The 2023 Oscars nominations have been revealed and the list is mostly unsurprising. The likes of The Fabelmans, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Everything Everywhere All at One have been nominated for multiple awards as expected. However, it was the inclusion of Avatar: The Way of Water in the Best Picture category that had me shaking my head.
My frustration with James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel earning a nomination in the most popular Oscar category is twofold. First, I’m not convinced it actually deserves the honor, but its inclusion may also be related to the biggest omission of the field: Aftersun.
It was released back in theaters last October and is currently available to buy/rent Amazon Prime Video (Opens in a new tab)Aftersun is a great movie. A cinematic triumph that has me oscillating between grinning like a kid in my movie seat and about to cry (and maybe eventually lose a husband). It’s a movie I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it, and it’s exactly the kind of movie the Academy should support.
Aftersun was the best movie of 2022
If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Aftersun, its premise is pretty straightforward. Sophie reflects on a vacation she took with her father, Callum, when she was 11 years old. Much of the movie is presented as a home video shot on a chunky early-2000s camcorder, but there are also surreal dream-like sequences that suggest how the dynamic between the couple has changed since that fondly-remembered vacation.
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This is the kind of achievement an Academy Awards should be nominated for: a tender, still emotionally devastating film from a new talent who comes out of nowhere and delivers a masterpiece on her first attempt.
The film was written and directed by newcomer Charlotte Wells, and I would argue it is one of the most impressive directorial works of the past decade. To me, this is the kind of achievement that should be nominated for an Oscar: a tender, still emotionally devastating film from a new talent who comes out of nowhere and delivers a masterpiece on her first try. It didn’t even get a Best Director nod. Aftersun captures the emotional comfort of reflecting on the past while flawlessly addressing the blinding nature of downright nostalgia.
Paul Mescal has at least been nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance as Calum. And that’s a nomination he totally earned. Mescal carries the emotional weight of the film, and in this one-man performance proves he’s certainly an Academy Award-winner-in-waiting. Unfortunately, given the predictions that make the round of deals, it seems unlikely that this will be his year, but I have no doubt that it is only a matter of time until he gets a golden statuette.
For my money, Frankie Corio as young Sophie could have slipped into the supporting actress category. And I even loved seeing the nod to film editing or cinematography. However, it’s the snub in the Best Picture and Best Director categories that reflects badly on the Academy.
And you don’t just have to take my word for it. wind up Rotten tomatoes (Opens in a new tab) Reviews aggregated, Aftersun sports has a well-deserved score of 96% from over 200 reviews, with its audience rating a similarly high 81%. It also received three nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards as well as numerous nods at the upcoming BAFTAs and Independent Spirit Awards.
Does Avatar: The Way of Water really deserve a Best Picture nomination?
Just to be completely clear, I don’t hate Avatar: The Way of Water. As the cutscenes go, it’s pretty much unparalleled. And like all movie fans, I am a constant admirer of James Cameron’s ability to dominate the box office even when many people doubt him. There is no denying that he has a grain about exactly what the general public wants to see when they visit a movie theater.
An Avatar Best Picture nomination sounds more like an olive branch from the Academy to the general public than an implication awarded on merit.
However, beyond the great visual effects, is there really much about Avatar 2 that is the best visual material? I bet not. The scenario is basic. Several major shows flopped; And the operating speed slows down under the weight of the over three-hour runtime.
It’s rather telling that Avatar: The Way of Water has three other Academy Award nominations aside from Best Picture, and they all come in artistic categories. He was snubbed for the Direction, Acting and Screenplay awards.
It doesn’t sound too cynical, but Avatar’s inclusion in the Best Picture field seems more like an olive branch from the Academy to the general public than its inclusion on merit. It’s no secret that interest in the Oscars is waning Viewing numbers are dropping practically every year (Opens in a new tab). It’s often said that the best way to reverse this trend is to nominate more popular films, and that’s exactly what Avatar: The Way of Water is – the most popular movie on the planet right now.
Millions of other people have watched Avatar: The Way of Water compared to something like Aftersun (or even Tár or Triangle of Sadness that got compressed into the BP category) so its nomination will naturally attract more discussion and interest. I can’t help but wonder if the inclusion of Avatar and the disdain for Aftersun is really the result of a popularity contest rather than a commentary on the film that truly deserves recognition.
Either way, I know that in a few months, I’ll still be a fan of (and re-watching) Aftersun. Avatar: Water Road? It is already fading from my memory quickly.