2018 Oscars Challenge: [5] “The Post” – 2 Nominations

“THE POST”
Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Liz Hannah & Josh Singer
Cinematography: Janusz Kamiński
Editor: Nick Houy
Composer: John Williams
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: December 22, 2017
Run-time: 116 minutes

FILM SYNOPSIS: In 1971, Washington Post owner Kay Graham, the first female publisher of a major newspaper, and executive editor Ben Bradlee debate whether they should publish the top-secret, politically sensitive Pentagon Papers. Facing certain legal action, the pair must decide if their duty to inform the public is more important than protecting their careers and the paper itself.

The pairing of Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” and Meryl Streep at this year’s Academy Awards is fitting, as it seems that any time Spielberg does a film, it gets nominated for Best Picture an every time Meryl Streep performs in something, she gets nominated for an acting award. Now, in a year where nothing else from the film got nominated, those two still got nominations. Not say that “The Post” is not an excellent film, which I feel that it is, even going as far as to say it is one of my favorite films of 2017, but the Academy just seems to eat these things up. Most of the time, Spielberg’s films land a little bit more, like “War Horse,” which was nominated for Best Picture along with five other nominations, while “Bridge Of Spies” was nominated for Best Picture as well as five other nominations, including an eventual win for Best Supporting Actor Mark Rylance. So for “The Post” to get in only for Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role is kind of a tell to the popularity of these two involved. Perhaps “The Post” came out a little bit too late in the year for it to gain any traction, as many films that are released as Oscar contenders so late rarely make the cut. But had the Academy really loved the film, I feel like Tom Hanks would have gotten a nomination, the Screenplay could have made the cut, and even the editing, which was truly one of the best parts of the film, would have been acknowledged. Instead, here were are, with two nominations.

If there’s one film that would be easy to discount from the Best Picture pool, it would be “The Post.” It has no other major awards attached to it. No directing or screenplay, no technical awards of any kind. It does have the PGA guild nomination going for it, but it lacks the DGA and SAG Ensemble nominations and for that, it would have to overcome so many other films with all the right accolades behind them, to come out the winner, and it just feels like too much of a long shot. Even “Darkest Hour” as more going for it, despite many believing it shouldn’t have gotten a Best Picture nomination. It has the Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination going to Gary Oldman, who will likely win, as well as cinematography and makeup and two other awards. What I do feel is that the Academy decided to push that film instead of “The Post.” Again, maybe that’s because “Darkest Hour” came out around Thanksgiving while “The Post” waited until Christmas, but whatever the reason, do not expect “The Post” to win this category.

Meryl Streep continues to add to her record number of Academy Award nominations, now finding herself with twenty-one. The next closest actress is Katherine Hepburn with twelve nominations, however, she has four wins where Streep only has three… only… That being said, this will not be the year that Meryl ties Hepburn. This year likely belongs to either Saoirse Ronan for “Lady Bird” or Frances McDormand for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and in my personal opinion, I think Meryl is lucky to have even gotten a nomination. Not only was her film not pushed like many thought it might be, but Jessica Chastain in “Molly’s Game” seemed like a safer bet to get a nomination. The Academy normally loves Chastain as well, but this year, the love for Streep overpowered. Streep does carry “The Post” nicely. And other actress might have been out-shined by Hanks’ performance and could have easily fallen into the background of the film, but Streep stands front and center and even though she does not have a huge character arc, she does have some subtle moments that are huge. However, with the landscape of the year, Meryl and her film are fairly close to the bottom of the barrel as far as being able to pull off any wins this year.

PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS

MERYL STREEP
“Katharine Graham”

CHARACTER SYNOPSIS: Meryl Streep portrays the publisher of The Washington Post, Kay Graham, who must overcome her self-doubt while deciding whether to publish the Pentagon Papers at a critical juncture in the paper’s history.