Are we getting a "Scarface" reunion at the Oscars?
Monday, February 26, 2024 at 7:00PM 
As the first lists of Oscar presenters are released, it's fun to try parsing out potential connections between invited names. Even if it's nothing but a brief shot of nostalgia at seeing two familiar faces backed by a classic's main theme, there's something thrilling about the whole apparatus. Since the Oscars have grown so allergic to celebrating cinema's past – unlike the Grammys - these tidbits feel extra special. When perusing the first batch of celebrities, a couple of names stood out. First, we have Michelle Pfeiffer, eternal Film Experience favorite. And then there's Al Pacino, who starred with the blonde star in Brian De Palma's Scarface. The picture just celebrated 40 years last December, making an awards show tribute especially timely.
Would you like to recall Pacino's iconic Tony Montana and Pfeiffer's chilly, sensual Elvira? I know that in my ideal world, she'd have been a Best Supporting Actress contender in 1983, while her costumes would have earned an Oscar. And these are far from the only big names presenting at the 96th Academy Awards…
In keeping with tradition, all four of last year's acting winners will be in attendance to, presumably, pass the torch. Joining Michelle Yeoh, Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ke Huy Quan, we have another pair of relatively recent Oscar champions – Matthew McConaughey and Lupita Nyong'o, whose triumphs for Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave turn ten this year. Other winners of Oscars past include Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jessica Lange, and Sam Rockwell. Such an influx of Academy Award victors might even make one wonder if the ceremony's producers are reviving the winners circle style presentation they did for the 81st Academy Awards. Lange's presence is also noteworthy because she might be about to embark on one massive Best Actress campaign for the upcoming Long Day's Journey Into Night movie adaptation.
Zendaya is the last presenter in this first announcement, but one need not think about awards history to understand why they asked her up on stage. Dune: Part Two is upon us, and shortly after that, the Emmy-winning actress is the female lead in Luca Guadagnino's Challengers. At long last, after having been announced as the Venice opener last year and then recalled, the tennis drama is upon us. Then again, the most exciting thing about the project might not even be its hot young stars or sensualist director. Justin Kuritzkes wrote the original script and is Celine Song's husband. If one were to apply autofiction lenses to her Past Lives, then he's the John Magaro. How curious that both these writers would come out the gate with stories about quasi-love-triangles, jumping years in the narrative, and where, ultimately, a woman finds herself in the middle of two men.
Upcoming releases and promising presenters aside, today came with another bit of Oscar news. After announcing the creation of a new Best Casting category in the near future, AMPAS has also decided to split some branches in two . We'll now have an Animation branch and a separate Short Films branch. Time will tell if these changes affect the voting results in any discernible way.
Are you for or against this latest Academy change? Also, what presenter makes you most excited for Oscar night?
Reader Comments (9)
Still hopeful for a Taxi Driver reunion of Jodie Foster and Robert DeNiro.
I believe the split actually creates an Animated branch (features and shorts) and a Shorts branch (live action and documentary), as they were all in one branch for decades.
Frank Zappa - - Just re-read the press release and you're right. I've fixed the write-up. As ever, thank you for any and all corrections.
I would have preferred a Baker Boys reunion.
Bugs me that Scarface and Batman are the only movies that are going to be mentioned in Michelle's obituaries.
It would be nice but it's a bit of kick in the teeth to Michelle who hasn't been nominated in 30 years despite worthy turns.
I really hope Michelle (and Al) get to present Best Picture. They'd be a great pairing. However, I'm still miffed about Glenn Close missing her shot last year due to Covid.
I'm excited about Jessica Lange presenting. While I don't think she's a natural fit for director, I hope she gets a bit of a moment given her past with the Academy.
Jessica Lange is I predict revving up to have a movie comeback of sorts and this is where it starts the later in 2024 she has her version of Long Days Journey Into NIght with Ed Harris and also Places Please about a Broadway diva actress a role Meryl passed on.
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the 4 acting awards will be presented by 5 past winners. Here is my wish list for Best Supporting Actress (2 already announced):
Lupita Nyongo - Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Jamie Lee Curtis - Jodie Foster (Freaky Friday/70s debut)
Whoopi Goldberg - Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
Anne Hathaway - Emily Blunt (DWP/besties)
Rita Moreno - America Ferrara
Wow Lenard, that was very creative. What do Nyong'o's role has to do with Randolph? And the Moreno and Ferrera connection? Should we take a guess?
If they repeat the format of 2009, at least we know so far:
-Supporting Actor: Rockwell, Ali, Quan.
-Actor: Cage, Fraser, McConaughey, maybe Pacino but he'll probably present BP with Pfeiffer.
-Actress: Yeoh, Lange (doubt they'll put her in BSA)
-Supporting Actress: Nyong'o, Curtis
To me last time it was a little bit cheesy and overly in service of actors, I just hope it doesn't take a lot of time and then they give Oscars for the 3 shorts in 10 minutes.