In 2024 it was the 1970s again. During that decade, arguably the best ever for American movies, the movie gods aligned in a way that has not been seen before or since. Popular movies, that is movies seen by the most people in any given year, were also the most critically acclaimed movies, that is movies that won the most awards. This is rarer than you would imagine, and for the past two decades was almost a non-existent alignment. Virtually no one saw Moonlight or CODA for example. But Oppenheimer not only won Best Picture, but it also was one of the highest grossing movies of 2023 (also, see Barbie). Just like those 1970s Oscar darlings The Godfather, Star Wars, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Sting, Rocky, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part II, and Annie Hall, all of whom were in the top 50 highest grossing movies of the decade. And for the second year in a row and the third time in five years, my pick for Best Picture is the Best Picture. This is after I batted zero from 2005 to 2018. Yes, I picked Oppenheimer.
2024 was also notable in that I saw a majority of the movies that I reviewed at home and not in a theater. This has much to do with the birth of my first son, Hiro J Travis. Opportunities for date night, or just seeing movies by myself in theaters diminished. Hopefully, as he grows, and we find reliable babysitters, I will be able to see as many movies in theaters as I did before (what we need is a good movie theater in Ridgewood. Anyone? anyone?). But till, then, what I choose to review will actually be less about what I see in a theater and more about what I just watched and how interesting I thought it was. I'm aiming for at least 18-20 reviews a year. Watch out for that.
Best Original Screenplay
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari - Anatomy of a Fall
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach - Barbie
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer - Maestro
Rebecca Miller - She Came to Me
Nicole Holofcener - You Hurt My Feelings
Best Adapted Screenplay
Ted Kupper and Jonas Karlsson - Corner Office
Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, and Martin Sherwin - Oppenheimer
Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, David Grann - Killers of the Flower Moon
Tony Macnamara, Alastdair Gray - Poor Things
Priscilla Presley, Sandra Harmon, Sofia Coppola - Priscilla
Best Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol
The Pigeon Tunnel
Best Costumes
Barbie
John Wick: Chapter 4
Napoleon
Poor Things
Priscilla
Best Hairstyling/Makeup
Barbie
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Priscilla
Best Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best Use of Cultural Appropriation
Anatomy of a Fall - Sandra Huller's Trilingual Performance
Barbie - Mattel's Barbie
History of the World Part II - George Wallace as George Wallace
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse - DaVinci Vulture
The Super Mario Bros Movie - Nintendo's Mario and Luigi
Best Original Score
Asteriod City
Corner Office
Oppenheimer
Killers of the Flower Moon
The Pigeon Tunnel
Best Sound Design
Beau is Afraid
Maestro
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Best Use of a Song
Anatomy of a Fall - Bacao Rythym and Steel's Cover of 50 Cent's PIMP
Barbie - "I'm Just Ken"
Maestro - Mahler: Symphony No. 2
The Iron Claw - Rush "Tom Sawyer"
They Cloned Tyrone - "They Cloned Tyrone"
Best Supporting Actress
Rina Sawayama - John Wick Chapter 4
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers
Margo Martindale - Cocaine Bear
Marisa Tomei - She Came to Me
Best Supporting Actor
Donnie Yen - John Wick: Chapter 4
Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
Jamie Foxx - They Cloned Tyrone
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things
Best Stunt Direction
John Wick: Chapter 4
Barbie
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part 1
The Killer
The Iron Claw
Best Visual Effects
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
John Wick: Chapter 4
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Best Cinematography
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Maestro
Priscilla
Poor Things
Best Film Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
Priscilla
Maestro
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix - Beau is Afraid
Zac Efron - The Iron Claw
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
Peter Dinklage - She Came to Me
Best Actress
Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall
Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
Emma Stone - Poor Things
Sydney Sweeney - Reality
Awkwafina - Quiz Lady
Best Director
Ari Aster - Beau is Afraid
Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese - Killers of the Flower Moon
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Sofia Coppola - Priscilla
Best Picture
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Iron Claw
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Priscilla
John Wick: Chapter 4
You Hurt My Feelings
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