After last year's Best Picture Oscar race, which including groundbreaking films such as "Gravity", "12 Years A Slave" and "Her", it's hard not to feel a sinking feeling of disappointment. 12 Years A Slave, on paper, fit into Oscar's wheelhouse, despite it's determination not to shy away from the atrocities of slavery, violence included. It was a period piece, and a biopic not to mention, it was an incredible achievement, one that Oscar couldn't look away from and still maintain it was the highest honor to receive in film.
In Gravity's case, a woman held the screen for the film's entire running time, going through her own character arc and overcoming hardship without the aid of a male character. Even "Philomela" found its way into the Best Picture race, which focused on an elderly woman grappling with being forced to give up her son by the Catholic Church. The film dealt with themes of faith, sexuality and love, and again was headlined by an 80 year old actress.
Sure, films focusing on white men overcoming hardship like "Nebraska" and "The Wolf of Wall Street" found their way into contention, but when you compare last year to this year, last year smells a little fresher. This year, you won't find films like Gravity or Philomena. Sure, there's Ava DuVernay's magnificent "Selma", but that film stands alone in a category filled with "The Theory of Everything", "The Imitation Game", "Foxcatcher", "American Sniper" and even "Boyhood". Gillian Flynn is the only woman screenwriter in contention for Best Adapted Screenplay, and of the acting contenders, Selma's David Oyelowo is the only person of color expected to receive a nomination.
