Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Even Without a Host, The Oscars Promise to Make Cinematic History

Even+Without+a+Host%2C+The+Oscars+Promise+to+Make+Cinematic+History

On Sunday, Feb. 24, the movie industry’s biggest names will gather in Los Angeles for the 91st annual Oscar Awards. Following the decade-long tradition, the Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. However, for the first time in almost 30 years, the awards show will be without a host. Kevin Hart was set to be next on the list of names, but after he announced that he would be hosting on his Instagram page, concerns surfaced about homophobic tweets published in 2010 and 2011. Hart officially stepped down in a Dec. 7 tweet. Despite an over two-month-long search for a new host, an Academy spokesperson told ABC News that the show would officially go without a host on Tuesday. Hosts typically set the scene for the show and help keep it interesting between long series of awards, with many iconic performances over the years from Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen DeGeneres. Given this rich history, a host-less Oscars feels a little risky. The risk is amplified by past controversies that have plagued the awards show, such as the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. Time will tell whether the award choices will help revive the show’s prestige.

The big movies to look out for this year are “The Favourite” and “Roma,” each nominated for nine awards in leading categories. “The Favourite” was nominated for eight awards between the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. Set in 18th century England, the movie tells the story of Queen Anne’s advisor and lover, Sarah Churchill, and Sarah’s niece, Abigail Hill, played by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone. Abigail becomes intrigued and jealous of Sarah’s relationship with the Queen, and schemes to take Sarah’s spot as the favorite. The movie is nominated for Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture among others. Though out of its 8 nominations for the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, it only won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, for Olivia Colman’s performance as Queen Anne. The online media database, IMDB, lists “The Favourite” as favored to win Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Film Editing.

“Roma,” a Spanish language film, is making history for the most Oscar Nominations ever received by a film in a foreign language. Set in the Colonial Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, the movie follows the life of a middle-class household’s live-in maid in the early 1970s. The film’s nine nominations are especially outstanding, given that it received no SAG nominations and only three Golden Globe nominations. After winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in a Foreign Language and Best Director for a Motion Picture, it is no surprise “Roma” is set to win the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing. While there has been lots of buzz about “Roma’s” nominations, little has been said about the fact that it could be the first foreign language film to win Best Picture.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the 2019 nominations was Bradley Cooper’s snub for Best Director for “A Star is Born.” The movie was Cooper’s directorial debut, and the movie grossed almost $418 million in box office sales. “A Star is Born” garnered nominations for the Golden Globes and SAG awards, a total of nine, but lost in every category except the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for “Shallow.” It will likely only win the Oscar for Best Original Song, and Cooper and Lady Gaga will perform “Shallow” live at the show.

The Oscars always create a flurry of excitement and prediction, but every year there are at least one or two surprise winners, such as “The Hurt Locker” beating out “Avatar” in 2010. With the recent decline in popularity, and the lack of a host, it will be interesting to see how the Academy tries to captivate a younger, more progressive generation in an attempt to increase its viewership.

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