We all love the red carpet, complete with its celebrities, gowns and tuxes. Yet this year’s Oscar season has stirred up a bit of controversy due to the fact that all 20 of the acting nominees are white; some have even launched the recently trending #OscarsSoWhite hashtag. Critics and moviegoers alike have touched upon the seemingly troubling fact that 77 percent of the Academy’s voting members are white males with a median age of 62, which seems to be disproportionate to the true diversity of American moviegoers. While this older, whiter group of individuals chose nominees whose demographics might raise some eyebrows, the Academy has nonetheless had a strong history of rewarding effort in film where it is due regardless of race. Further, while it may be true that the 2015 Oscar nominees might be #SoWhite, we ought not to accuse the Academy of racial biasing in its nominee selections.
Looking at recent Best Picture nominations, we see that over the past three years nominations have gone to films that have focused on crucial events in African-American history. In 2013 for instance, “12 Years a Slave” won Best Picture, beating out nine rival films. Likewise in 2012 and 2014 respectively, “Django Unchained,” a compelling film about a slave who seeks revenge against those who have wronged him, and “Selma,” a film documenting Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous Freedom March on Selma, Alabama, were nominated for Best Picture. Over the past three years the Academy has recognized three pivotal films which illuminate the difficulty of the African-American experience, demonstrating that it recognizes some of the powerful films with which this community identifies.
This year in particular, some moviegoers feel that Will Smith was wrongly deprived of a nomination for his work in “Concussion.” Yet before we rush to judge the Academy’s decision, it is crucial to take a closer look at Smith’s competition and his past nomination history. Rotten Tomatoes, a site responsible for averaging critics’ scores of different films, gave Smith’s film a 63 percent, meaning that only 63 percent of film critics would recommend the film. Contrarily, the four other actors with whom Smith competed were all in movies with higher Rotten Tomatoes scores than “Concussion,” the lowest of which being Bryan Cranston’s “Trumbo” which received a 70 percent rating. Thus, a movie such as “Concussion” that is less applauded by film critics in comparison to its other worthy competitors is understandably less likely to gain a nomination for Best Actor, in spite of the fact that Smith did nail the role of Dr. Bennet Omalu.
Although Smith was not nominated for the prestigious award in 2015, he nonetheless was given the nomination in both 2001 and 2006 for his work in “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness,” respectively. Yet, what is most notable about these nominations is whom he lost to in both years. In 2001, he lost to renowned African-American actor Denzel Washington who played a Los Angeles police officer in “Training Day.” Likewise, in 2006 Smith lost the award to Forest Whitaker, another African-American actor who played a tyrannical Ugandan dictator in “The Last King of Scotland.” Thus, the Academy has not hesitated to recognize the extraordinary work of African-American actors when their recognition is due.
Perhaps one of the less defensible Oscar snubs was that of a relatively unknown actor named Michael B. Jordan, who played a young boxer who finds Rocky Balboa as his mentor in the movie “Creed.” This film was tremendously acclaimed, earning a 94 percent favorability rating which far outperformed Will Smith’s “Concussion.” Likewise, unlike Smith, Jordan will not be runner up to a fellow African-American actor. Cue the head scratching.
For reasons such as this, it is understandable for moviegoers, especially African-American moviegoers, to feel disconcerted about the fact that no such actors or actresses were nominated for the prestigious awards this Oscar season. Yet, we ought to be reassured by the fact the Academy has recognized films dealing with serious issues in African-American history and that African-American actors who have been deserving of recognition oftentimes do get the recognition they certainly deserve.
The Academy is not perfect, and this is also exemplified by the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio, for instance, continues to get snubbed year in and year out although many feel he has been deserving of an Oscar for his work in various films. Yet, if anything, the Academy has for the most part shown that it selects its nominees based on the value of the actors’ work and the timeliness and merit of that year’s films. And, although the Academy is composed of film critics, this is exactly how it should be acting.
Jesse Berman is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.
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