By Ethan Harmon
The 2013 Oscar nominations are in, and as always, the most deserving films have been snubbed and the art-house dramas have been pushed to the top of the Best Picture list. Up-and-coming actors such Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who have been capturing the hearts of audiences everywhere, have once again been pushed away from the Academy. At this time of year, it is nice to look back at those who have graced the silver screen and relive the memories of the movies that made us grip the armrests with excitement.
Emma Stone is now a household name. After her movie debut in 2007’s Superbad, Ms. Stone has become a rising star, appearing in eleven movies thus far, along with voice acting for games, movies, and TV, as well as appearing on the teen program iCarly. She has become a very reputable actress in Hollywood, with three more movies on the way this year. With her unique voice and uncanny ability to steal the screen, Emma Stone has become the actress to watch. It is with great disdain that, yet again, she has received little credit from the Academy.
In 2011, Stone played a leading role in The Help, a film showing the struggles of African-American housemaids during the Civil Rights Movement in the ‘60s. The film would go on to receive Oscar nominations, even winning the award for Best Supporting Actress. Yet, Emma was not even nominated for her fantastic performance. Though, to her credit, she has received other prestigious awards, alongside her amazing cast.
At the beginning of each year, after the Oscar nominations are announced, the selected films always show that the Academy is suffering from a huge bias. Aside from the fact that the independent films steal the spotlight and that amazing actors and actresses are not present on the lists, it reveals a cookie cutter formula that is always in place when the movies are awarded. The greatest example of this would be the 2011 Oscars. The King’s Speech won almost every award, besting the likes of Inception, Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending thriller. Though The King’s Speech was a great film, it single-handedly won the show, even snagging the Best Original Screenplay award. Aside from the fact that it beat a movie that should have undoubtedly won the Screenplay trophy, it reveals the formula-based nomination process and the clear bias when choosing the winners.
That is not to say that the films chosen do not deserve any recognition, but it does show that the films that are the most “artistic” or “aesthetic” will, without a doubt, dominate the ceremony. Movies that push the envelope, display controversial ideas and themes, or even just provide an amazing experience are always pushed aside. Films that have great cinematography, or in many cases, independent ventures that provide a simple narrative are usually the winners. It is time for the Academy to begin recognizing the more thought-provoking movies. It is time for movies with profound narratives to steal the show. And it is time for the most-deserving movies to finally win the awards that they are entitled to receive.