Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer” (Photo courtesy of Jobba)

While the Oscars were not scheduled until March 10, the Academy announced nominations in late January. This gives fans, many SAU students included, plenty of time to catch up on movies they have not seen, and in turn develop their own opinions about this year’s nominees. 2023 was a great year for film, but some nominations, or lack thereof, have confused and even angered some. 

SAU senior, business major, and avid moviegoer, Danny Fieweger, frequent the Cinemark Theater near campus. “Discount Tuesdays at the theater are a treat for a college student on a budget like myself,” said Fieweger. 

“I’ve seen a good amount of the movies that are up for the different categories, and I think that qualifies my opinion. That being said, I think the Academy selected the correct nominations, but did miss a few.” 

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, viewers were shocked to see that neither Greta Gerwig or Margot Robbie received nominations for their roles in the popular movie “Barbie.” 

Fieweger agrees, but believes there is another snub as well. “With the amount of media attention that ‘Barbie’ received, it is surprising the lead actress or director of the film did not get Oscar nominations. I will say it was not my favorite movie, but it is surprising nonetheless. Speaking of snubs, I think Woody Harrelson deserved a nomination for his role in the movie “Champions.”

“I am biased because he is one of my favorite actors. ‘Champions’ was not super popular, but Woody played his role in it tremendously. It upsets me that an actor of that caliber has yet to win an Oscar. He has been nominated three times and never won one,” said Fieweger.

Oscars Trophies (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Since the nominations were released, the website Screen Rant was quick to point out that this year’s Oscars are “the most predictable in years.” SAU senior digital filmmaking major, Miranda Richards shares that thought, although says she is hopeful that one “Barbie” will receive an award not for talent, but because of how funny it is. 

“Oppenheimer swept the competition, getting a nomination in almost every category it qualified for, and the film completely deserved it. I do think that it will win Best Director, Best Picture, and probably about three others,” said Richards. “Cillian Murphy is an incredible actor. He will almost undoubtedly win Best Lead Actor. 

“I do not understand why Ryan Gosling received a nomination for his role in ‘Barbie,’that movie was for the girls. Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig did not even receive nominations. That just seems kind of backwards to me. Speaking of ‘Barbie’ though, I hope ‘I’m Just Ken’ wins best original song. There were probably better songs, but it would just be so hilarious if it won.” 

CBS News highlighted the fact that “Oppenheimer” has a staggering 13 nominations. They also touched on another possible snub. Leonardo DiCaprio did not receive a nod for his role in “Killers of the Flower Moon”, which grossed only slightly less than “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. “Barbie” received nine Golden Globe nominations and came away with two awards. “Oppenheimer” won five awards at the Golden Globes, a trend that can be expected to continue at the Oscars. 

The 2024 Oscar winners seem fairly predictable, but fans all over the country, including here at St. Ambrose, say they plan to tune in to see if there are any upsets.