A Lovely Oscar Luncheon Kicks Off Four Wild Weeks of Campaigning |
After the Oscar nominations were announced on January 22, about a week and a half went by without any major awards events. For those who’ve been on the awards season circuit, it may as well have been a year.
I’m Rebecca Ford, and at the Academy’s Oscar nominees luncheon on Tuesday, it felt like a group of long-lost friends getting together after months apart. That’s one of the most surreal aspects of awards season—you get used to seeing the same group of (very famous) faces every week at events, panels, cocktail parties, and other fancy fêtes.
Everyone seemed reenergized in that room at the Beverly Hilton. It’s also a very special occasion because it’s where the Oscars’ class picture is taken, an annual tradition that features all 200-plus nominees in one photo. The luncheon is a place to catch up and celebrate over food and drinks; there are no winners and losers here, and no speeches, either. There’s less pressure for the nominee, which makes this event a lot more fun than most stops on the awards season circuit.
But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take the temperature on various races at the luncheon. As I noted in my piece on the afternoon when Ryan Coogler was called up for the class picture, he got the loudest applause of anyone in the room. Actually, any time someone involved with Sinners was called up, the applause seemed just a little bit louder. Is that simply because the film got the most nominations of any this year—a history-making 16 nods—and logically, a lot of people in the room love that movie? I don’t think that’s the only answer. Among Academy members, there seems to be a lot of genuine support for Sinners and the people behind it. Will that translate into more Oscar wins on March 15? It’s hard to tell because this room of several hundred voters is not necessarily representative of the over 10,000 people who will actually vote in a few weeks. But it can’t be ignored that Hollywood has a strong crush on Sinners.
The luncheon also serves as a kickoff for the campaign marathon leading into the final voting period. I spoke to actors and filmmakers who were rushing off to more interviews right after the luncheon wrapped. There’s a flurry of screenings and Q&As going on this week while all the talent is in town. And some of the Sinners team was also heading to check out the new exhibit that’s been added to the Warner Bros. studio tour featuring the film’s costumes.
This weekend, the Independent Spirit Awards will take place, giving some films another chance to remind voters of their merit. Train Dreams has a real opportunity to win there and get some attention; I’m also keeping an eye on Rose Byrne, who might get another trophy to add to her collection. Many of the Oscar races remain pretty open, so I hope all those nominees enjoyed their brief break and lovely lunch—because it’s time to sprint through this final stretch, with BAFTAs, PGA, and the Actor Awards all on the horizon. |
