CCA Awards Give Perfect Oscar Night Tease
The Oscars telecast is still a good two months away.
The Academy Award nominations won’t be officially revealed until Jan. 22.
We’ve seen enough to know what to expect on the big night, courtesy of Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards. We may get a surprise or two along the way, but the annual gala firmed up suspicions heading into the March 15 Oscars ceremony.
It’s “One Battle After Another’s” night to shine.
The Paul Thomas Anderson film, a love letter to Antifa-style violence, won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay from the assembled CCA voters. Editor’s Note: This critic is a voting member of the group.
The film follows a slacker revolutionary (Leonardo Di Caprio) who tries to save his daughter from the clutches of a White Supremacist (Sean Penn).
Few industry observers will bet against “OBAA” taking home the big prizes in March, and the reasons are plentiful.
- Anderson is a critical darling, always
- The film earned raves across the film critic community – 95 percent at Rotten Tomatoes
- Anything attached to stars Di Caprio and Penn gets voters’ attention
- It’s the most aggressively progressive movie in a long time
- The industry will use “OBAA” to attack President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration policies
And while “Sinners” has plenty going for it, including a beloved director (Ryan Coogler), the film’s horror roots won’t be enough to stop “OBAA.”
The CCAs also teased other elements we’ll see more of come March.
Let’s start with Jimmy Kimmel winning the award for best talk show. It’s another example of politics taking center stage in the voting process.
Last year, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” wasn’t even one of the six nominated talk shows vying for the award.
- Hot Ones
- The Daily Show
- The Graham Norton Show
- John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (WINNER)
- The Kelly Clarkson Show
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
What changed? Kimmel expanded his war on the GOP and Trump, misled viewers about the suspect behind Charlie Kirk’s murder and faced a week-long suspension for the latter.
That’s what changed.
And, of course, Kimmel used his acceptance speech to attack President Trump anew without any actual punch lines.
“Most of all, I wanna thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom we would be going home empty-handed tonight.”
“So thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day,” he continued. “It’s been a banner couple of weeks, and we can’t wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about them.”
Kimmel is right, in a way. He only won the awards for tripling down on progressive politics. And, yes, Trump did have a banner two weeks, including removing a dictator from office without losing a single U.S. soldier.
Sunday’s CCA gala also cemented Amy Madigan as the likely Best Supporting Actress winner for her startling turn in “Weapons.” Her work sits at the heart of the unconventional horror yarn, and she’s spent decades delivering sturdy performances across film genres.
Timothée Chalamet will also be the heavy Best Actor favorite for his work in “Marty Supreme.” The highly regarded actor came close last year with his stunning Bob Dylan evocation in “A Complete Unknown.”
His work in “Marty Supreme” playing a ping pong prodigy with a massive chip on his shoulder is even better.
Jessie Buckley is also a heavy favorite to win Best Actress honors for her devastating performance in “Hamnet.” The film has been one of “OBAA’s” key competitors this season, and her win will be a way to honor that position.
The only question mark left by the CCAs? Can winner Jacob Elordi also snag a golden statuette for his work as the Monster in “Frankenstein?” He’ll face withering competition from Penn (“OBAA”) and Adam Sandler of “Jay Kelly” fame.
It might be the only major category we can’t see clearly at this point in the awards season cycle.
