On March 2nd, 2025, the 97th annual Oscars will take place. As of this year, there are 23 total categories with Emilia Perez having the most nominations of 13, followed by Wicked and The Brutalist with 10 each.
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are sets of awards given each year for outstanding achievements in the film and acting industry, honoring great recognition and prestige. “I love the Oscars because it honors the work from not just one or two people who do the thing because movies are so collaborative,” Eric Jacobs, an OHS English teacher, states.
Many people have varying opinions on which nominee deserves to win. “I think there’s what movies should get the award and then what movies do get the award and so sometimes there’s a little discrepancy between that,” Jacobs comments. The Best Picture is one of the most debated awards given. “I’m surprised that The Brutalist is up for best Oscar picture because it’s four hours and it’s this obscure movie…but I think the Brutalist will take the Best Picture,” Jacobs predicts.
“I’m surprised Emilia Perez is still up for so many awards after the backlash the movie received,” Rorie Savoie, a sophomore at OHS, comments. The movie stands with an average 2.2-star letterbox average and 18% enjoyment on Google reviews. “It definitely got praised and nominated for having a trans-women in it,” Savoie states.
Viewers believe that Emilia Perez lacked representation of transgender people, putting them in an ugly light. For starters, the film included a trans woman killer who abandoned her wife and children to transition. The controversy surrounding the movie continued when the lead actor Karla Sofía Gascón got exposed for resurfaced tweets offering offensive opinions about Muslims and George Floyd giving people the impression that she’s not a credible candidate for the Oscars.
Many people are biased towards which movies or actors/actresses should get the awards, and there are some awards that will result in an upsetting loss. Wicked is a well-loved musical that many are excited to see win. “Even though I don’t prefer musicals, I respect them and I think it’s cool that Wicked is up for so many nominations,” Jacobs comments. Cynthia Erivo is up for Best Actress and supporters are looking forward to her success. “I’d be surprised if Cynthia didn’t win Best Actress,” Savoie states.
Millions of viewers and fans support and look forward to possibly seeing their favorite movie or actor win. “I love hearing people’s speeches and how happy they are when they win,” Savoie comments. “It’s an awards show. It’s long and kind of self-congratulatory but it’s fun,” Jacobs adds.
