HFPA’s best picture-comedy or musical noms doesn’t usually influence Oscar’s best picture vote as much as best picture-drama nods do, but it certainly does help to get into the race.
These five noms could highlight HFPA’s new social concerns:
- EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: It’s got the best Oscar buzz going in its category, grossed $70M domestic & RT critics are 95%. Michelle Yeoh has an excellent shot at the best actress-comedy or musical nom. Its storyline about a Chinese immigrant woman trying to save the world is diversity driven. A nod would show HFPA’s new commitment to diversity.
- THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN: It’s not a boxoffice hit, but RT critics love it with 97%. It’s on everybody’s Oscar predictions lists, so ignoring it wouldn’t look good for HFPA.
- GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY: It’s the kind of big star (Daniel Craig) vehicle that rarely gets a best picture Oscar nom, but an HFPA nod might help mend fences with Netflix, which was highly critical of HFPA when the diversity crisis exploded.
- BABYLON: It’s about the wild late 1920s in Hollywood when sound was coming in and destroying acting careers. The real coup for HFPA would be getting Brad Pitt (pictured) & Margo Robbie on hand 1/10 for NBC cameras to follow around the Beverly Hilton ballroom.
- BROS: A gay rom-com that died at the boxoffice but was a lively 88% with RT critics. A nod here would help HFPA emphasize its support for a wide range of diversity-driven movies.