Even though the 2023 Oscars were held more than a month ago, supporters of the award-winning film “The Woman King” are still calling on the Academy to reject the production.
You may recall that although the film was recognized at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards and SAG Awards, it was excluded from the Oscar nominations, much to the outrage of fans worldwide.
One such supporter is Viola Davis’ “The Help” co-star Jessica Chastain, who recently defended Davis at a New York event while slamming the Oscars for such an insult.
Jessica Chastain Believes ‘The Woman King’ Has Viola Davis’ Fingerprints All Over It
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On Monday night, April 24, Chastain honored the 57-year-old actor at the 48th Chaplin Awards Gala presented by Film at Lincoln Center in New York City.
After hours of speeches from multiple guests, praising Davis for her exemplary acting prowess, the “Jolene” star took the stage to praise her former co-star and slam the Academy Award. He said, according to IndieWire, “When I watch a movie like ‘The Woman King,’ it has Viola’s fingerprints all over it.”
Chastain added that a film with a female director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and a “powerful Black female lead” could be made in Hollywood thanks to Davis’ “lifelong advocacy for women of color.” Then taking a subtle jab at the Academy, he said, “Maybe one day a movie like that could be nominated for an Oscar.”
Later, the “Zero Dark Thirty” star told the outlet, “Someone had to say it. I mean, come on. There wasn’t a single Oscar nomination for that movie? There had to be some Academy members in the room, right?”
Earlier in March, Chastain and Halle Berry presented the Best Actress award to “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Michelle Yeoh, making her the first Asian actress to win the prize. Meanwhile, Berry is the first black actor to ever receive such an honor.
The other four nominees in the category for this year are “Tár” star Cate Blanchett, “Blonde” star Ana de Armas, “To Leslie” star Andrea Riseborough, and “The Fabelmans” star Michelle Williams.
In the same month as the awards ceremony, the director of “The Woman King” revealed his thoughts on the disparagement, saying, “I will never be able to get over it because what happened was terrible and … it speaks to a bigger issue in our industry. “
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Prince-Bythewood also declared that even with exceptions, creators like himself will always be ready to do something big and together, making sure they keep up the energy, regardless of the situation.
Davis’ ‘King of Women’ Prompts Academy Investigation
Following the release of the Oscars nomination list in February, Davis’ “The Woman King” and other prominent African-American projects such as the film “Till” and its star, Danielle Deadwyler, were not nominated.
Surprisingly, though, “To Leslie” star Riseborough was added to the list after only ever being nominated for an Independent Spirit award, with his film only grossing $27,000 at the box office before the coveted Oscar nod.
The nod did not sit well with many fans of color as they criticized the influence of Hollywood big names such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Edward Norton, and Kate Winslet, who staged a social media campaign to promote Riseborough’s work to Academy Voters.
This prompted the Academy to investigate and review its rules for online campaigns and their impact on actor nominations. News of the Academy conducting a review of their rules for social media campaigns was announced on January 27, after which CEO Bill Kramer confirmed that Riseborough’s nomination would not be withdrawn.
Kramer’s statement began with an update on the reasons behind the investigation before declaring that The Academy found no fault in the campaign’s tactics. He said, “The Academy has determined that the activity did not rise to the level that the film’s nomination should be revoked.”
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Additionally, the head of the Academy stated that Riseborough’s campaign strategy needs to be addressed before insisting that some of the organization’s rules need to be clear to ensure “a better framework for respectful, inclusive and impartial campaigns.”
According to him, the change is scheduled to be made after the 2023 award cycle and will be shared with members of The Academy.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
