In the tide of the rising new generation's force, when it collided with the conservative and stubborn academy, what kind of results would it bring?
Since the Toronto International Film Festival, the media had been continuously hyping up the topic of the prime era for Gen Y actors. This year indeed saw the emergence of a large number of new-generation actors, fueling various expectations for the nomination list. However, reality proved to be an uphill battle.
The grand wave of momentum was like meeting a Siberian cold wind. All the excitement, anticipation, and jubilation quieted down without a sound. Although not completely deflated, disappointment was unavoidable.
First, there were relatively minor changes in the supporting roles category.
In the Best Supporting Actress category, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams of "The Fighter", Helena Bonham Carter of "The King's Speech", and Jacki Weaver of "Animal Kingdom" undoubtedly continued their awards season momentum, securing nominations.
The only exception was Mila Kunis from "Black Swan". Even with her special prize at the Venice Film Festival, she still failed to garner the academy's favor. Instead, Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit", who was just fourteen years old, secured the spot. She made a remarkable entrance.
In the list of Best Supporting Actor nominations, Christian Bale of "The Fighter", Geoffrey Rush of "The King's Speech", and Jeremy Renner of "The Town" secured nominations smoothly. Mark Ruffalo of "The Kids Are All Right" and John Hawkes of "Winter's Bone" managed to break through with the advantages of their own performances.
The only Gen Y actor with potential for nomination, Andrew Garfield, even with the boost from "The Social Network", ultimately missed the nomination, eliciting a wave of disappointment.
Next came the lead roles category, embraced by myriad adoration.
Comparatively, the Best Actress category held both disappointment and surprise.
The disappointment lay in the fact that actresses like Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore were all left out. The difficulty for comedic works to secure nominations made people hesitate, and the rising momentum of the new generation met a harsh blow.
Evidence showed that even though the average age of Best Actress winners was relatively young, hovering around thirty-seven, it was still a towering obstacle for the younger generation.
The surprise was that Jennifer Lawrence, only twenty years old this year, secured her first Oscar nomination in her career with her outstanding performance in "Winter's Bone". Michelle Williams also garnered her second Oscar nomination, following "Brokeback Mountain".
Apart from these two young actresses, Nicole Kidman, with "Rabbit Hole", earned her second nomination in eight years. Annette Bening, relying on "The Kids Are All Right", achieved her fourth attempt at an Oscar gold. All of these were eagerly anticipated highlights.
The final nomination went to Natalie Portman.
Even though she went through the stunt double controversy and her reputation and reputation suffered a severe blow, her outstanding performance in "Black Swan" still earned Natalie her ticket to the Oscar statue.
If she won successfully, Natalie would become the first Gen Y actor to take home an Oscar. This achievement would've also become one of the significant highlights of this year's Oscars. However, the formidable Natalie, once a strong contender, was now caught up in the quagmire due to the stunt double incident. Her overall momentum was not so clear anymore.
Undoubtedly, Annette was the most powerful challenger. She was one of the academy's favorite actresses, her husband, Warren Beatty, was one of the most authoritative members of the academy. She was also one of Hollywood's most diligent and accomplished actors, and she was likewise one of the representatives of the performance-oriented school with solid fundamental skills.
Having missed out on three previous occasions, each time eliciting sighs of regret, would they really let Annette miss out for the fourth time?
In the midst of a rising momentum clashing with a declining trend, the outcome was unpredictable. This year's Oscars, the battle for Best Actress, was bound to be a fierce struggle, truly invigorating.
If one were to say that Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Actress all held minor surprises within their calm seas, but overall maintained the consistent trend of the awards season, then Best Actor was undoubtedly the one experiencing a seismic shift, even bordering on consecutive upsets.
Among the five nominated seats, Colin Firth of "The King's Speech" and Jesse Eisenberg of "The Social Network" continued their awards season momentum, securing their nominations without much ado.
This marked Jesse's first Oscar nomination at the tender age of twenty-seven. This actor, who had been active in the independent film industry with his distinct style, finally entered the mainstream's vision with "The Social Network". His first nomination was a resounding affirmation.
As for Colin, this was his second consecutive year entering the Best Actor race. His performance in "A Single Man" received widespread acclaim last year, and he had a strong presence in the earlier part of the season. However, he lost to Jeff Bridges in the final stages, leaving many with a sense of regret. Returning this year, he once again faced off against Jeff.
Jeff, with his skilled performance in "True Grit", also entered the final round of the Best Actor race for the second consecutive year.
However, just like the emergence of "True Grit" itself, Jeff practically faced an all-out defeat in the earlier stages of the season. Being able to charge ahead in the final sprint, defeat numerous competitors, and secure a nomination was truly astonishing.
It wasn't that Jeff was lacking in brilliance, but rather, he had only just ascended to the throne with "Crazy Heart" last year, and the thirty-year service ticket was starting to decline. Furthermore, the early stages of "True Grit" didn't attract much attention during awards season. Moreover, his performance in the film didn't break away from his usual style, being solid and decent but not particularly surprising, let alone groundbreaking.
In comparison to the fierce competition this year, Jeff's nomination could only make everyone feel regretful for the other actors who missed out.
Because of Jeff's surprising entry, seizing one of the nomination seats, the competition landscape immediately grew tense. Yet, even more shocking was Javier Bardem's entry into the Best Actor category.
This Spanish actor had undoubtedly been on the rise in Hollywood. In 2000, during his unknown days, he secured his first Oscar nomination with "Before Night Falls". In 2007, with his brilliant performance in "No Country for Old Men", he strongly took home the Best Supporting Actor award. This year, his outstanding performance in "Biutiful" once again earned recognition from the academy, granting him his third Oscar nomination.
The reason it's considered a surprise is twofold. Firstly, "Biutiful" had primarily focused on the Best Foreign Language Film category during the earlier awards season. Secondly, the academy has always been more demanding towards foreign language performances. Throughout history, actors who made it to the nomination stage based on foreign language performances were few. And indeed, "Biutiful" was performed in Spanish.
However, unexpectedly, Javier garnered a nomination, and that too in a year where competition among new-generation actors was so intense. This was truly... bewildering, even to the point of leaving one speechless.
And so, there was only one nomination slot left.
In a competition that was already fierce, it now blazed even hotter. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who had delivered splendid works like "Inception" and "Shutter Island", didn't receive any special treatment. This truly left one both amused and frustrated.
In the end, after Colin Firth, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, and Javier Bardem, Renly Hall became the final nominee for Best Actor!
Renly Hall! Renly Hall! Renly Hall!
With his exceptional performance in "Buried", in the midst of this intense clash, Renly triumphed over his direct competitor, James Franco of "127 Hours", securing his place in the final showdown of the 83rd Oscars' Best Actor category. He earned his first Oscar nomination of his career!
At just twenty-one years old, Renly Hall overcame a series of unfavorable circumstances, particularly besting the previously rising James. This was absolutely the standout of this year's Oscar nominations!
Before the Oscar nominations were announced, James Franco led the way with the overall strength of "127 Hours", pressing hard against Renly. The AB Television Network, responsible for broadcasting the Oscars, was even more optimistic about James' Oscar prospects. So, they boldly chose James, partnering him with Anne Hathaway as this year's Oscar hosts.
This unexpected choice wasn't merely the AB Television Network catering to a younger viewing demographic. It was also a microcosm of this year's strong rise of Gen Y. It was inspiring and heartening, evoking greater expectations for the awards ceremony.
"127 Hours" and "Buried", two works with similar styles, themes, types, and emphasis, engaged in a close confrontation, and the former held an absolute upper hand.
In the Oscar nomination list, "127 Hours" collected a total of five nominations, while "Buried" only secured one.
By the way, "Buried" was left out in the most promising Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing awards.
Especially in the Best Original Screenplay category, the final nominations went to "The King's Speech", "Inception", "Another Year", "The Fighter", and "The Kids Are All Right". Facing such competition, "Buried" had a real chance to go further, even replacing "Another Year" for a nomination; that wouldn't have been surprising at all.
However, unfortunately, Chris Sparling's careless actions, while not triggering a domino effect, still had some impact. This is Hollywood, where there are no secrets. In the end, "Buried" regrettably missed out on the Best Original Screenplay award.
Returning to the confrontation between "127 Hours" and "Buried", in a direct comparison between the two works, the former held the upper hand and even secured the award for Best Film Editing, considered to be this year's Oscars favorite.
Who could have predicted that James would lose to Renly in the end, losing the nomination for Best Actor and causing "127 Hours" to plummet in its Oscars prospects?
However, amidst the regret, even more people applauded for Renly!
From "The Pacific" to "Buried", and then to "Like Crazy", in the past six months, Renly's sudden rise was as bright as a rainbow, finally reaching its peak at this moment, clinching an Oscar nomination!