Getting Ready for the Oscars

Tonight is the event my family refers to as “Mom’s Super Bowl.” I don’t take the Oscars that seriously as arbiters of quality. It’s the industry awarding itself. Still, I would never miss it and this year will be especially interesting given the younger and more diverse voters and the #metoo and #timesup and now #askmoreofhim issues. Some of the best commentary this year:

Stephanie Merry of the Washington Post describes some Oscar categories the Academy should have included, like best opening credit sequence, best motion-capture performance, best fight scenes, and best performance by a child. I agree with every one of her categories, nominees, and winners.

The New Yorker asks whether the nominated films pass the Bechdel test. They pretty much do, with exceptions like “Dunkirk” — and, I’d argue, “Call Me By Your Name” and “Phantom Thread.”

And if you need a cheat sheet for your Oscar party predictions, your best bet is Goldderby.