It’s that time of year again, when those of us who only watch the Super Bowl for the half-time show get our own version of Monday morning quarterbacking in the form of Academy Award nominations.
This morning, actor Chris Pine (Into the Woods) and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Jackson announced the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards, and boy, was there very little Chicago love.
Gone Girl, an early favorite for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director, hobbled away with only an acting nod for Rosamund Pike, who played the lead character Amy with chilling acuity. Author Gillian Flynn, who adapted her own best-seller, didn’t get the adapted screenplay nomination that some folks hoped would break up the overwhelming whiteness and maleness of the Oscar nominations.
And the Academy continues to disregard the fine work of Steve James, whose documentary Life Itself, about the late Roger Ebert, couldn’t even muster up a Best Documentary nod. (At least the Academy is consistent in that way. It didn’t love Hoop Dreams either.)
The only bright spots for Chicagoans? A documentary about photographer Vivian Maier made the cut, and Common copped his first Oscar nomination for the song “Glory,” written with singer John Legend for the movie Selma. It’s doubtful Common’s acceptance speech will top the incredible meme-able moment of Prince, Common, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen at the Golden Globes, but at least we'll have someone to root for come Sunday, February 22.
Update: Commenter Chris Rummel points out that Chicagoan Graham Moore was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game.