The bizarre 'To Leslie' Academy Awards controversy, explained

Just a fewer years aft awarding Best Picture to the incorrect movie(Opens successful a caller window), we mightiness spot a astonishment information get revoked earlier the Oscars aerial connected March 12.

When the Academy Awards nominations were announced past week, 1 of the much shocking revelations was that Andrea Riseborough had been nominated for her relation successful To Leslie. If you haven't heard of To Leslie, don't worry; the movie garnered little than $30,000 astatine the container office. It's a tiny autarkic accumulation astir a azygous parent who wins the lottery, and galore large Hollywood names similar Edward Norton and Kate Winslet publically endorsed the movie successful a grassroots campaign during the Oscars voting period.

That's each good and good, right? After all, container bureau occurrence has thing to bash with the prime of a movie oregon the performances therein. However, according to the Academy, thing mightiness beryllium awry astir the full situation. Per Deadline(Opens successful a caller window), the enactment released a connection announcing a reappraisal of the information process connected Friday. It didn't sanction Riseborough oregon To Leslie directly, but everyone seems to hold that's what the connection is about:

It is the Academy’s extremity to guarantee that the Awards contention is conducted successful a just and ethical manner, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive awards process.

We are conducting a review of the run procedures astir this year’s nominees, to guarantee that nary guidelines were violated, and to pass america whether changes to the guidelines whitethorn beryllium needed successful a caller epoch of societal media and integer communication.

We person assurance successful the integrity of our information and voting procedures, and enactment genuine grassroots campaigns for outstanding performances.

It's unclear what, if any, rules person been breached here. The Academy has a long database of guidelines(Opens successful a caller window) for the information process, but that doesn't supply a smoking gun. Per Vanity Fair(Opens successful a caller window), immoderate Academy voters were contacted with the proposition that they ticker the movie and enactment it online, which could theoretically breach the Academy's lobbying rules.

For reference, Academy Awards nominations can beryllium revoked, but it's rare. The fistful of times it's happened person usually progressive thing similar the movie premiering connected TV earlier it was successful theaters, oregon a movie coming retired successful the incorrect year. Most applicable to To Leslie's lawsuit is that a Best Original Song information was revoked(Opens successful a caller window) successful 2014 due to the fact that songwriter Bruce Broughton had emailed Academy members during the voting period.

The Academy volition conscionable connected Tuesday, but Vanity Fair besides reported that a rescinded information is unlikely.

Aside from the astonishing quality by which To Leslie recovered its mode into Oscars history, determination are different angles to the controversy. As pointed retired successful the Vanity Fair report, Riseborough (who is white) got nominated portion Black actresses successful higher-profile roles similar Viola Davis successful The Woman King oregon Danielle Deadwyler successful Till were left out. For an instauration with a notable past of snubbing Black women(Opens successful a caller window) successful particular, it's casual to spot wherefore immoderate would not beryllium blessed astir Riseborough's information from that perspective.

Some radical could besides consciousness that To Leslie is being unfairly punished for the transgression of not being mainstream enough. It's receiving a level of scrutiny that bigger films haven't had to interest about, adjacent though there's a long, well-reported history(Opens successful a caller window) of movie studios engaging successful backroom politicking during awards season.

Regardless of wherever you onshore connected To Leslie's nomination, astatine slightest those who attraction much astir Oscars play than the existent awards person thing to attraction astir again this year.

Source Mashable