by Nathaniel R
Mark Ruffalo in "Poor Things"
You've had time to thoroughly process the Oscar nominations and time to finish the quick grief cycle around "snubs". It's time to look on the bright side. We polled our team on which nominations, above and below the line, gave them the most joy. Here are their answers. We hope to hear yours, too, in the comments...
BIGGEST JOY (Above the Line)
Comedic performances rarely get any sort of recognition, and we had THREE in the same category! It feels revolutionary. Considering I didn't think anyone outside of Gosling would actually end up as the nominee, it feels even better. Mark Ruffalo in particular is in rare form in Poor Things and gave my favorite supporting performance. It's nice to have him back in the fold. - Ben Miller
Lily Gladstone in Actress. Of course, it was gonna happen. But after that shocking BAFTA snub, I felt like people's doubts on her Oscar contention (both as a lead performer and just as a contender in general) are starting to get validated. Luckily, she made it and is now ready to make history. She's the one I am rooting for the most for the win. - Juan Carlos
Maestro
At the risk of making the internet and some of my own teammates furious I was thrilled to see Bradley Cooper and Maestro in the mix in Best Actor and Best Picture. Did the movie need an Original Screenplay nomination? No. But that's the only one of its nominations that I'd quibble with. I don't know why the internet hive mind decided Bradley Cooper was the enemy but he is emphatically not. Better to be ambition than to coast. As movie stars go he has great taste in material, his movies are cinematic (not vanity showcases), he's a phenomenal actor with incredible range (seriously look at the filmography) and he is very clearly an actressexual given the doting on his female co-stars as a director and scene partner. - Nathaniel R
Anatomy of a Fall deserved all of its nominations, but Triet in Director was especially satisfying. (If only voters believed they could nominate more than one woman...) - Eurocheese
Honestly, there were no true surprises whatsover in terms of inclusion. But I am happy - and relieved - that Danielle Brooks is now an Oscar nominee despite her initially well-received film being shut out of every other category. - Abe Friedtanzer
Past Lives
Since the expansion of the Best Picture category in 2009, I think this is the absolute best slate of nominees we've EVER had. Possibly the very best of any years of 96 years? Usually there's at least one mediocre-to-bad movie in there, but this year, there's not a dog in the bunch. All ten films are smart, well-made films with at least a few high highs. Plus three films of ten not entirely in English! Plus three films by female directors (all earned, not for political reasons). There's a fuckton of artistry on display to celebrate. - Eric Blume
While Past Lives wouldn't make my Best Picture top ten, I must stand up and applaud the magnificent producer Christine Vachon. After decades as one of the foremost forces of artistically-minded English-language cinema, she finally got her well-deserved nomination. I wish it had been for a Todd Haynes flick, but you can't have everything. - Cláudio Alves
Jonathan Glazer. Jonathan Glazer. Jonathan Glazer. Roughly once a decade he makes a feature film (so far only four total), and—from Birth to Under the Skin to The Zone of Interest—he never misses. Finally, the Academy catches up to what we already knew: This is a stone-cold, master-class auteur. -Mark Brinkerhoff
BIGGEST JOY (Below the Line)
Perfect Days was one of my favorite films of the year, and I wasn't sure it would show. So happy to see it here representing Japan alongside Godzilla Minus One. - Eurocheese
I thought El Conde was a bit of an interesting disaster, but the cinematography by Edward Lachman was an undeniable win. More than anything, I'm just glad that group deviated from the expectations. No one thought that film had any chance at a nomination, and it looks pretty great after the fact. Good for them taking a chance. - Ben Miller
To Kill a Tiger in Best Documentary Feature. This is a superb film that deals with a very difficult subject in an extraordinary way, and it's nice to know that its profile has just gotten a major boost that allow more people to see it. -Abe Friedtanzer
After all these years, Ellen Mirojnick is an Oscar nominee. Costume enthusiasts everywhere, rejoice! - Cláudio Alves
Society of the Snow getting into Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The carefully-calibrated frostbite across the actors' faces gives the film dimension and texture, and the artists were totally in sync with the director and the storytelling. There's nothing gimmicky about it, and their contribution is as important as anyone's for the film's overall success. -Eric Blume
Robot Dreams’ Best Animated Feature nomination is hella inspired and hella cool. Is the creatively weak Disney stranglehold over? - Mark Brinkerhoff
I have to second Mark's vote for Robot Dreams which I fell hard for. I know it has no shot at the win but I can dream. This also vindicates my deep (and lonely) love for director Pablo Berger's other shoulda-been-a-big-deal marvel, his silent riff on Blancanieves (2012). But since Mark took Robot Dreams already I'd like to voice my love for the entire Adapted Screenplay category. That's not usually a category I am excited by (far preferring original material, year-to-year), but each one of the nominees is a marvel this time and the one I feared would be a default player didn't even make it in! Now, Oscar's lineup won't be exactly mine -- I'd want to shove either All of Us Strangers or Are You There God? It's Me Margaret in there somewhere (but at the expense of what?). Also I just started reading The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis and like everything Jonathan Glazer does, his adaptation is thought-provoking. The novel is brilliant so far but quite different. -Nathaniel R
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" in Original Song. Such an uber-inspired nomination. Not really something you can slot into one of this category's usual suspects (Diane Warren, social justice, power ballad). Just something that came out of love for the film and is actually brilliantly used in the film. Now perform this at the Oscars! - Juan Carlos
WHICH NOMINATIONS GAVE YOU JOY THAT'S LASTED THE WHOLE WEEK?