whether Gladstone or Stone are the soft frontrunner. That BAFTA snub sticks out. That said, Gladstone is a real contender.
My Case Of posts will continue with Colman Domingo in Rustin…
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