The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, has been an annual event since 1927 that awards achievements in the film industry. There are a total of twenty-three different categories that different components of a film can be nominated for. The twenty-three categories are: actor in a leading role, actor in a supporting role, actress in a leading role, actress in a supporting role, animated feature film, animated short film, cinematography, costume design, directing, documentary feature film, documentary short film, film editing, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), best picture, production design, live action short film, sound, visual effects, writing (adapted screenplay), and writing (original screenplay). The Oscar nominations are determined by the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The winners in these categories receive the award statuette which is a golden knight standing on a reel of film holding a sword. This design has stayed the same except for a change in measurements. In 1953, The Academy Awards first made it to television and they have been internationally broadcast since 1969. The Oscars are very fun and popular to watch especially for lovers of film.
This year, the most prestigious category, best picture, saw some great nominations that were — mostly — very popular. The ten nominees are: Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked.
Although there were ten nominees, this article will highlight three in particular that have been commercial and critical successes.
A Complete Unknown, depicts Timothy Chalamet as Bob Dylan, an iconic American singer and songwriter. The film follows Dylan through his success in folk music as well as the controversy of his performance with electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Dylan is considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time and has been a leading figure in pop culture. He is also one of the best selling musicians of all time with more than 125 million records sold across the world. Freshman Jane McCavanagh remarks on the film, “I found A Complete Unknown to be a captivating and enjoyable movie. The lead actor, Timothee Chalamet, played the role of Bob Dylan perfectly and clearly displayed his thoughts and emotions. Of course, my favorite part of the movie was hearing Bob Dylan’s music and learning about the beginning of his career and how he progressed. Overall I really enjoyed the movie and I think it was very well made.” Freshman Amelia Byrne also shares her opinions on the film, “I saw A Complete Unknown and didn’t know anything about Bob Dylan before I watched it but enjoyed it regardless.” This film was clearly a hit with HHS students and highlighted the great achievements of the remarkable Bob Dylan.
Dune: Part Two is the sequel to Dune: Part 1 which came out in 2021. Once again, actor Timothee Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides and actress Zendaya stars as Chani. The film takes place on the fictional desert planet of Arrakis. The main characters Paul and Chani unite along with the native inhabitants of Arrakis the Fremen on a quest of revenge against the group that destroyed his family. Paul faces the difficult choice between love and the future of the universe. Freshman Amelia Byrne also shares her thoughts on this film, “I really enjoyed Dune: Part 2 because it had a great plot and a good cast.”
Wicked was a huge success that gained a lot of attention, so it is no surprise that it was one of this year’s nominees for best picture. The film is an adaptation of the Broadway show Wicked, which is actually an adaptation of the novel Wicked, a retelling of the famous Wizard of Oz. It is currently the third-highest-grossing movie of 2024 at the domestic box office and is also the highest-grossing movie ever based on a Broadway play. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a misunderstood girl trying to navigate a world full of judgement at her new school Shiz University, and Ariana Grande as Glinda who is one of the most popular girls at Shiz. An unexpected friendship forms between these two as strange things begin to happen in Oz.
The Oscars are always entertaining to watch and this year’s lineup includes many great nominees across a variety of categories. The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
