So, I was intending to make videos for each major category. I wasn’t prepared this year, but I know what I’m in for so I will be ready for next year. I’m still going to make videos for the two non-academy categories, “Best Non-Binary Performer” and “Best Child Performer” since I feel like those are necessary, and in this article Im going to include my scripts for these two categories. But I thought “why not just post my nominees in an article?” So that’s what I’m doing.
I did upload one video on my favorite films of the year which you can check out here:
Best Adapted Screenplay
CODA – Sian Heder, Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carre de Malberg
The Green Knight – David Lowrey based on the poem by Anonymous
The Lost Daughter – Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elena Ferrante
The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion
Tick Tick Boom – Steven Levenson and Jonathan Larson
MY WINNER: The Green Knight
I have to give the award for best adapted screenplay to David Lowrey for The Green Knight, as this is the only film this year that truly impressed me with its bold and interesting take on an obscure source material. Most of these adapted films this year that are excellent, are especially excellent because of the director’s vision being put on screen. The Green Knight starts being excellent with the words on the page. It has that extra bit of intrigue because of its odd source material and the interesting way in which it’s adapted.
Best Original Screenplay
Mass – Fran Kranz
Pig – Michael Sarnoski
Spencer – Steven Knight
Spider-Man: No Way Home – Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers (this counts as original, right?)
Titane – Julia Ducournau
MY WINNER: Spencer
I have to give the award for best original screenplay to Steven Knight for Spencer. This look at princess diana’s life is one of the most interesting slice of life stories I’ve ever seen.
Best Supporting Actress
Katrina Balf – Belfast
Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Marley Matlin – CODA
Meryll Streep – Don’t Look Up
MY WINNER: Kirsten Dunst
I’m giving this one to Kirstin Dunst. Her subdued performance here is the best I’ve seen her give, and her chemistry with the rest of the cast is perfection.
Best Supporting Actor
Jon Bernthal – King Richard
Bradly Cooper – Licorice Pizza
Troy Kotzer – CODA
Mark Rylance – Don’t Look Up
Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man No Way Home
MY WINNER: Troy Kotzer – CODA
This one goes to Troy Kotzer. CODA is a fairly conventional coming of age story, and Kotzer manages to take the conventionality of this story and fit perfectly into it, no other actor on this list quite takes their position in the film as perfectly as he does.
Best Actress
This category is bloated, there was far too many incredible performances to narrow it down to five.
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Coleman – The Lost Daughter
Jodie Comer – The Last Duel
Rebecca Hall – The Night House
Patti Harrison – Together Together
Emilia Jones – CODA
Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardo’s
Jenna Ortega – The Fallout
Rachel Sennot – Shiva Baby
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
MY WINNER: Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Yes, Even though this category is stacked, there is one clear winner for me, and that is Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She just absolutely gets lost in the role, and She plays off of Andrew Garfield impeccably well. Garfield being one of the finest actors of our generations also gives an incredible performance here, and is absolutely outshined by Chastain. This is an all time great performance for Chastain.
Best Actor
Nicolas Cage – Pig
Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley
Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick… Boom!
Jason Isaacs – Mass
Will Smith – King Richard
MY WINNER: Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick… Boom!
This one was almost an easy pick for me. Everyone was excellent, and I wish I could give this to Nick Cage as Pig was his best performance, maybe ever, but Andrew Garfield proves that he can do anything and everything with his performance in Tick Tick Boom. This is a perfect performance by Garfield.
Best Non-Binary Performer
Skyler Davenport – See For Me
Indya Moore – Escape Room: Tournament of Champions
Celeste O’Connor – Ghostbusters Afterlife
Ryan Simpkins – Fear Street 1978
Emma D’Arcy – Mothering Sunday
I’m non-binary, so this is a category close to my heart, and I can only wish for the academy to include this category, which, call me cynical, I don’t think will ever happen, I think it’s probably more likely that the Oscars fade into obscurity before this happens. But one can hope. I think that to recognize non-binary performers would encourage more of us to come out, and that would in turn do wonders for representation in general.
When looking for non-binary performers, it was pretty difficult. There are not a lot who are out of the closet. Those that are, are generally relegated to smaller roles.
It feels like, as of right now, performers are choosing to build a career before coming out as trans and non-binary. One can’t blame them given the criticism they tend to receive. It can halt a career before it ever starts. But if you’ve garnered some success, like say, Elliot Page, or Ezra Miller, one could attempt to hold on to that success.
I’m hoping that we can talk more about trans and non-binary performers, and recognize them more, and this is my attempt to help with that.
Also just to be clear, this category is specifically for non-binary performers. Any binary trans performers would be found in their respective binary category (and are).
I’m going to talk a little bit more about these performances than in the other acting categories. And I will be using the gender neutral pronouns they/them for all performers, because it can be difficult to find and confirm everyone’s pronouns individually. But do keep in mind that using they them pronouns does not explicitly mean someone is non-binary, nor do non-binary people need to use they/them pronouns. I’m using them here, because they are appropriate for use when you just don’t know someone’s pronouns for sure.
If you are mentioned in this, and want me to change your pronouns, feel free to message me I will do so!
Skyler Davenport in See For Me. They play visually impared main character Sophie (they themself are visually impaired, for the record), who lost her sight later in life, which prevented her from continuing her dream of skiing. Now she does house sitting jobs, and this particular job goes off the rails.
Indya Moore in Escape Room Tournament of Champions. They play Brianna, and y’know there’s not much to say about the characters in this series, it’s just a bunch of random people tossed together to try to escape some.. escape rooms. Most of what the characters are, are whatever the performances bring to the table. This one is a collection of people who have won previously. The series is more fun than it gets credit for, and Indya gives a good performance throughout this one. I know it would be kind of anticlimactic, but I would absolutely watch a prequel that shows us Brianna’s first escape room experience.
Celeste O’Connor in Ghostbusters Afterlife. They’re honestly so lovable here, and serve to balance out the slightly reactive overacting of Finn Wolfhard – which by the way isn’t a criticism of Finn, I think this juxtaposition between the two of them helps give the movie some of the sort of campy and comfy tone that we love.
Ryan Simpkins in the Fear Street Trilogy. Simpkins is honestly excellent. They bring this sinister complexity to a traditionally assholish teen. There’s even a bit of a Joker-ish quality to their performance here. Really good stuff.
Emma D’arcy in Mothering Sunday. In a fairly small role, Emma brings a calm pretentiousness to their role that fits in perfectly here.
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MY WINNER: Skyler Davenport – See For Me
This one absolutely goes to Skyler Davenport. This is their first live action starring role, and they nail it. I really hope to see them in more starring roles soon. This was actually a late addition for me, and I was really struggling to fill this category until I finally saw this movie and did a little research and found that Skyler is in fact non-binary. They didn’t show up on any of the lists when I was doing research. Not to take anything away from any of the performances in this category, but Skylar really hits this one out of the park. They take hold of every scene, and helped give us one of the most thrilling movies of the year. Honestly, I can’t wait to see more from everyone here.
Best Child Performer (Under 17)
I would really like the Oscars to implement this as a category because I feel like when a child actor IS recognized they’re really excellent, but they’re always overshadowed by people who have been acting for three times as long as they’ve been alive. It feels like we should be recognizing talented children in their own category.
For this category I’m including films that STARTED principal photography when the performer was under the age of 17. If they turned 17 during filming, that’s okay. Sometimes this can be complicated, and If I get anyone wrong… uhh sorry.
Millie Bobby Brown – Godzilla vs Kong
Mckenna Grace – Ghostbusters Afterlife
Jude Hill – Belfast
Woody Norman – Cmon Cmon
Sadie Sink – Fear Street part 2
Millie Bobby Brown was apparently 14 when filming started for Godzilla Vs Kong, which is so weird, because she’s 18 now, and this movie came out last year. Time means nothing anymore. Brown is always good, and while her storyline kinda strays off into something that feels like it belongs in a different movie, she owns it. Had I done awards for 2020, she would have won for Enola Holmes. She’s the kind of actress that can truly carry a film.
Mckenna Grace has been excellent in all of her performances, but she stands out among a cast of big names in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Jude Hill, in Belfast, gives a wonderful performance among, perhaps, the strongest ensemble of the year.
Woody Norman is excellent. I mean, this kid is from North London. You’d never guess that he wasn’t American. His chemistry with Joaquin Phoenix is second to none.
Sadie Sink may have turned 17 during the filming of the Fear Street trilogy, but she embodies the whole 70s/80’s slasher genre so well, while also bringing an extra bit of pathos to it. She’s ultimately believable, and loveable.
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MY WINNER: McKenna Grace – Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Mckenna Grace carries Ghostbusters Afterlife on her shoulders, and I’d have included her in the best actress category if I weren’t separating young performers. She elevates everyone around her, and this movie would have been wonderful if she was the only name actor in it. This is a star making turn for her, and she absolutely kills it with a hilarious, awkward, and stoic performance. I cannot wait to see what she does in the future.
Update: McKenna makes music too apparently, and it’s a little ridiculous how good it is. I’m thinkin I might have to do an emo cover of “do all my friends hate me?”
Best Director
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
Fran Kranz – Mass
Pablo Larrain – Spencer
Lin Manuel Miranda – Tick Tick Boom
Denis Villeneuve – Dune
MY WINNER: Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
Campion gives us her best work after not directing a film in 12 years. This is a somber, slow burn that nails nearly everything it tries to do.
Best Animated Film
Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs the Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron’s Gone Wrong
MY WINNER: The Mitchells vs the Machines
This one goes to The Mitchells vs The Machines, because this movie, though we kind of know what to expect from it, offers so much in every single frame. it is so wildly creative, and so fun, and the animation is so unique, the decision was quite easy for me. Also katie is one of the most lovable characters of the year.
Best Picture
Being the Ricardos
C’mon C’mon
CODA
Dune
King Richard
Nightmare Alley
Pig
The Power of the Dog
Spencer
Tick, Tick… Boom!
MY WINNER: Tick, Tick… Boom!
It’s been 20 years since a musical took home the best picture Academy Award, and this was as deserving as any. Perhaps it’s just how deeply connected I feel to this film, but I swear to you, it is perfect, and if you haven’t seen it, you really should. I realize that this was also my favorite film of the year, I swear I don’t always think my favorite is the best of the year, after all, in 2017 my favorite was Stephen King’s It.