Martin Scorsese laid the blueprint for “Joker” with “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy.”
Ironically, “Joker” now tops Scorsese’s “The Irishman” to lead with 11 Oscar nominations.
The two will compete for Best Picture against “Ford v. Ferrari,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “Parasite,” “1917,” which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Drama), and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy).
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”) is the favorite for Best Actor against Antonio Banderas (“Pain & Glory”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”). Snubbed were Christian Bale, who was electrifying in “Ford v. Ferrari,” Eddie Murphy, who mounted a comeback in “Dolemite is My Name,” and Taron Egerton, who won a Golden Globe for “Rocketman.”
Cynthia Erivo is one of the few nominees of color for her role as Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” competing for Best Actress against front runner Renee Zellweger (“Judy”), Scarlett Johannson (“Marriage Story”), Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”). Despite her history-making Golden Globe win, Awkwafina was somehow snubbed for “The Farewell,” which tragically didn’t receive a single nomination.
Laura Dern’s lawyer in “Marriage Story” is a lock for Supporting Actress, competing against Kathy Bates (“Richard Jewell”), Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”), Florence Pugh (“Little Women”) and Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”). Golden Globe nominees Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”) and Annette Bening (“The Report”) were left on the outside looking in.
Brad Pitt’s aging stuntman in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is the favorite for Supporting Actor, competing against Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”), Al Pacino (“The Irishman”), Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”) and Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”), who earned his first Oscar nomination since “Cast Away” (2000).
Best Director featured the daring work of Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”), Todd Phillips (“Joker”), Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) and Sam Mendes (“1917”), who won the Golden Globe for Best Director for his immersive World War I film shot to look like one long single take.
Still, the directing category was once again criticized for being a boy’s club, snubbing Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”), Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”), Kasi Lemmons (“Harriet”), Marielle Heller (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”), Melina Matsoukas (“Queen & Slim) and Gurinder Chadha (“Blinded by the Light”).
However, Gerwig’s “Little Women” did at least earn a nomination for Adapted Screenplay, competing against Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), Steve Zaillian (“The Irishman”), Anthony McCarten (“The Two Popes”) and Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (“Joker”).
Best Original Screenplay is a battle between Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”), Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”), Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”), Bong Joon-ho and Han Ji-won (“Parasite”) and Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), who won Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes.
Best Animated Feature includes “Toy Story 4,” “How to Train Your Dragon 3,” “I Lost My Body,” “Klaus” and “Missing Link.” Left out was “Frozen 2,” although it’s up for Best Original Song for “Into the Unknown.” By the way, “Abominable” was robbed.
Thankfully, “The Lion King” was not nominated for Best Animated Feature as it was at the Globes. Instead, it’s competing for Best Visual Effects against the digital de-aging of “The Irishman,” the light-saber battles of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the battlefield explosions of “1917,” and the time-traveling thrills of “Avengers: Endgame,” which was the year’s top-grossing movie.
Find more in-depth analysis in my official Twitter thread .
See all the full list of nominees below:
Best picture: 鈥淔ord v. Ferrari鈥�; 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; 鈥淛ojo Rabbit鈥�; 鈥淛oker鈥�; 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�; 鈥淢arriage Story鈥�; 鈥�1917鈥�; Once Upon a Time 鈥� in Hollywood鈥�; 鈥淧arasite.鈥�
Best actor: Antonio Banderas, 鈥淧ain and Glory鈥�; Leonardo DiCaprio, 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood鈥�; Adam Driver, 鈥淢arriage Story鈥�; Joaquin Phoenix, 鈥淛oker鈥�; Jonathan Pryce 鈥淭he Two Popes鈥�
Best actress: Cynthia Erivo, 鈥淗arriet鈥�; Scarlett Johansson, 鈥淢arriage Story鈥�; Saoirse Ronan, 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�; Charlize Theron, 鈥淏ombshell鈥�; Ren茅e Zellweger, 鈥淛udy鈥�
Best supporting actor: Tom Hanks, 鈥淎 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood鈥�; Anthony Hopkins, 鈥淭he Two Popes鈥�; Brad Pitt, 鈥淥nce Upon a Time 鈥� in Hollywood鈥�; Joe Pesci, 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; Al Pacino, 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�
Best supporting actress: Kathy Bates, 鈥淩ichard Jewell鈥�; Laura Dern, 鈥淢arriage Story鈥�; Scarlett Johansson, 鈥淛ojo Rabbit鈥�; Florence Pugh, 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�; Margot Robbie, 鈥淏ombshell鈥�
Best director: Bong Joon Ho, 鈥淧arasite鈥�; Sam Mendes, 鈥�1917鈥�; Todd Phillips, 鈥淛oker鈥�; Martin Scorsese, 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; Quentin Tarantino, 鈥淥nce Upon a Time 鈥� in Hollywood鈥�
Adapted screenplay: 鈥淭he Irishman,鈥� Steven Zaillian; 鈥淛ojo Rabbit,鈥� Taika Waititi; 鈥淛oker,鈥� Todd Phillips and Scott Silver; 鈥淛ust Mercy,鈥� Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham; 鈥淟ittle Women,鈥� Greta Gerwig; 鈥淭he Two Popes,鈥� Anthony McCarten
Original screenplay: 鈥淜nives Out,鈥� Rian Johnson; 鈥淢arriage Story,鈥� Noah Baumbach; 鈥�1917,鈥� Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns; 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood,鈥� Quentin Tarantino; 鈥淧arasite,鈥� Bong Joon-ho and Jin Won Han
Animated feature: 鈥淗ow to Train a Dragon: The Hidden World鈥�; 鈥淭oy Story 4鈥�; 鈥淚 Lost My Body鈥�; 鈥淜laus鈥�; 鈥淢issing Link鈥�
Original Score: Hildur Gu冒nad贸ttir, 鈥淛oker鈥�; Alexandre Desplat, 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�; Randy Newman, 鈥淢arriage Story鈥�; Thomas Newman, 鈥�1917鈥�; John Williams, 鈥淪tar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker鈥�
Original song: 鈥�(I鈥檓 Gonna) Love Me Again,鈥� 鈥淩ocketman鈥� (Music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin); 鈥淚鈥檓 Standing With You,鈥� 鈥淏reakthrough鈥� (Music and lyrics by Diane Warren); 鈥淚nto The Unknown,鈥� 鈥淔rozen II鈥� (Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez); 鈥淪tand Up,鈥� 鈥淗arriet鈥� (Music and lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo); 鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Let You Throw Yourself Away,鈥� 鈥淭oy Story 4鈥� (Music and lyrics by Randy Newman)
Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto, 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; Lawrence Sher, 鈥淛oker鈥�; Jarin Blaschke, 鈥淭he Lighthouse鈥�; Roger Deakins, 鈥�1917鈥�; Robert Richardson, 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood.鈥�
Costume design: 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; 鈥淛ojo Rabit鈥�; 鈥淛oker鈥�; 鈥淟ittle Women鈥�; 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood鈥�
Animated short film: 鈥淒cera (Daughter)鈥�; 鈥淗air Love鈥�; 鈥淜itbull鈥�; 鈥淢emorable鈥�; 鈥淪ister鈥�
Visual effects: 鈥淎vengers: Endgame鈥�; 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; 鈥淭he Lion King鈥�; 鈥�1917鈥�; 鈥淪tar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker鈥�
Live action short film: 鈥淏rotherhood鈥�; 鈥淣efta Football Club鈥�; 鈥淭he Neighbors鈥� Window鈥�; 鈥淪aria鈥�; 鈥淎 Sister鈥�
Documentary short subject: 鈥淚n the Absence鈥�; 鈥淟earning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You鈥檙e a Girl)鈥�; 鈥淟ife Overtakes Me鈥�; 鈥淪t. Louis Superman鈥�; 鈥淲alk Run Cha-Cha.鈥�
Documentary feature: 鈥淎merican Factory鈥�; 鈥淭he Cave鈥�; 鈥淭he Edge of Democracy鈥�; 鈥淔or Sama鈥�; 鈥淗oneyland鈥�
International film: 鈥淐orpus Christi,鈥� Poland; 鈥淗oneyland,鈥� North Macdeonia; 鈥淟es Miserables,鈥� France; 鈥淧ain and Glory,鈥� Spain; 鈥淧arasite,鈥� South Korea
Film editing: 鈥淔ord Vs. Ferrari鈥�; 鈥淛ojo Rabbit鈥�; 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; 鈥淛oker鈥�; 鈥淧arasite鈥�
Production design: 鈥淭he Irishman鈥�; 鈥淛ojo Rabbit:鈥� 鈥�1917;鈥� 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood;鈥� 鈥淧arasite鈥�
Makeup and hairstyling: 鈥淏ombshell鈥�; 鈥淛oker鈥�; 鈥淛udy鈥�; 鈥淢aleficent: Mistress of Evil鈥�; 鈥�1917鈥�
Sound Editing: 鈥淔ord v Ferrari,鈥� Don Sylvester; 鈥淛oker,鈥� Alan Robert Murray; 鈥�1917,鈥� Oliver Tarney and Rachel Tate; 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� in Hollywood,鈥� Wylie Stateman; 鈥淪tar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,鈥� Matthew Wood and David Acord
Sound mixing: 鈥淎d Astra,鈥� Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano; 鈥淔ord v Ferrari,鈥� Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow; 鈥淛oker,鈥� Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland; 鈥�1917,鈥� Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson; 鈥淥nce upon a Time鈥n Hollywood鈥� Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano
