The Oscars are spreading the love around in a wild awards season, with “Roma” and “The Favorite” landing 10 nominations each Tuesday morning.
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron’s emotional drama about a year in the life of a Mexican maid, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ 18th-century costume farce “The Favourite” garnered nominations for best picture and director at the 91st Academy Awards. But they each were led by their women, too: Yalitza Aparicio of “Roma” and Olivia Colman of “The Favourite” are up for best actress, and “Favourite” landed two spots in the supporting category for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, while Marina de Tavira of “Roma” scored a surprise supporting nomination.
Also of note: “Black Panther,” became the first superhero film to get a best picture nod, and Spike Lee was honored with the first best picture and best director nominations of his career for ’70s cop movie “BlacKkKlansman.”
In addition to “Roma,” “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “The Favourite,” the films competing for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ big prize – best picture – will be the musically tinged drama “A Star Is Born” (which racked up eight nominations) period dramedy “Green Book,” and Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and political satire “Vice”.
Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”) and Glenn Close (“The Wife”) have tussled for various best actress trophies – they tied for the Critics’ Choice Award and Close nabbed Golden gold– and they’re up for an Academy Award alongside Aparicio, Colman and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”).
“Vice” star Christian Bale won Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice honors for playing former Vice President Dick Chaney, and he’s in a race for the best actor Oscar with Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) and Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”).
Also on a roll is Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), the Globe winner who leads the Oscar best supporting actor field. In the category with him: Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), Sam Elliott (“A Star Is Born”), Sam Rockwell (“Vice”) and Adam Driver (“BlackKklansman”).
The supporting actress category features de Tavira, Globe winner Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Amy Adams (“Vice”) and “The Favourite” co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
And the best director category features Cuaron, Lanthimos, Lee, Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) and Adam McKay (“Vice”).
The 91st Academy Awards air live on Feb. 24 (ABC, 8 ET/5 PT).
