AnnaBeth Crittenden, Campus Carrier Assistant Entertainment Editor
Last Thursday, J.J. Abrams, Alfonso Cuarón, Chris Pine and the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs revealed the nominees during a live streamed event. The films nominated for the coveted Best Picture award were diverse in topics and cinematography styles. Below are the films nominated for Best Picture in the 2015 Oscars.
“American Sniper,” directed by Clint Eastwood, tells the true story of Chris Kyle (played by Oscar nominee for Best Actor, Bradley Cooper), the most lethal sniper in the world. The movie contrasts Kyle’s courage on the battlefield with his struggle to be a good father and husband while on mission in Iraq. The film received generally good reviews and an overall score of 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a popular movie rating website that draws from thousands of critics and audience members for their reviews. “American Sniper” also received Oscar nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay.
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” starring Michael Keaton tells the story of Riggan Thomas, a washed-up actor who used to play the famous superhero Birdman. Now, years later, Thomas is trying to re-establish himself by staging, writing and starring in a production. The film received great reviews including a score of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It has been nominated for nine Oscars including Best Actor (Michael Keaton), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
In 2002, director and writer Richard Linklater wrote a story about a six-year-old boy and his family. He then filmed the movie over a 12 year period, allowing the same actor (Eller Countrane) to portray both the six-year-old Mason and the 18-year-old. Through this “Boyhood” made cinematic history and earned six Oscar nominations including Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ethan Hawke), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Patricia Arquette), Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay. The film received great reviews and earned a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The comedic film “The Grand Budapest Hotel” shows the life of a concierge who teams up with one of his employees in order to prove his innocence after being blamed for the murder of one of his guests. He befriends Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy, and the two attempt to regain a famous and valuable painting, “Boy With Apple.” The film received a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design and Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography.
“The Imitation Game,” starring Best Actor nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, tells the true story of cryptanalyst Alan Turing as he attempts to break Nazi Germany’s Enigma code during World War II. The film follows Turing’s life from his days at boarding school to his criminal offense due to his homosexuality. Despite only being offered in select theaters, the film received a strong rating of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. It was nominated for eight Oscars including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress (Keira Knightley), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.
After only being nominated for two Oscars, “Selma” raised controversies over its Oscar snub, bringing about several comments about a white-dominated nominee list for this year’s Oscars. However, despite the snub, this movie tells the powerful story of Martin Luther King Jr. and his attempt to gain voting rights for African-Americans in the 1960s. The film also shows the historical march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. and reluctance of President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The film got phenomenal ratings including 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Continuing in the trend of retelling the lives of historical figures, “The Theory of Everything” tells the story of scientist Stephan Hawking who was given two years to live after being diagnosed with a neurological disease at age 21. However, instead of focusing on the scientific aspect of Hawking’s life, the film chooses to show his relationship with art student Jane Wilde and how his disability and brilliant mind impacted their life together. The film had mixed reviews from critics and received a 79 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it did well in Oscar nominations, receiving nominations in Best Actor (Eddie Redmayne), Best Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score.
“Whiplash” shows 19-year-old Andrew Nieman’s struggle to become the best jazz drummer in the world. He enrolls in a top music academy and find himself continuously pressed to his musical and mental limits by his professor who holds back no abuse on his students in order to make them the best they can be. After “Selma”, this Best Picture nominee received the least amount of nominations including only Best Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
The Oscars will air on Feb. 22 on ABC.