Roger Ross Williams, the director of “Life, Animated,” had more than one reason to be proud on Tuesday morning.
For one thing, his film about Owen Suskind, an autistic youth who learned to communicate by watching animated Disney films, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. He learned about the nomination at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered a year ago, and immediately cancelled his flight home so he could spend more time celebrating with the indie film community there.
But Williams is also one of five black directors in his category, alongside Ava DuVernay (“13th”), Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro”) and Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”). And as a governor in the Academy’s Documentary Branch, he’s delighted that his branch has taken the lead in the charge for diversity.
“I think the doc branch of the Academy has always led the way,” he told TheWrap while walking down Main Street in Park City, stopping frequently to accept congratulations from friends and colleagues. “I feel like we are the most diverse, we have the most women, we’re the most progressive. Maybe that’s because of the work we do and the stories we tell, and it makes me proud to be a documentarian and proud to be a governor of the branch.
“We have made a real statement about diversity in our nominations,” added Williams, who became the first African American to win an Oscar for directing and producing a film when he won for his short “Music by Prudence” six years ago. “I know that we have a lot of work to do still, and a long way to go, even in our own branch, but we made great strides today.”
The first thing he did when he learned of the nomination for “Life, Animated,” Williams said, was to call Owen Suskind. “He was jumping up and down and screaming, he was so thrilled,” he said. “He wanted to do this film, he said, so that people wouldn’t look past him and not see him for who he is.
“This is a film for all the people who’ve been left behind, all the outsiders – and as a black gay man, I feel like an outsider, too. I’ve always felt that people look past me. I wanted to give a voice to people like Owen, and people like me.”
And that voice, he said, was celebrated not only in the nomination for “Life, Animated,” but for the other documentaries as well. “I don’t want to be an outsider,” he said. “I want to work from the inside, in a beautiful community that’s setting an example. I want our branch, and the Academy as a whole, to reflect America.”
16 Biggest Oscar Snubs and Surprises, From Ruth Negga to Amy Adams (Photos)
This year's Oscars field is out, and its one of the strongest -- and most diverse -- that we've seen in years. But as always, there are nominations that surprised us and absences that left some grumbling. Here's a short list of those.
SURPRISE: Ruth Negga nominated for "Loving"
Emma Stone, Natalie Portman and Amy Adams were early and clear frontrunners in this category, so while Negga’s performance in “Loving” was lauded by critics, it was surprising to see her replace Amy Adams in the final ballot.
SNUB: Annette Bening for "20th Century Women"
The actress was nominated for her role for the Golden Globes (but didn’t win) and was completely overlooked by the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Turns out, Bening’s role as the mother of a male teenager coming of age in “20th Century Women” didn’t impress the Academy enough to score a nomination.
SURPRISE: Victory for "Hidden Figures
The feel-good drama about a group of African-American female NASA scientists topped the box office for two consecutive weeks and has now piloted itself to a Best Picture nomination. Awards favorite Octavia Spencer landed an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actress
SNUB: Amy Adams for "Arrival"
Amy Adams had been a clear frontrunner for her leading role in “Arrival,” especially after having been nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in the same category. But the Academy left out the actress.
SURPRISE: Lucas Hedges for "Manchester By The Sea"
Odds-on Best Actor favorite Casey Affleck has dominated the coverage of Kenneth Lonergan's beautiful and tragic drama, but Hedges' breakout performance as 16-year-old Patrick Chandler added an element of levity and innocence to the film. While he didn't manage to get a Golden Globes nomination, the Academy took note of Hedges' performance.
SNUB: "Birth of a Nation" strikes out
Consider this one an expected snub. After its mammoth success at Sundance, "Birth of a Nation" was seen as the film that was going to carry the Academy out of its #OscarsSoWhite debacle. Instead, its wide release brought weak box office returns, historical accuracy criticism, and bad publicity after rape allegations surrounding director Nate Parker resurfaced. Instead, "Moonlight," "Fences," "Hidden Figures' and "Lion" are the movies that are bringing diversity to the Oscar race.
SURPRISE: Mel Gibson for "Hacksaw Ridge"
It seems that Hollywood is finally ready to take Gibson back. After getting a standing ovation at an Academy screening last fall, Mel Gibson has landed a Best Director nomination for "Hacksaw Ridge" in a competitive field that includes Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins
SNUB: "Silence"
Despite its enormous critical acclaim, "Silence" will be only the second Scorsese film in the last 15 years to not get a Best Picture nomination. Weak box office numbers and late screening releases hampered the film's campaign, and it will have to settle for just a Best Cinematography nomination
SURPRISE: Isabelle Huppert for "Elle"
The French actress was a surprise winner for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her star turn in "Elle," after most people assumed the ceremony would be another coronation for "Jackie" headliner Natalie Portman. And she continues to defy predictions, landing an Oscar nomination as well.
SURPRISE: Viggo Mortensen for "Captain Fantastic"
Mortensen continues his surprise run for his work in the hidden Sundance gem "Captain Fantastic," adding to his Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nods.
SNUB: Tom Ford for Adapted Screenplay
It probably wasn't easy for the famous designer to take Austin Wright's novel "Tony & Susan" and adapt it for the big screen. The film was lauded by critics and Ford was nominated for two Golden Globes for writing and directing the film -- yet the Academy left him off the list.
Getty Images
SURPRISE: "Passengers" nominated for Original Score
The film score nomination went to "Passengers" starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, shutting out other contenders like "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Sony
SNUB: Best Director for "Hell or High Water"
David Mackenzie didn't receive a nomination for directing "Hell or High Water," one of the most critically successful films of 2016. Instead, Mel Gibson snagged a nomination for "Hacksaw Ridge."
CBS Films
SNUB: "Gleason"
Amazon's heart-wrenching and inspiring documentary about former National Football League player Steve Gleason, who is paralyzed from the neck down due to complications from ALS, scored big with audiences -- including Best Supporting Actor nominee Michael Shannon -- but failed to pick up an Oscar nomination in one of the deepest documentary fields in years.
SNUB: "Deadpool" gets zilch
Sorry, comic book fans. The Merc's run ends here. Surprising nominations at the Golden Globes and the Producers' Guild Awards couldn't be converted into Oscar nominations, and we sadly won't see Ryan Reynolds in full Deadpool uniform goofing around on the red carpet. Unless, you know, he decides to show up anyway and demand an explanation for why he wasn't nominated.
Fox
SNUB: Taraji P. Henson
The "Hidden Figures" star may have gotten a Golden Globes nomination, but she fell short with the Academy.
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”Hidden Figures“ and Ruth Negga are pleasant surprises while Annette Bening and Martin Scorsese are left out in the cold
This year's Oscars field is out, and its one of the strongest -- and most diverse -- that we've seen in years. But as always, there are nominations that surprised us and absences that left some grumbling. Here's a short list of those.
