MovieChat Forums > Licorice Pizza (2021) Discussion > Three Oscar Nominations -- None for Alan...

Three Oscar Nominations -- None for Alana and Cooper, Alas

posted 3 years ago by ecarle (14979)
11 replies | jump to latest

Best Picture
Best Director (PTA)
Best Original Screenplay

...probably the favorite (A favorite?) only for screenplay.

Alana got most of the buzz, but perhaps its better she didn't make it. Having a Best Actress in the family might have put undue pressure on the "sister trio." Wouldn't want it to break up the group. Alana "hopes" to act again, and her sisters might help. (Danielle's a bit shy -- though the lead singer and musical leader of the group -- but Este has the Bette Midler comedy chutzpah thing going in interviews.)

Cooper got some buzz , too (and his command of his boy-man character and his enthusiastic line readings was very good, too). Maybe he can keep moving on in his career. It took his father some years to get there.

The nominations allow for PTA to show up at the Oscars with all five of the Haim family members and Cooper Hoffman -- who, I believe, was his father's "date" for one of the Oscar shows.

[–] Sidha108 (2671) 3 years ago

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

When I saw “Cooper” in the title, I at first thought you meant Bradley Cooper and thought how the Oscars must be really desperate to make him one of the most nominated actors of all time since his role in this amounts to just a glorified cameo and albeit great doesn’t warrant a major award nomination.

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Oops...forgot about that. A movie with two "Coopers" -- one , the first name, the other the last name.

I do recall Bradley Cooper getting some Oscar buzz for his work here, but I agree -- he didn't do all that much. I never felt that he deserved a nomination.

Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim did a whole lot more, but evidently "the Academy" (whoever that is) couldn't find room for them in the Best Actor and Actress categories.

In each of their cases, maybe they get "the roles" later -- or they could be "one hit wonders" based on their personal connections to PTA....

[–] Garyandfilm (530) 3 years ago

Neither actor, especially Cooper Hoffman, deserved to be nominated. Both gave capable performances, which is fine, as they are beginners. But Oscar nods? No.

[–] SlackerInc (1101) 3 years ago

Those nominations are all bewildering to me. There are several PTA films that deserved all that and more. But this one? The only thing that would have been stranger is if it had been nominated for its flat cinematography. What happened to the beautiful imagery of so many of his past films, anyway?

But it's a favorite for original screenplay, seriously? No joke, I was actually wondering if the whole thing was improvised. It just seemed to be all "oh, and here's another little thing that happens to the characters and then nothing really comes of it and that vignette peters out and we just wander onto the next thing", repeated until there was two hours and change of it to put up on the screen.

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

Neither actor, especially Cooper Hoffman, deserved to be nominated. Both gave capable performances, which is fine, as they are beginners. But Oscar nods? No.

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Well, there was a lot of hype about them both being "break out stars" -- but Alana got most of the press. "You can't take your eyes off her," wrote one critic (her sisters dutifully repeated that line in an interview.) "A star is born" wrote another(connection to Streisand and Jon Peters there?)

As it turns out, Alana Haim took on the lion's share of interviews, with or without PTA along. Cooper Hoffman did far fewer, and in one (with PTA next to him) he was asked directly about the death of his famous father. He squirmed. PTA jumped in and answered the question. I think this is why Alana was put "front and center" in more interviews than Cooper, and ended up with more Oscar buzz.

A lot of "debuting actors and actresses" have garnered Oscar noms. Like the girl who debuted in True Grit in 2010.

But sometimes, its not in the cards.

I do wonder what kind of careers lie ahead for these actors. Cooper Hoffman maybe has a shot at the Colin Hanks career...a name, work but no major stardom like his dad got. Alana has the band for some years to come; she will have to be well matched to the right script next time(Liza Minnelli sort of had that career...a few good movies then over.)

I still swear by that clip on YouTube called "What are your plans?" to see JUST how good both Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim were in that film. Their line readings are perfect -- him, over-enthusiastic and engaging; her, deadpan and cynical. The facial expressions, the body language..the line readings. These are two unknowns commanding our attention in what will clearly be a charming love story.

But Oscar worthy? I guess not.

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

Those nominations are all bewildering to me. There are several PTA films that deserved all that and more. But this one?

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Well, different films appeal in different ways. I think critics were surprised at how "sweet" this movie is. Compare it to Boogie Nights, in which not only are the main characters all in the porn industry, but the second hour is filled with blood and brutality -- some of it lethal. Magnolia has violence, Tom Cruise's sexually graphic misogyny, and child abuse. There Will Be Blood...murder. And here -- outta nowhere -- comes this very nice little story about a very nice(if combative) couple trying to stay apart while coming together. It means SOMETHING...and its very difference from most of the other PTA films is part of that meaning.

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The only thing that would have been stranger is if it had been nominated for its flat cinematography. What happened to the beautiful imagery of so many of his past films, anyway?

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Wasn't he trying to capture "the look of the 70's" both per gritty filmmaking of the day and the era itself?

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CONT

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

But it's a favorite for original screenplay, seriously? No joke, I was actually wondering if the whole thing was improvised. It just seemed to be all "oh, and here's another little thing that happens to the characters and then nothing really comes of it and that vignette peters out and we just wander onto the next thing", repeated until there was two hours and change of it to put up on the screen.

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Well the "original screenplay" category is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel, because MOST movies are based on other material -- book, play, short story...comic book. The competition to get in is lesser. PTA is evidently a frontrunner because none of his other scripts won.

I liked the movie, and I think the key is to look at it as an art film, in which all those disconnected elements were INTENEDED to be abstract and unmoored, and that is a kind of artistry in itself.

Also, it has more narrative structure than you might think (I've seen it twice to check it out.)

For instance, Gary is smitten with Alana so he keep trying to help her with "her career." He takes her as his chaperone to NYC...but Alana is taken by the older, cuter young actor. Gary loses. Later, Gary takes Alana to HIS agent, and gets Alana LAUNCHED for auditions, but what happens on her first audtion -- "Jack Holden"(Sean Penn) hits on her and sweeps her away to GARY's favorite haunt(Tail of the Cock) for martinis. Gary loses. Its all very sad how much Gary helps Alana and keeps losing her to "older men." But the older men don't work out and Alana comes back to Gary, every time. Very structured.

CONT

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

Or try this: the two households are carefully written. Gary's father is gone, he is a breadwinner even as his mother works too(eometimes FOR Gary). He is already "the man of the house," raising his brother, too. But Alana is "trapped" in a nuclear family with a tough father, two sisters...no escape to her mind, even though THAT household is very secure. Gary and Alana have NEEDS to be with each other(he's older than his years, she's younger than her years), and the movie very quietly lays that out.

I love the scene where Alana and Gary fight and her line is: "I'm cooler than you and don't you forget it," and his response is "I don't need YOU to tell me if I'm cool or not, old lady" and she jumps in "What did you say? What did you say then?" and he tries to back pedal -- "MY lady,...Milady" and then decides just to call her an "old woman" and they break up again. Its EXACTLY the kind of argument that young lovers have -- angry but caring, a substitute for sex.

But..all of this is my opinion. That's what I responded to in the writing for a film I had to see twice to understand even a little better.'

And two art film moments:

We see Jon Peters gay assistant take a call from Barbra Streisand(we don't see her.) Peters returns and says "Did she call?" the assistant says "no." NO. WHY did he say no? Why did he just take action AGAINST his boss? Unanswered questions. Character. Nicely written throwaway stuff.

Gary opens his pinball palace. Its mainly kids, boys and girls together. But when Gary tries to stop one older, bearded, MEAN player from ramming the pinball machine against the wall during play..he fails. He's not THAT able to function as an adult. A mean man pushes him away. Nicely written throwaway stuff.

Evidently, the only competiion is the Belfast script. And PTA is owed. The script might win.

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CONT

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

A Best Picture nom is kind of "fish in a barrel," too -- 10 slots, not many good movies released in a year still hammered by COVID.

Best Director? Well, PTA sort of "put it all together" -- writing the script, choosing the songs, recreating 1973, creating the mood, and indeed getting those GREAT performances out of two young, untried leads.

I'm figuring Licorice Pizza wins Best Original Screenplay , and loses everything else to Power of the Dog.

[–] SlackerInc (1101) 3 years ago

I also don't think the perfs were "great". They weren't bad for neophytes, but I don't think we should be grading on a curve.

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

I also don't think the perfs were "great". They weren't bad for neophytes, but I don't think we should be grading on a curve.

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Maybe I fell for the initial hype and good reviews -- I went in expecting "greatness." Hah. Actually, having seen a lot of video of Alana Haim joking around with her sisters promoting their band, she DID tone it down and found a character to play here...she's rather a sad and insecure person in this film versus a super-confident rock star in real life.

But I dunno..."great performances" --- "Oscar performance" -- debateable all day.

I go with Oscar winner Jack Palance's rule: "The best acting Oscars aren't for the acting - -they are for the character."

A lot of the time, true. Rooster Cogburn. Forrest Gump. Patton. Erin Brockovich. Mona Lisa Vito. The Queen.

Perhaps neither Alana nor Cooper got a really classic character to play.

And this: Oscar is rather hiding it, but this still wasn't a "normal" year for movies. COVID kept a lot of movies and people out of theaters. Many front runner films are already on Netflix and Hulu, and some of those barely played theaters. The group of movies to choose from is rather slim this year. That helped Licorice Pizza, too.

Interesting: for the time being, PTA has kept Licorice Pizza "only in theaters" and away from streaming. It isn't making much money, but eventually on streaming, I suppose it will.