That’s impossible! Oscar superlatives to have a say

Even before the award ceremony, Chloé Zhao (39) is making Oscar history with her film “Nomadland”. The Beijing-born filmmaker is the first non-white woman to be nominated for Best Director. She is also the first woman to have four Oscar chances in one year: as director, for best editing, best adapted screenplay and as producer in the “Best Picture” category. If Zhao wins all four Oscars, she will draw level with the previous record holder Walt Disney (1901-1966). The cartoon legend won four trophies in 1954, including in the documentary and animated short film categories – a milestone for an individual in one year. Zhao is considered the top favorite for the director’s award. So far, Kathryn Bigelow (“Tödliches Kommando – The Hurt Locker”, 2010) is the only Oscar-winning director.

POSTHUME HONOR: Will Chadwick Boseman Third?

Eight months after his death, Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman could win the Oscar for Best Actor. The African American, who died of cancer in August at the age of 43, is nominated for his final role as a jazz trumpeter in the drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”. Only two actors received an Oscar posthumously: Peter Finch for his leading role in “Network” (1976) and Heath Ledger for his supporting role as the diabolical joker in “The Dark Knight” (2009). In Oscar history, before Boseman, one woman (Jeanne Eagels, 1930) and six men, including James Dean and Spencer Tracy, were nominated for an acting Oscar after their deaths. Boseman was recently hailed posthumously at the US Acts Association’s Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

OSCAR-SENIOR: Is Anthony Hopkins setting an age record?

Christopher Plummer still holds the title as the oldest male actor to ever win an Oscar. In 2012, the then 82-year-old Canadian won the Oscar for best supporting role in the drama “Beginners”. Now Anthony Hopkins could break the age record at 83. The British star is nominated for best leading actor in the drama “The Father”. In this he shines as a stubborn man with the onset of dementia.

It’s been almost 30 years since Hopkins made his first Oscar nomination a trophy. As a psychopathic Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs”, he won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Actor. Another four nominations followed (no profit). With a win for “The Father”, Hopkins would have a clear lead as the oldest Oscar-winning leading actor. That title still belongs to Henry Fonda. Shortly before his death at the age of 76, he won the “Best Actor” Oscar for the drama “Am golden See” (1982).

STREAM: Will Glenn Close remain the eternal loser?

Hollywood legend Glenn Close (74) could get her first Oscar in the eighth attempt with her supporting role in “Hillbilly Elegy”. Since her first nomination for “Garp and How He Saw the World” in 1983, she had come away empty-handed seven times. Close is already Hollywood’s actress with the biggest streak of bad luck, followed by Deborah Kerr, Thelma Ritter and Amy Adams with six Oscar slippers each. Another disappointment at the 93rd Academy Awards would equate Close with legendary “Lawrence of Arabia” star Peter O’Toole (1932-2013). The Irish actor has competed for an Oscar eight times in his long career, but never won.

Should Close get the Oscar this year, she will succeed with a completely unglamorous role: In “Hillbilly Elegy” she can hardly be recognized as the strict grandmother Mamaw with a gray wig, blotchy skin and sloppy sweaters.

STARS IN THE BACKGROUND: Which celebrities are excited as producers?

The immigrant drama “Minari – Where We Put Down Roots” by Lee Isaac Chung has extremely prominent support: Hollywood star Brad Pitt is one of the producers and is sure to keep his fingers crossed for the drama about a Korean family in the USA. “Promising Young Woman”, where Carey Mulligan teaches abusive men a lesson, also has a prominent actress on the production team: Margot Robbie (“Birds of Prey: The Emancipation of Harley Quinn”). However, Frances McDormand could have particularly good chances. The 63-year-old is not only nominated as an actress for “Nomadland”, but could also win an Oscar as one of the main producers – if the drama receives the most important award of the evening as best film.

NETFLIX-HÖHENFLUG: Does the streaming service top its success?

It is not really surprising that this year there are a lot of Netflix productions in the Oscar race. After all, many films that should actually be shown in the cinema ended up on the streaming service because of the corona pandemic and the cinema closings. Netflix has been nominated 35 times, a huge success. The icing on the cake, however, is still missing: So far, the streaming service has never been able to triumph in the top category for the best film. This year two works have a chance there: David Fincher’s Hollywood ode “Mank” and the court thriller “The Trial of the Chicago 7” with Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210418-99-250138 / 2