Andrea Riseborough: See the Surprise Oscar Nominee
Posted on January 30, 2023 at 10:38 am
Copyright 2022 Momentum Pictures
The biggest surprise among the acting Oscar nominations this year was Andrea Riseborough as Best Actress. There were three reasons awards-predictors did not expect to hear her name. First, the movie she starred in, “To Leslie,” was made for under one million dollars and made about $30,000. Very few people saw it. This is the kind of film that is overlooked, possibly a candidate for a Spirit award but not in the same category as big-budget, big-stars Oscar movies. Second, there was no big-budget FYC (“For your consideration”) publicity campaign to make sure Academy voters saw it. Third, her performance got unprecedented support from industry insiders like Gwyneth Paltrow who took to social media to urge Academy voters to consider her.
The part that is not a surprise for anyone who has seen her is that Riseborough’s performance was extraordinary. She always is. You may have seen her before but not realized it because she inhabits every role so completely it is easy to forget it is the same actress.
There is some controversy about the way her nomination was supported. One social media post compared her to another actor, which is not allowed under the rules. But that has nothing to do with Riseborough, who did nothing wrong. Whatever happens to the nomination, I hope audiences watch “To Leslie” and seek out some of her other performance. Here are some I especially recommend.
Riseborough starred opposite Tom Cruise in a film set in 2077. A veteran assigned to extract Earth’s remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.
She was a hairdresser who becomes romantically involved with Billie Jean King in “Battle of the Sexes.”
She plays an awful mother in “Matilda: The Musical”
She was a woman who might be a lost daughter who was kidnapped as a child in “Nancy”
Leading the pack of cinematic mongrels with 8 nominations for the 43rd Annual Razzie® Awards is Blonde, which movie-goers liked even less than critics did. Called a “biopic that’s not a biopic,” by its makers, it “explores” the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe…by continuing to exploit her posthumously. In addition to Worst Picture, it’s up for Worst Screenplay and Worst Director, both by Andrew Dominik, whose work here says more about him than it does about his subject.
Copping 7 dings is Good Mourning, a laugh-free stoner comedy achieving the rare feat of scoring a perfect ZERO on Rotten Tomatoes. The year’s most ridiculed movie, Morbius (with Worst Actor nominee Jared Leto in the title role) collected five nods. Disney’s wholly unnecessary (and oddly creepy) live action/CGI remake of Pinocchio pulled our voters’ strings to make it into six categories. Taking the pole position for Worst Supporting Actor is 2022’s most widely derided performance, Tom Hanks’ latex-laden, ludicrously accented portrayal of Col. Tom Parker in the otherwise critically acclaimed Elvis.
43rd Annual Golden Raspberry (Razzie®) Nominations
WORST PICTURE
Blonde
Disney’s Pinocchio
Good Mourning
The King’s Daughter
Morbius
WORST ACTOR
Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) Good Mourning
Pete Davidson (Voice Only) Marmaduke
Tom Hanks (As Gepetto) Disney’s Pinocchio
Jared Leto / Morbius
Sylvester Stallone / Samaritan
Copyright 2021 Universal
WORST ACTRESS
Ryan Kiera Armstrong / Firestarter
Bryce Dallas Howard / Jurassic Park: Dominion
Diane Keaton / Mack & Rita
Kaya Scodelario / The King’s Daughter
Alicia Silverstone / The Requin
WORST REMAKE/RIP-OFF/SEQUEL
Blonde
BOTH 365 Days Sequels – 365 Days: This Day
& The Next 365 Days
Disney’s Pinocchio
Firestarter
Jurassic World: Dominion
WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adria Arjona / Morbius
Lorraine Bracco (Voice Only) Disney’s Pinocchio
Penelope Cruz / The 355
Bingbing Fan / The 355 & The King’s Daughter
Mira Sorvino / Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend
WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Pete Davidson (Cameo Role) Good Mourning
Tom Hanks / Elvis
Xavier Samuel / Blonde
Mod Sun / Good Mourning
Evan Williams / Blonde
WORST SCREEN COUPLE
Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) & Mod Sun / Good Mourning
Both Real Life Characters in the Fallacious White House Bedroom Scene / Blonde
Tom Hanks & His Latex-Laden Face (and Ludicrous Accent) ELVIS
Andrew Dominik & His Issues with Women / Blonde
The Two 365 Days Sequels (both Released in 2022)
WORST DIRECTOR
Judd Apatow / The Bubble
Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) & Mod Sun / Good Mourning
Andrew Dominik / Blonde
Daniel Espinosa / Morbius
Robert Zemeckis / Disney’s Pinocchio
WORST SCREENPLAY
Blonde / Written for the Screen by Andrew Dominik,
Adapted from the “Bio-Novel” by Joyce Carol Oates
Disney’s Pinocchio / Screenplay by Robert Zemeckis & Chris Weitz
(Not Authorized by the Estate of Carlo Collodi)
Good Mourning / “Written” by Machine Gun Kelly & Mod Sun
Jurassic World: Dominion / Screenplay by Emily Carmichael
& Colin Treverrow,Story by Treverrow & Derek Connolly
Morbius / Screen Story and Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless
8 Disney Hanukkah Specials to Stream This Holiday Season
The holiday season is here… and while there is no shortage of holly, jolly films and shows to stream on Disney+, we thought we’d highlight some of the Hanukkah specials that are also available right now! Whether you’re getting ready for a winter-break streaming marathon or just looking for something to watch to learn more about the holiday itself, we’ve listed eight things to watch—one for each night of Hanukkah.
1. The Ghost and Molly McGee – “Festival of Lights” (Season 1, Episode 10)
In this adventure, the entire McGee family and Scratch the ghost visit Libby Stein-Torres and her family for the final night of Hanukkah. When a sudden blackout occurs across the town of Brighton, Libby’s mom boots up their bookstore’s generator, but she only has enough gas for one hour. Inexplicably, the generator keeps running for eight hour—during which Libby and her family teach the McGee’s, and later the entire town (who come gather at the bookstore for warmth)—about their Hanukkah traditions!
2. “Puppy for Hanukkah”
In 2020, Hamilton star Daveed Diggs partnered with Disney to create a new Hanukkah anthem — “Puppy for Hanukkah.” Written by Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes, “Puppy for Hanukkah” tells the story of a little Jewish boy wishing for a puppy each night of Hanukkah before finally receiving one on the last night of the holiday. The song also explains some of his Hanukkah traditions, with Diggs reciting a Hanukkah blessing in Hebrew mid-rap. You can enjoy this Hanukkah bop by streaming the adorable music video for “Puppy for Hanukkah” on Disney+!
One of Disney Channel’s newest holiday specials is this episode of Firebuds, where Bo wonders why his mother doesn’t put up Hanukkah decorations like his father does for Christmas. To share how special Hanukkah is with his community, Bo goes overboard with decorations for Hanukkah, including a gigantic dreidel balloon that flies off in the wind and causes mild destruction across town. In the end, Bo learns that Hanukkah is special for reasons other than flashing lights and balloons—and that people choose different ways to celebrate the holidays.
4. Even Stevens – “Heck of a Hanukkah” (Season 1, Episode 15)
In this episode of the Disney Channel classic Even Stevens, troublemaker Louis Stevens can’t wait to open presents and searches for the Hanukkah gifts his parents have hidden somewhere in the house. When he ultimately finds them and ruins the family gift exchange for everyone, he ends up grounded for the entirety of Hanukkah. In an homage to 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life, the ghost of Louis’ great-great-great-great-grandmother, Bubbe Rose, appears to show him what his family would be like if he had never been born.
5. Full Court Miracle
Based on the true story of the University of Virginia Cavaliers basketball star Lamont Carr, this 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie follows a Jewish basketball team in Philadelphia who need a new coach. Set during Hanukkah, this group of high school athletes find college student Lamont Carr and convince him to be their basketball coach. When the power goes out during the team’s final championship game, they make an agreement with their opponents that whoever has the most points when the generator runs out will win. In a true Hanukkah twist, the generator goes out and our heroes are losing, but the power miraculously comes back on and allows them to score the winning basket.
In this episode of Disney Junior’s Puppy Dog Pals, Bingo and Rolly go on a mission to help their owner, Bob, make latkes for their neighbor Chloe’s Hanukkah party! While on the hunt for eggs and potatoes, the pups sing a song about the “festival of lights” and how delicious latkes are. Bob makes enough latkes for everyone at Chloe’s party and Bingo and Rolly even get to attend, participating in the lighting of the Chanukiah when they spot the first star in the night sky.
Pepper Ann is another Disney character who celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas, and in this holiday episode she mistakenly believes that her parents want her to choose only one holiday to celebrate. She begins to make a list of what she loves most about each holiday to help her decide. In the end, she tells her parents that she loves Hanukkah and Christmas, and that choosing between them would be like choosing between her parents themselves! Of course, it was all a misunderstanding, and her parents were never asking her to choose between the two holidays. Together with her family, Pepper Ann has a great holiday season celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas.
8. Elena of Avalor – “Festival of Lights” (Season 3, Episode 18)
When Princess Rebecca of Galonia and her grandmother shipwreck on the shores of Avalor, it is up to Elena and her family to give them the best Hanukkah celebration possible! Rebecca and her family teach Elena all about Hanukkah, as well as some and Yiddish words like “nosh” (to have a snack) and “mitzvah” (a good deed). When Rebecca gets caught up in making their Hanukkah party absolutely perfect, it’s her bubbe (grandmother) who reminds her that Hanukkah is about carrying on even through the toughest challenges and making the most of what you have.