5 anonymous Oscars voters reveal juicy secret ballot picks (original) (raw)
I've been on the phone with an Oscar-nominated actress for about two minutes. She's a Hollywood veteran and an active Academy member currently struggling to recall an article she once (probably, or, well, maybe not at all) read about one of this year's nominated documentaries (she thinks it's Ascension) she definitely didn't watch. I confirm that she says she'll vote for it anyway — yes, the movie she didn't see — though she promises she can't remember why. With some additional probing, she admits she hasn't viewed most of the films I'm planning to ask her about in our interview for EW's annual Oscars Secret Ballot. After gauging her interest across two whole categories, we mutually agree that the conversation isn't going to work out and hang up.
Thankfully, my pursuit for clarity on a chaotic Oscars race straight from the mouths of Academy members didn't end with the screen star who didn't do her homework; but, as I soon found out, this particular voter's penchant for brazen candor runs consistent among AMPAS' base. Before the 2022 Oscars air Sunday on ABC, see what the following five (anonymous and, as a result, very, very shady) Academy members had to say when asked about top contenders in the race; headline-making snubs including Lady Gaga, Caitríona Balfe, Ruth Negga, and Jared Leto; and if Jane Campion's recent Critics Choice Awards comments about Venus and Serena Willams or controversial elements of Licorice Pizza's script factored into their votes. Their answers will surprise you, and just might change your thoughts on who you consider to be a frontrunner in the ongoing hunt for Oscar glory.
Oscars voters reveal their picks for who will win at the 94th Academy Awards in EW's Secret Ballot. Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images)
EW's anonymous Academy voter panel:
The Actor: An Oscar-nominated veteran with a selective mix of eclectic roles among high-profile films across the last 30 years, as well as notable appearances on beloved TV shows in between.
The Director: Emmy-nominated for their television direction, this filmmaker generated significant buzz at Sundance in years past atop a diverse filmography of projects on the small screen.
The Producer: A two-time Emmy-winning mind who's brought several major commercial blockbusters and Oscar-winning dramas to the big screen as well as prestige-leaning series to TV.
The Marketer: This publicity and marketing heavyweight is responsible for working on massive campaigns for A-list stars and the movies they make.
The Casting Director: Their track record includes casting Best Picture-winning and Best Picture-nominated titles with actors who'd go on to win Academy Awards for their respective performances in these films.
Academy voters reveal who they voted for in EW's 2022 Oscars Secret Ballot. Bettmann/Getty Images
Best Picture
Nominees: Belfast, CODA, Don't Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story
Casting director: With Power of the Dog I was like, ugh, enough. I thought it was boring and it didn't work for me. It had been done better with Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain_…. I voted for **Nightmare Alley_** because of the amount of work Guillermo [del Toro] did. He's a genius. Drive My Car was number one, then Dune, CODA, Belfast, West Side Story, Power of the Dog, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, and Don't Look Up. I absolutely didn't like it at all. It was just too much, overboard, overstuffed, it was so over-the-top.
Marketer: I'm passionately voting for CODA. It's feel-good, great writing, exceptional performances; it coalesced into something we need now. I'm voting with my heart, and I enjoyed the filmmaking of Power of the Dog, but CODA spoke to the universality of family, love, community, and connection, and certainly the power of music. In these times, there's a lot to be said for all of us connecting. CODA made you feel.
Actor: I'm going with Don't Look Up. I don't necessarily think it's a better film than Power of the Dog, but the relativeness to what's going on in the world today — especially with the last four years with Mr. Trump in there and the way people manipulated media — that's why it was so powerful to me.
Producer: Power of the Dog was my favorite movie of the year. It shows everything that moviemaking is supposed to do. It looks incredible; I love a movie that starts as one thing and becomes another. It keeps you on your feet, constantly shifting, it has character turns you can't see coming. It's a masterpiece. I really like CODA — I had an emotional time watching it, it's a beautiful film with beautiful performances, but I don't think it's a masterpiece or a movie people will come back to again and again or teach in film classes. It's the kind of movie that wins because it makes people feel good about themselves but doesn't stand the test of time. Don't Look Up is last. It's not a movie I enjoyed; an experience I don't want to have again.
Director: I'm pissed that Zola isn't here. I had high hopes for Drive My Car, but I was disappointed when I saw it. I have to say Dune, because it worked on every level. Beautiful cinematography, acting, score, it's a complete vision. I haven't seen Nightmare Alley yet. I tried to watch Licorice Pizza but turned it off after five minutes. Another white guy reminiscing about his white guy childhood? It's so boring to me. I can't do it. Would West Side Story have been nominated if it wasn't Steven Spielberg? I don't care for Ansel [Elgort]. As soon as he appeared on screen I was like, oh, boring white guy, gotta go!
'The Power of the Dog' is the top contender for Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars. KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX
Best Director
Nominees: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast; Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car; Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza; Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog; Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Casting director: Steven Spielberg for West Side Story. If West Side Story had been done by anybody else, I don't think it would've been to the level it was. The choreography, the dance sequences, the cinematography, the casting, the editing, I could see that he put an enormous amount of work and effort in, and it worked. I didn't like the film, but I admired the film.
Marketer: Voting with my heart: Steven Spielberg. It's an achievement to take West Side Story, something we've seen [for years] and create a gorgeous, tight, completely electric film that feels fresh and new. There are those incredible sprinkles of Spielbergian magic through the film. I think [Jane Campion's Critics Choice controversy] was much ado about nothing. It became a Twitter moment more than a real-life moment. The Sam Elliott thing reminds me of so many years ago, Ernest Borgnine talking about gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain: someone from a different era inexcusably talking about the artistry of filmmaking in a way that's out of line.
Actor: Jane Campion, for the whole feeling she put out there. She's got balls, and she goes with her convictions. I went for the ride. She was bold enough to just let it be. It piqued my interest and my patience, and I liked the exercise that she put me through. [After the Venus and Serena Williams stuff], I just thought, this is a great opportunity to stick your foot in your mouth. She apologized, but I don't care about the hubbub it created. I still think she deserves it for her work. I forgive her.
Producer: Jane Campion. Power of the Dog is my favorite movie of the year. I wish there were more women on this list. Maggie Gyllenhaal's name should be on this list. Jane is a true auteur and I think what she accomplishes in Power of the Dog is special and singular and stands above the work of anybody else on this list.
Director: Oh my God, it's the same nonsense. I guess I'll go with Jane Campion. I guess because I don't like everyone else. I thought the cinematography was stunning and the performances were stunning. But the story, I don't understand why halfway through, Benedict Cumberbatch became okay with everyone. There was a hard turn…. Aren't you supposed to be the person we thought was going to kill everyone the whole movie?
Jane Campion on set of 'The Power of the Dog'. KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX
Best Actor
Nominees: Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos; Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog; Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... Boom!; Will Smith, King Richard; Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Casting director: Andrew Garfield. I was surprised by his performance. My husband didn't like the film because it was basically a play. I thought he was so enthusiastic, he captured Jonathan Larson. The film worked because of his performance, if anybody else had been there I don't know if I would've watched it. I could see Will Smith. I could see his performance.
Marketer: While I think Will Smith is fantastic, moving, and nuanced, Andrew Garfield's performance is outstanding and he's getting my vote. The category is so strong, Denzel moved me as well in ways I didn't think I could be moved by Macbeth. I know, certainly from what's transpired with critics, that Andrew is the underdog, but I'm voting with my heart. With heart, with snot, with tears, with warmth, Garfield gave a performance in material that moved me in a major way.
Actor: I'm going with Benedict Cumberbatch. Very powerful. I loved him in this. As an actor, I can see he had a through line, he lived this role, it was intuitive. I hated him at first and he made me love him, so that's how I know it's good. No doubt Will Smith is good, he could easily get it.
Producer: Benedict Cumberbatch in my favorite movie of the year. His performance and Kodi's complement each other. It's almost like mutual performance. People's hearts seem to be with Will Smith, but I don't know anybody who's voting for him, and yet he's winning. I thought his was the most mannered performance out of anybody here.
Director: It has to be Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. No. Absolutely not. No way. Totally joking. Or Andrew Garfield. Like, what the f---? Why are these guys nominated? That was another movie I was just like, ugh. I tried to watch it with my son, who was like, "This is cringe." I fast-forwarded through the whole thing. I'll probably never see it…. I loved watching Will Smith as King Richard, I thought he did a fantastic job. He embodied the character, I loved his little lisp. I'm always watching Will Smith be Will Smith, but I felt I was watching less of Will Smith being Will Smith. I enjoyed the performance. Did anyone say Denzel? I didn't see it. Did anyone see it? I don't know anyone that watched it.
Macall B. Polay/Netflix
Best Actress
Nominees: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye; Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter; Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers; Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos; Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Casting director: I only got halfway through The Lost Daughter. I didn't like the film, but I still voted for Olivia Colman because she scared the crap out of me. As a mother, I understand how hard it is to be a mother. My God, she was that part…. I didn't like [_Spencer_], I didn't finish it. I thought Kristen Stewart did a good job, but again, I felt like she was playing Princess Diana. I could see underneath, the levels and the acting. It just didn't seem genuine…. I thought Gaga did a good job, but not a good enough job to overpower any of the women who were submitted. If it wasn't Lady Gaga, we wouldn't be talking about it.
Marketer: I'm voting for Penélope Cruz in Parallel Mothers. The nuance, the pain, and the longing is so encapsulated in her performance. As a voter I want to put my stamp on that and reward it. I've never seen her this vulnerable before. Her great re-pairing with Pedro Almodóvar brought out a phenomenal performance and something that rises above the other nominees. Missing here is Lady Gaga. She gave a phenomenal performance for the ages. I thought Kristen Stewart's performance was incredibly nuanced, but I don't know if the film worked for me. I was challenged many times watching that film. A strong performance, I don't know if it coalesced perfectly with the film. I think a lot of people were disappointed in that film, from what I'm hearing. They found it slow. The expectation was there for one thing and the film was in its own universe.
Actor: I went from Nicole Kidman at the beginning of the year to Olivia Colman, but until I saw Penélope Cruz in Parallel Mothers that's when I made my decision. She is getting it from me. I loved Jessica Chastain in Tammy Faye, I saw that a long time ago. Penélope's deepness, there was something going on that was deep and real. I loved every second she was on screen. Kristen was okay. I'm not into that whole story. She did a great job. Lady Gaga was on my list, I voted for her. A lot of people I know couldn't stand it, and I've heard people talk about Jared Leto, either way, loving him or hating him, but, boy, that guy is amazing. What a reaction he conjured up! I watched it like the great soap opera that it was.
Producer: I voted for Penélope Cruz. It feels like Jessica Chastain's to lose, but I thought Penélope was incredible in Parallel Mothers. I don't think she's recognized as much because she's not working in English as much as she used to. She's an incredible actress. I thought Olivia Colman was great in The Lost Daughter, and I rarely vote this way, but I feel like she's gotten it in the last couple of years, so, she certainly has been rewarded. Nicole Kidman is an incredible actor, but Being the Ricardos was not a movie for me. Kristen Stewart also did well in a movie I didn't love, so did Jessica Chastain. I would've been torn if Lady Gaga had been nominated. I love that she went for it; I think it's the opposite of Jared Leto. She worked her ass off and I couldn't stop watching her. I would've been tempted to push her for it, if nothing else but to see her give a full Oscars speech. I think Academy voters disliked the movie more than regular people…. there was a feeling of grabbiness and campaigning obviously, and too much, which is sometimes frowned upon.
Director: I was not [shocked that Gaga didn't get in]. That movie was insane, in a Rocky Horror Picture Show kind of way. It's not a good movie, but watchable in a fun way. That anybody thought that should be anywhere near nominated for anything is surprising to me. That movie was like candy. Nobody took that movie seriously. It's a campy joyride, like a Ryan Murphy show made into a movie. They're sending me FYC for this? No, girl, no, you missed your category. It's fun, living room full of gay friends watching House of Gucci in the background. I have such a soft spot for Penélope Cruz. She did phenomenal work in Parallel Mothers. She's always underrated and doing really surprising, bold, beautiful choices. I don't see any falseness in her performance. It's tough because Olivia Colman is one of my favorites, but I just couldn't watch The Lost Daughter. I heard the directing was bananas anyway. I couldn't get through Spencer. I love Kristen Stewart. But it was literally her driving around through the countryside, it was so slow, then I was like, "what is that accent?" but then I fell asleep and didn't see the rest of it. Unforgivable pacing, that's just not okay! I'm sorry, Kristen, I bet you were brilliant, but I couldn't get there for you.
Penelope Cruz in 'Parallel Mothers.'. El Deseo/Iglesias Más/Sony Pictures Classics
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Ciarán Hinds, Belfast; Troy Kotsur, CODA; Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog; J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos; Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Casting director: Troy Kotsur. I just thought he was lovable, warm, and genuine. His name needs to be out there. He captured a loving father, and I adored seeing a new face.
Marketer: Troy Kotsur. He was able to give nuance and brought humanity. Looking into those soulful eyes, there's a remarkable, moving performance. One for the ages.
Actor: These are all great supporting roles. I love Jesse and Kodi, but I have to go with Troy Kotsur on this. He deserves it, he's come a long way, he's a favorite out there for a reason.
Producer: Kodi Smit-McPhee. I know that everyone's hearts and probably awards are going to Troy — he's also incredible in CODA — but Kodi gives a performance unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a singular performance and the perfect combination of an actor's physicality and oddness and what the character calls for. He kept me guessing at every second in the movie. I probably would've voted for Troy second. [My least favorite] are J.K. Simmons and Ciaran Hinds. They're incredible actors playing cliched characters we've seen time and time again…. I was going to be upset if Jared Leto was nominated for House of Gucci, and I was glad he wasn't there. I was entertained by the movie, but that, to me, is not a performance of the year. It felt like a Monty Python sketch.
Director: I always like Jesse Plemons, but it's got to be the gay kid in Power of the Dog. He was so compelling. Every time he walked on screen, you leaned in like, what's happening there? This kid pulled that kind of attention among these leads? It's amazing. Troy Kotsur, maybe it was the altitude of Sundance, but I don't know what it is about CODA. It's sweet. Is it the great art film everybody's talking about it like? I don't think so. The performances are fantastic.
Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin in 'CODA'. Apple TV+
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter; Ariana DeBose, West Side Story; Judi Dench, Belfast; Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog; Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Casting director: Aunjanue Ellis, because I was like, oh my God, is that Aunjanue Ellis? I know everyone is going with Ariana DeBose, but I couldn't believe that was Aunjanue, and I remember her when she was an ingenue. I bought her as the protective mother. I really enjoyed what she brought to it.
Marketer: Ariana DeBose, who was nothing but remarkable. The ghost of our recollections of the original character linger in the back of our minds. She created her own take. She acted with her eyes and soul. That stage craft translated well to West Side Story.
Actor: I'm going with Judi Dench. I love her, I respect her so much, and I thought she was memorable. [Ariana] is great; West Side Story, for me, unfortunately, it's a remake I could've done without, but great direction. I was an impressionable young kid when I saw West Side Story the first time in high school, and I watched it again after I saw this one, and, just for me, I liked the original. I know it's miscast with white people, but even though they [corrected] that stuff in the new one, it's a lot of work. But it's beautiful.
Producer: I chose Jessie Buckley from The Lost Daughter after a stressful back and forth between her and Ariana DeBose. Both performances are neck-and-neck, they're incredibly powerful, unique, new actors. Jessie's stuck with me a bit more, because the movie stuck with me. I liked West Side Story, but Lost Daughter resonated. I also love Kirsten Dunst. I was less enamored in general with Belfast and King Richard, I feel Judi Dench and Aunjanue Ellis are great actors giving versions of performances that I've seen before in movies that feel like movies I've seen before.
Director: Ariana DeBose in West Side Story was excellent, but Anita is also a scene-stealing role. Kirsten Dunst was incredible in Power of the Dog, but she's always incredible. The person who surprised me was Aunjanue Ellis in King Richard. I was so surprised by how much she did. I thought Kirsten did such a great job. You know who I'm pissed isn't on here? Riley Keough, who transformed herself for Zola. I'd write in Riley Keough. I think you can. But, I'm going to have to go with Kirsten Dunst.
'West Side Story' star Ariana DeBose is a top contender for Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Academy Awards. Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios
Best Original Screenplay
Nominees: Belfast, Don't Look Up, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, The Worst Person in the World
Casting director: I went with King Richard. Belfast I enjoyed, Don't Look Up I hated, I liked Licorice Pizza a lot, it was interesting, but I had such a problem with it making fun of the Japanese person. That bothered me. If anybody said that [in] my house, I'd kick them out. That one small thing bothered me. It also bothered me that the love story was between a 25-year-old woman and a child.
Marketer: The Worst Person in the World. Loved it, I was so ecstatic that it got nominated. It's heartfelt, it's funny, real, and absolutely one of my favorite films probably not only of this year, but of the last 30 years. It's incredible. I hope it doesn't get remade.…. I was lukewarm on Licorice Pizza, but those two scenes [with the Asian character] made me uncomfortable. Absolutely unnecessary. If it had added to the story line, sure, but it seemed like a throwaway that didn't need to be there. It didn't help define that character. I found it offensive.
Actor: King Richard was so good, and so was Belfast. At the end of the day, it's Belfast. It's a feeling that goes through with the war [in Ukraine] and a young child's life and how it impacts everything. It really strikes me and makes this film a lot more poignant. I wanted to like Licorice Pizza so badly, but it was odd. I enjoyed it, but as a screenplay it was all over the place.
Producer: This was easy: The Worst Person in the World. It's a celebration of dialogue, it's completely original, the way it's divided into 12 chapters, you don't see where it's going. The ability to craft dialogue, I love, which is a more idealized version of conversations that you have to get inside people's heads to really get into the soul of an argument and what it means to be 30 and not know what to do with your life. It's an incredibly original piece of filmmaking and the definition of an original screenplay…. Belfast is ready-made Oscar bait, I don't think about it as the most sophisticated original screenplay. I've seen many movies like this in the past. Screenplays about real-life events don't feel original to me; King Richard easily feels like it could've been adapted from a book or magazine article.
Director: The Worst Person in the World, hands-down. I loved that it was a small, intimate story that's riveting and said such bigger things about society and culture and coming of age, but through a seemingly small story.
Renate Reinsve in 'The Worst Person in the World'. Sundance Institute
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: CODA, Drive My Car, Dune, The Lost Daughter, The Power of the Dog
Casting director: Drive My Car. I forgot that it was subtitled. It was so simple, yet I went on the journey. I enjoyed CODA and Dune; I didn't enjoy Lost Daughter and I did not like Power of the Dog. It was just long. Drive My Car was three hours with subtitles, and I didn't even notice that…. I think Jane Campion might've shot herself in the foot with what she said about [the Williams sisters]. You don't need to bring somebody down to be happy for yourself. Power of the Dog never was going to be my thing, but I would've thought twice now because of that comment.
Marketer: The screenplay categories are the most difficult. My vote is for CODA. Sian Heder captured the voices of all of these characters to create this world, not only of a family, but of the perspectives of the family. What could've been one-note was brought alive by a lot of nuances. I was not a fan of The Lost Daughter. I hadn't read the source material, and couldn't connect to the characters. Even the different timelines back and forth, to me it didn't coalesce in a strong way. I'm an admirer of Drive My Car, but felt it was too long. I was surprised to see it in Adapted Screenplay.
Actor: The Power of the Dog. I love the story and characters. In all these adapted screenplays, they have to make a decision on what to include and leave out, so this is based on a novel. I did not [read the novel]. But it's powerful because I had enough of the story to give me an idea of what that through-line was and how it tied together…. CODA was a great adaptation also, but because I'm [familiar] with that world, there were things I wasn't in tune with because it seemed to be not as inclusive with what's going on in the world of sign language today. It seemed a little old-fashioned and archaic in a way, from another period. That took me out of it as far as adapting a screenplay, as there were so many things missing from the deaf community. I don't mean to denigrate it, it was well done, but The Power of the Dog made me believe that this was a true story.
Producer: The Lost Daughter. I wish I had the option to rank it for Best Picture and vote for Maggie Gyllenhaal for Best Director. This happens a lot at the Oscars, female writer-directors tend to be recognized for their writing and not for their directing. It's a great adaptation, it's a tough adaptation of a book with a huge interior monologue, but it's almost like I'm voting for that instead of being able to consider her for Best Picture or Best Director. I find adaptations of other movies to be on a different level than adaptations of books. Between Dune, Power of the Dog, and Lost Daughter, you have complicated adaptations…. CODA stands out to me. I know it just won at WGA, but it's the easiest adaptation of all the movies. Not to take away from the writer, but there's something about adapting a novel that's more difficult than adapting another film.
Director: Because I want Jane to get directing, it's got to go to Dune. I was impressed with that Marlon Brando creature and how much weight Timothée Chalamet lost to play this part. Dude, for all the marketing, you'd think Zendaya was a lead in it. But I did this whole movie and I got three seconds of Zendaya!
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures
Best International Feature
Nominees: Drive My Car (Japan), Flee (Denmark), The Hand of God (Italy), Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan), The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
Casting director: I had to go with Drive My Car. I liked Flee and Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, but I want this film to get the recognition it deserves.
Marketer: I'm gobsmacked by Flee, one of the most important movies I've seen. It's getting my vote in this category. The innovation of animation to a documentary is something I haven't seen work before in such a moving, powerful, and groundbreaking way. I'm concerned that because it's nominated in three categories, so much will be split.
Actor: This is a hard one. I liked Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. I'd have to say Flee. I have to have something that strikes me emotionally, and it stays with me up to now, the emotional response I had to it. Drive My Car, I wasn't as emotionally stirred. I watched it twice, and it reaffirmed what I felt. It didn't strike me, I wasn't getting it. [The first time] I thought, maybe I'm missing something, everybody is talking about it, but, no I don't think so.
Producer: I'm not voting for Flee again. I voted for The Worst Person in the World, one of my favorite movies of the year. I assume Drive My Car will win; it has momentum, so people will probably check it off.
Director: I was torn between Flee and Worst Person in the World. I think Flee because it's so original and interesting. I never thought about a documentary done with such beautiful animation and interviews.
'Flee' documentary. NEON
Best Documentary Feature
Nominees: Ascension, Attica, Flee, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Writing With Fire
Casting director: I loved Flee. It pulled my heartstrings; I was there the entire time. I work on a lot of LGBTQ films, both of my kids are internationally adopted, so I know there's a huge struggle. There were so many elements that I identify with. The lead was so charming and inspiring. I loved how the film was made, it's unlike other films and I admired that, and I was engaged with it.
Marketer: I'm voting for Summer of Soul. It's joyous, it's a time capsule that's so important for everybody to be aware of right now. The music is incredible. Timely and timeless at the same time. Questlove did an incredible job nuancing the performances and making it come alive from back then to now. Which is no easy accomplishment. I've watched it three times.
Actor: Summer of Soul is my favorite. I love all that music. I had no idea that it'd been filmed at the time and that the footage had been kept in a basement for so long. I thought it was a fantastic piece of history that everybody should know about. For me it's more of the subject matter. The technicality of it, I could get into that, but for me it's an emotional response to the subject matter.
Producer: My favorite documentary of the year, The Velvet Underground, wasn't nominated, so I'll go with what's possible: even though I loved Summer of Soul, I thought Flee was a better piece of filmmaking. Summer of Soul will probably win, but Flee had a bigger emotional impact on me…. I like documentaries that play with form or question the very idea of documentary and aren't so rigid. Flee was the most innovative and interesting, but I can see why Summer of Soul is the most joyous.
Director: Flee was great, but I love Summer of Soul so much. I had no idea that that whole thing even happened, and it's unfair. Those performances, those scenes — it's insane. It's hard to separate the movie from the fact that it's some of the best performers of all time. Ascension is incredible, but ultimately it didn't get there for me in the end. I haven't seen Attica. Writing With Fire, they're an underdog because they don't have a distributor pushing them. They've been doing small screenings to get people to help them. It's good and moving, but I feel like they have no chance because they can't compete with the other ones. So, I'll go with the underdog and say Writing With Fire.
Nina Simone in 'Summer of Soul'. Searchlight Pictures
Best Original Song
Nominees: "Be Alive" from King Richard (DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), "Dos Oruguitas" from Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda), "Down to Joy" from Belfast (Van Morrison), "No Time to Die" from No Time to Die (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell), "Somehow You Do" from Four Good Days (Diane Warren)
Casting director: Encanto, because my kids adored it. I watched some of it. I [voted] more for the film than the song, I'm not going to lie.
Marketer: "No Time to Die" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. It's in totality for the connection between the legacy of James Bond and Hollywood. It's an incredibly strong song. I'm not a strong Billie Eilish fan, to be honest, but the song worked for me.
Actor: I'm going with Encanto. I really liked "No Time to Die," but Encanto because of the originality of the lyrics.
Producer: As usual, the Best Original Song category is pretty underwhelming. I'm voting for the Encanto song. Of course, everybody wishes they could be voting for "We Don't Talk About Bruno," the earwig that's been playing in everybody's house. I voted for this one as a substitute for the song I really think should be winning from that movie. Usually one or two songs, I just have not seen the movies, and somehow, they get picked. This year it's [the song from] Four Good Days. I mean, go ahead, give Diane Warren an honorary Oscar, please put her out of her misery. She's usually nominated for a song in a movie that nobody has seen. People love her enough to nominate her, I don't understand why we can't just give her the award one year and get it over with.
Director: Give the Oscar to Diane Warren for God's sake. I've never even heard of Four Good Days, but give her the damn Oscar. She keeps getting nominated. She's like the Susan Lucci of the Oscars. I mean, Jesus Christ. If she doesn't get it this year, she gets an Honorary Oscar.
Disney
These interviews have been edited and condensed for space and clarity.
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