LOS ANGELES — The rollercoaster of the 2019 awards season continued Tuesday with a batch of Oscar nominations that few could have predicted. Sure, there were some shoo-ins that made it, like “Black Panther” breaking the superhero best picture barrier, and “A Star Is Born,” ”The Favourite” and “Roma” being among the leading nominees. And yet, there were more than a handful of downright stupefying exclusions, including Bradley Cooper and Ryan Coogler for director (or any woman, for that matter), Emily Blunt for actress, “Eighth Grade” and the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
‘A STAR IS BORN’ RISES, BUT NOT FOR DIRECTING
Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” may have tied for second-most nominations and scored him personal nominations for acting, screenwriting and best picture, but not where it seemed to matter most: Directing. It is a stunning absence, considering that he managed to snag two Directors Guild nominations. So much for his “Ordinary People” or “Dances with Wolves” moment. Robert Redford and Kevin Costner, you’re safely still the only two handsome actors-turned-directors who won Oscars right out of the gates.
NOT A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MR. ROGERS
Morgan Neville’s Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” charmed critics and audiences alike this summer, grossing over $22.6 million at the box office and winning a slew of awards, including from the Producers Guild this weekend, but the documentary branch shockingly left it off its list this year. Also missing was “Three Identical Strangers.” But there is a silver lining in that “Minding the Gap,” a coming-of-age odyssey that seemed in danger of being forgotten, made it on.
SUPERHEROES GET SOME RESPECT
It’s not uncommon for superhero movies to get Oscar nominations in the technical categories, but “Black Panther” is the first ever in the genre to be nominated for best picture. While it’s not exactly a surprise for a movie that has been in the best picture conversation for a year, it is something that has been a long time coming since the film academy infamously failed to nominate “The Dark Knight,” and subsequently doubled its potential nominations from five to 10. But with Ryan Coogler having been shut out of the directing category, there’s still another mountain for superheroes to conquer another year.