Wonder Woman Snubbed

FRIDAY Entertainment JANUARY 26, 2018 MCMINNVILLE, TENNESSEE 6C ARLO AND JANIS® by Jimmy Johnson AT THE MOVIES Wonder Woman snubbed LOS ANGELES (AP) — It is a mathe- years). Washington also perhaps took matical impossibility for a group of the spot from James Franco for “The Oscar nominations to please everyone, Disaster Artist.” but this year came pretty close with meaningful love for “Get Out,” ‘’Lady NETFLIX FINDS A NARRATIVE Bird” and “Phantom Thread,” and the WIN IN ‘MUDBOUND’ ® history-making nomination of The streaming service has gambled FRANK & ERNEST by Bob Thaves “Mudbound” director of photography big in the past few years with would-be Rachel Morrison, who became the first Oscar nominees, but found its first suc- woman to ever be nominated for cine- cessful non-documentary contender in matography. Still, there were some sig- a film it acquired at the Sundance Film nificant surprises and even a few out- Festival — Dee Rees’ American odys- right snubs: sey “Mudbound,” about two families, one black, and one white, in the post- WWII South. “Mudbound” was nominated for best adapted screenplay, best supporting actress (Mary J. Blige), best original song and best cinematography. THE STEVE JAMES CURSE IS BROKEN Snubs were almost becoming a way ® of life for documentary filmmaker THE GRIZZWELLS by Bill Schorr Steve James, who time and time again churns out excellent work to not much film Academy recognition. His “Hoop Dreams” was infamously only nominated for editing and then his sure bet, the Roger Ebert documentary “Life Itself,” was also passed over. This year, James finally got nominated for “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” about the family owned community bank that was the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges following the 2008 NO WONDER WOMAN subprime mortgage collapse. It was a good day for women, gener- ally speaking, with the first-ever nomi- RIDLEY’S BIG BET PAYS OFF ® nation for a female cinematographer By now, everyone knows how Ridley BIG NATE by Lincoln Peirce (Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound”) Scott replaced Kevin Spacey with and Greta Gerwig becoming the fifth Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty woman in history to get a best director in “All the Money in the World” just six nomination (for “Lady Bird”), but the weeks before the film was set to hit love stopped short of one of the most theaters. That choice was officially vali- populist female-driven projects of the dated in the best possible way for the year: “Wonder Woman.” The Patty film — a supporting Oscar nomination Jenkins-directed blockbuster received for Plummer (his third). zero nominations, even in a year that was surprisingly friendly to big budget DIVERSITY GETS A BOOST, hits (like “Logan” and “Star Wars: The BUT ONLY FOR SOME Last Jedi.”) The Oscars are not so white any- more, but one group that remains mar- DENZEL BREAKS THROUGH, ginalized is Latino actors, who have FRANCO DOESN’T not gotten an Oscar nomination since You’d be forgiven if you weren’t 2012. In fact, only three have won in the aware there was a Denzel Washington last 20 years (Penelope Cruz, Javier ALLEY OOP by Jack and Carole Bender film out this year. Dan Gilroy’s criminal Bardem, and Benicio Del Toro). This court thriller “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” year, Salma Hayek had the best shot for came and went without much fanfare, her role in the dark satire “Beatriz at to middling reviews and box office. Dinner.” Washington’s performance as the activ- ist lawyer was the one bright spot for THE BABY CEO MOVIE many critics. AN OSCAR NOMINEE Still, Washington has hardly been at They can’t take it back. A film that the forefront of the awards race this has a 52 percent rating on Rotten year, especially when compared with, Tomatoes — “The Boss Baby,” in which say Tom Hanks, who wasn’t nominat- Alec Baldwin voices a pint-sized, ed for playing Ben Bradlee in “The suit-wearing CEO — has been nomi- Post” (and hasn’t been nominated in 17 nated for best animated feature. SOUP TO NUTZ by Rick Stromoski CROSSWORDS THE BORN LOSER™ by Art & Chip Sansom HERMAN® by Jim Unger REALITY CHECK® by Dave Whamond.

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