Looking Back! A much-anticipated and much-talked-about moment after the 2023 Oscar nominations were announced, with some of the top films and performances receiving praise from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences…
But – as in previous years – audiences have been paying attention to the names that were left off the list. Among them, James Cameron – director of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, was not nominated for best director; and actor Tom Cruise, who gave an excellent performance in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, was also not nominated for best actor.
However, both Avatar and Maverick made the list of 10 nominees for best picture, along with ‘Elvis’ – about the life of actor Elvis Presley, or the multiverse adventure comedy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, among many others.
In an effort to retain younger audiences, the Academy expanded the number of Best Picture nominees to 10 years ago and began including commercially successful films, breaking with the tradition of only honoring films and performances that were considered to represent cinematic value.
With the influence of fans and audiences across the country in particular, Oscar spoke out to explain that they wanted to focus on and honor films and performances that were considered to represent cinematic value. Works that broke with tradition would not be included in the list.
The Oscars have also been criticized in previous years for a lack of diversity among nominees, leading the Academy to expand its membership. Will the Oscars change next year?