A year after catastrophic wildfires forced the cancellation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton (it was later rescheduled as a dinner at the Academy Museum), the star-studded event returned — in a big way — to its traditional home on Tuesday.
Among the A-listers packing the room were best picture nominee Steven Spielberg (Hamnet), best actor nominee Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), best actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), best actress nominee Emma Stone (Bugonia), best actor nominee Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), best supporting actor nominee Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) and best actress nominee Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue).
In fact, only a few high-profile nominees were missing, such as best actress nominee Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), who is busy filming her next movie, and best supporting actor nominee Sean Penn (One Battle After Another), who largely avoids awards season events.
For some, the luncheon was a familiar experience — perennial best original song nominee Diane Warren (Diane Warren: Relentless) was in attendance for the 17th time and ninth year in a row. But for a number of veterans, it was their first rodeo — indeed, receiving many congratulations on their first noms were two septuagenarian veterans who are up for best supporting actor: Sinners’ Delroy Lindo, 73, and Sentimental Value’s Stellan Skarsgård, 74. But it might have been most surreal of all for best supporting actress nominee Amy Madigan (Weapons), who was last a nominee — and at the luncheon — 40 years ago!
No awards season event offers better people-watching than this one, at which each nominee (and their guest) is seated at a table without anyone else associated with the film or category in which they are nominated. For instance, best actor nominee Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), best director/adapted screenplay nominee Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) and Academy directors branch governor Ava DuVernay were seated together, as were best director/adapted screenplay nominee Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), best actress nominee Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), best original song nominee Raphael Saadiq (Sinners) and best original score nominee Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein).
During the cocktail hour and between courses, however, nominees fraternize with whomever they choose. Sinners’ Lindo and Hamnet’s Buckley greeted one another. One Battle After Another’s Anderson caught up with best director/original screenplay nominee Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value). Sinners’ Jordan mingled with best supporting actor nominee Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another). Academy actors branch governor Marlee Matlin introduced herself to Marty Supreme’s Chalamet. Best actor nominee Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) hung with Telluride Film Festival director Julie Huntsinger. And, as in many years past, many nominees excitedly introduced themselves to Spielberg — among them best animated feature nominee Ugo Bienvenu (Arco) and Train Dreams’ best adapted screenplay nominees Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar and best cinematography nominee Adolpho Veloso.
The proceedings officially got underway when Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor welcomed all guests, noting that there were 230 nominees in the room from 29 countries or regions, and at least one non-American nominated in all 24 categories this year; that there are a record 76 female nominees this year; and that this is the first year of the best casting Oscar. She also thanked Academy CEO Bill Kramer, the organization’s staff and board of governors, their Oscars broadcasting partner Disney/ABC, returning Oscars host Conan O’Brien and — in a very gracious first — the journalists who cover the Oscar season!
The event closed, as always, with each nominee being called to the risers for a “class photo.” This year, Academy actors branch governors Lou Diamond Phillips had the honor — or challenge — of announcing, and correctly pronouncing, all of the names. The first called was Lindo, who was greeted with thunderous applause. To my ear, most of the people whose names were met with the loudest ovations hailed, like Lindo, from Sinners, including Jordan, best picture/director/best original screenplay nominee Ryan Coogler, best costume design nominee Ruth E. Carter and best supporting actress nominee Wunmi Mosaku.
Is that a harbinger of what is to come on Oscar night (March 15), or merely a reflection of the fact that there were more people in the room associated with Sinners than any other film (which garnered a record-breaking 16 noms)? Only time will tell!