NYFCC Runners Up?
Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 10:14PM 
Redford's nearest rivals, Chiwetel Ejiofor & Oscar Isaac, were tied at a distant second at the NYFCCUnlike some Oscar-obsessed blogs, I don't really see much of value in sharing "runners up" from various critics orgs (running up is not winning and you can't use it as promotion unless the fine print is really really small.)
But, since NYFCC is the first and the oldest critics group, and surprised with 3 prizes for American Hustle we're not yet sick of critics prizes (that happens in about... 12 days? 7 or 8 if everyone goes samey-samey) why not talk their runners up: Lou Lumenick at the New York Post shared how the voting went down and it looks like the "almosts" went like so... Picture (12 Years a Slave lost in a squeaker), Director and Actress (David O. Russell and Amy Adams so the American Hustle voting block was strong in the final rounds. Were they true fans of the film or did they just prefer it to the others when their favorites were eliminated in the rounds of voting?), and Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong'o). It's interesting that both Actor and Supporting Actor had no strong challenge to the eventual winners (Robert Redford & Jared Leto). Perhaps it means nothing but I find it interesting since, especially in the case of the Oscar race for Best Actor, consensus seems hard to come by as to which actor is most deserving or even which might eventually win.
Why was Redford such a clear favorite here in New York? Is it the sentimental edge from his glorious cinematic history? (That's a pretty damn strong filmography all things considered.)
Reader Comments (31)
Mmm. Wondering about the ages of the voting members. Redford is a clear favorite among the over 40 folks (mostly boat owners--ha!) I've talked to who have seen All is Lost AND 12 YAS. Lots of love for Chandor's movie and Redford's performance.
I'm surprised that Adams was that close. Goes to show to not trust random word of mouth. Clearly she has some solid critical backing when considering her awards chances and there is more to AH getting acting honors beyond J-Law just being America's Sweetheart. That very suggestion the movie only won an acting honor for that on Vulture was so catty.
I do think there might be connection to Kent Jones and NYFF who took a lot from Cannes of which All is Lost stunned a lot of people there as a surprising non-competition film. Jones has respect as a programmer and the he got for that festival did well for themselves here. There are lot of old school critics in the group like Reed and Schickel, who I think may be more sentimental to Redford too.
Robert Redford won NYCC on his performance,not his legacy.
Happy to see Adele Exarchopoulos was in there for Actress. NYFCC doesn't typically go all that far outside the box for Actress--the last foreign language performance to win was Norma Aleandro in 1985--so if she had vocal supporters there my guess would be that she'll have substantial support elsewhere too.
randall --i'm just speculating. I've noticed a lot of internet people who are younger are griping about his place in the race and I assume it's because they have no history with him and therefore no reason to root for him unless they loved the performance. whereas I am very fond of Robert Redford even though I didn't go wild for the movie (Fine work for sure but a win?) That's why i wonder about sentiment. Oscar voters are older than I am... as are many of the NYFCC critics who've had their plum jobs for a good long while. So if *I'm* sentimental about Redford, why wouldn't people older than me be?
pam -- boat owners. lol. wouldn't that make ALL IS LOST terrifying?
The movie is not well-loved. But Redford is clearly not going down with the ship. Couldn't help myself.
I'm young, in my twenties, but have a history with Redford in watching his movies. I like him. I just find the category to crowded to be getting sentimental.
I noticed that people were griping at how long the Foreign Language film pick took. But the race didn't seem that close and nobody in the group had a 'make your case', 'make the case against' moment. Some speculated that Amy Taubin's opinions on BITWC would've had a presence there (Manohla Dargis lives in LA and not a member of NYFCC, FYI) while one of the major defenders of the film who took offense to 'the gaze' being used against the film was Stephanie Zaharek, also a member of NYFCC. Alas, what we perceive as being some heated critical cross-fire never actually happens at NYFCC.
I know many can't stand the thought of Lawrence being nominated again but I'm wary of the thought of Amy Adams being recognised AGAIN for a "good, not great" performance. She's been such a mainstay for Oscar that shes likely to be nominated again if American Hustle becomes a major player.
Aaron, have you seen the film?
Look how close Lupita was!!!
Tallies of the leaders in some of the other closely watched races:
ACTRESS. Second ballot: Cate Blanchett 44, Adèle Exarchopoulos 30, Amy Adams 29; Third ballot: Blanchett 47, Adams 40, Exarchopoulos, 34.
ACTOR: Second ballot: Robert Redford, 44, Chiewetel Ejiofor, Oscar isaac, 27.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Second ballot, Lupita Nyong'o 46, Jennifer Lawrence 40, June Squibb 34. Third ballot, Lawrence 40, Nyong'o, 39, Squibb 27.
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Second ballot, Jared Leto 49, Michael Fassbender 24, James Franco 24.
ANIMATED FILM: Second ballot, The Wind Rises 52, Frozen 33, Monsters University 15.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Second ballot, Blue is the Warmest Color, 37; The Past, 23, The Great Beauty 23. Third ballot, Blue is the Warmest Color 40, The Past 32, The Great Beauty 20.
Looking at the tallies on raises so many questions for me. What prompts people to change when there's no discussion/debate between votes? How could a voter frontrunner lose votes from round to round? Does the change from second to third tallies indicate who's likely to be a #2 vote getter? Could you conceivably 12 Angry Men your way to a victory at critics awards gatherings like this?
How can we be the same, but so different? I love the runner-up info from NYFCC, LAFC, Boston, and NFSC. Not so much from any other group, but then I don't care about any other group's winners, either.
I will never in a million years understand how June Squibb is exciting anyone in Nebraska.
@Nick Davis--That graveyard scene.........ugh.
Nick, quite simply, you're just lacking the neural substrate that process June Squibb's turn in Nebraska and transforms it into happiness-inducing neurotransmitters. But no worries, it's not a fatal disease and you actually have company to console yourself.
Amen, Nick. I can see finding stuff to love in the backseat-of-the-car scene, but beyond that, it's just shrill
@TB Look up their rules. I think between the second and third rounds, all proxies dropped out (meaning if you weren't present, you didn't get to vote anymore). And I think in rounds 2 and 3 they were ranking the top three competitors rather than choosing one winner.
Redford's reviews for All is Lost were fantastic; I dare say they've been the best reviews any leading actor has received this year. NYFCC members like Edelstein, Dana Stevens, Owen Gleiberman, David Denby, Joe Morgenstern were very high on his performance. It was obvious to me going in that he'd have a lot of support.
Maybe there was some sentiment involved in their evaluation of the film, but then you have to allow for some sentiment when evaluating all reviews. Ejiofor plays a sympathetic character who goes through hell - if a critics' group rewards him, is it a sentimental choice? Bruce Dern's whole campaign seems to revolve around how we should feel sorry for him because he never got good material in the '70s - if a critics' group rewards him, is it a sentimental choice?
Suzanne - fair point.
Nick -- JUNE CURMUDGEON! ;) she has salty words for you i'm sure... but come on. how are you surprised. This "type" has always had populist appeal -- the uncensored old lady with a sharp funny tongue. so what's there to not get in its appeal?
but we're not as different as you think. I like the runner up info for those 4 groups too. I just think the proliferation of critics prizes -- i mean some groups even do complete nominee lists that people dutifully report as news as if all 5 best actress nomienes will be there in *cough* chicago to see if they win -- has dulled their appeal. And they shouldn't be reported as NEWS is what i'm saying.
TB -- i assume the vote changes primarily because if someone's first choice is eliminated early on from lack of support they're going to choose from amongst the people they see as having support. i mean i have to do the same thing when i vote on the critics choice award. If my three favorites didn't make it into a category i have to pick from other people's favorites.
Pardon my French but that voting system is simply bullsh*t.
Next they will be using the electoral college.
I like knowing the runners up in the critics awards. What I don't understand is the results for Best Picture.
From the article it appears American Hustle won on the 4th ballot - but how did it win 'by a squeaker' when the votes were;-
American Hustle 38, 12 Years a slave 38, Gravity 17 and Her 17.
I'm not a mathematician but those figures should have resulted in a TIE for Best Picture.
Anyone care to explain this to me? I am obviously missing something here.
All is Lost got great reviews and was pushed really heavily in NYC. They were playing it nonstop for two weeks at my local NYC-adjacent multiplex and I always saw people walking into or out of the theater. That area has a lot of Oscar voters in it (I see them at screenings sometimes, people like Whoopi Goldberg) and they film a lot of movies in the suburbs surrounding it (so I've run into people like Charlize Theron when they were working on films and taking a day off at the not-paparazzi filled shopping mall). Not the same producers as All is Lost, but I see the Weinsteins or their staff (I go to enough of those preview screenings from their company to recognize their workers now) often at this theater checking in on screenings, attendance, and opinions from people they know.
All is Lost got a bigger push than any film I've seen since The Artist at this theater. It's probably closer to an Iron Lady situation where they're pushing for that one big nomination, but you never know.
Aaron - Adams is fantastic in AH. She will be a well-deserved nominee. I won't be complaining when she gets her 5th nod. This might be her best work since Junebug.
We could be in for some surprises in Oscar's Best Actor category. It might go the way of Best Director/Actress last year when the passion for Amour and Beasts were made apparent. The campaigns for Fruitvale Station and Inside Llewyn Davis are strong and if people REALLY like those movies - I could see 1 or 2 of them knocking out McConaughey or Hanks. Love for the movie itself will carry the actor in.
Joseph--
Good point. I think the likability of the film goes a long way to getting someone nominated. Early buzz for Sandra Bullock in GRAVITY is an example. IMO it's a good performance, not necessarily Oscar-worthy compared to others this year, but I loved the movie, so I would be ok with the nom.
Wait, was Bruce Dern on the NYFCC list?
Jennifer Lawrence is magnetic on screen, she is a star and really those don't come along every day. I am not her biggest fan and I think she relies too much on her charisma at times instead of crafting a full character (see: SLP) but I can totally understand the fascination with her and I do like that she has been very choosy with parts and not taken any rom-com / big pay check job, cause let's face it at this point she doesn't really need to.
@Bette Streep: Keep reading Lumenick's article, and all will become clear... the Best Pic vote wasn't resolved until six rounds of voting, which narrowly broke the previous tie.
@Nathaniel: Right, but by the same logic, this foul-mouthed cantankerous old lady is an archetype we've seen a million times, so even if I get why it's a reliable audience pleaser, I'm surprised so many critics are still falling for it, because I personally don't see what Squibb is doing to make a lamely written role any less lame. Some scenes are unsalvageable (TB mentioned the graveyard), but even in the ones that aren't, I just don't see what the magic is. Basically, she and Phedon Papamichael are my Upstream Color. :)
Thanks all for the clarification on the tallying!
@NickDavis, @NathanielR--It's also one thing to fall for the mean old lady trope in a year where there's little else on the radar. If June Squibb had been hanging around supporting actress last year for example I wouldn't have been so bothered. But knowing that performance is going to suck up a seat that could be occupied by Lea Seydoux or Sarah Paulson or Scarlett Johannson just irks.
Jennifer Lawrence can go away at any time now. Honestly, enough is enough.
so much for oprah.
@Jimmy: But Oprah was never going to be a big contender for critics' awards, I don't think. LAFC or NBR, maybe, but the latter's already picked Spencer. I don't think she's out yet.
Nick Davis - I must be blind. What were the actual results in the 6th ballot? Is that the 14-12 figure that is mentioned? If so - it means only 26 members remained after the 5th ballot. Weird way to determine award winners. I think the electoral college format might be introduced next year. LOL.