By JAVIER DOSAMANTES
Pima Post
Now that the dust has settled from the media and fan reactions to the 2022 Oscar nominations, it’s time to do the uncool thing and look at the list with nuance and hindsight.
For the most part, the nominations ended up being what many prediction models anticipated, and there was only one reproachable snub (it was not Lady Gaga).
Although, the argument for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” receiving a Best Picture nomination could be made because it was a highly critically acclaimed movie and a massive commercial success.
It demolished “Titanic” in the box office during an era when no one goes to theaters anymore because of streaming and the pandemic.
The Oscars are on an annual slide in ratings, and adding one or two of these movies might give a broader audience a rooting interest in the awards.
Besides, the academy makes up rules every year, so why not? Social media would’ve exploded if this year’s most popular movie (especially with young people) was up for the Best Picture award.
But the academy is content with the money it rakes in and keeps clinging to its “prestige cinema,” which brings me to my next points.
“West Side Story” might steal a couple of the big awards. But there’s been a couple of theories floating around that “Don’t Look Up” will be the one stealing the Best Picture award from “Power of the Dog.”
The nominee list isn’t perfect, but it is a vast improvement over other years. However, this won’t be enough to restore the show’s popularity.
Oscars producers need to nail the decision on who will host the ceremony and how to make it less self-indulgent and more fun.
Most people don’t want to sit through three hours of Hollywood high-fiving itself anymore for movies nobody watched. And it would be a shame if a failure in the pageantry of the event overshadowed what was a truly great movie year.