2018 Drama League Nominations Announced! Who will take the Distinguished Performance award?

The nominations for the 2018 Drama League Awards were announced today. Take a look at the nominees below:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore

Hangmen
Written by Martin McDonagh

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Written by Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

In the Body of the World
Written by Eve Ensler

Is God Is
Written by Aleshea Harris

Meteor Shower
Written by Steve Martin

Oedipus El Rey
Written by Luis Alfaro

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
Written by Jocelyn Bioh

Until the Flood
Written by Dael Orlandersmith

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

Angels in America
Written by Tony Kushner

Children of a Lesser God
Written by Mark Medoff

Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Written by Edward Albee

Hamlet
Written by William Shakespeare

The Iceman Cometh
Written by Eugene O'Neill

Lobby Hero
Written by Kenneth Lonergan

Saint Joan
Written by George Bernard Shaw

Three Tall Women
Written by Edward Albee

Torch Song
Written by Harvey Fierstein

Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard

Yerma
Written by Federico García Lorca

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

The Band's Visit
Book by Itamar Moses; Music and Lyrics by David Yazek

Bella: An American Tall Tale
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Kirsten Childs

Frozen
Book by Jennifer Lee; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Hundred Days
Book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher; Music and Lyrics by The Bengsons

KPOP
Book by Jason Kim; Music and Lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon

Mean Girls
Book by Tina Fey; Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

SpongeBob SquarePants
Book by Kyle Jarrow; Based on the Series by Stephen Hillenburg
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan
Coulton, Alex Ebert, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani and Lil' C. Songs by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional music by Tom Kitt; Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff; Songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie
Devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley and Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Teirstein

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

Carousel
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Music by Richard Rodgers

My Fair Lady
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; Music by Frederick Loewe

Once On This Island
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Music by Stephen Flaherty

Pacific Overtures
Book by John Weidman; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

NOMINEES FOR THE DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

Jelani Alladin, Frozen
Lauren Ambrose, My Fair Lady
Annaleigh Ashford, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Laura Benanti, Meteor Shower
MaameYaa Boafo, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Juan Castano, Oedipus El Rey
Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke
Eisa Davis, Kings
Ariana DeBose, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Noma Dumezweni, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Deanna Dunagan, The Treasurer
Eve Ensler, In The Body of the World
Chris Evans, Lobby Hero
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen
Alfie Fuller, Is God Is
Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
Harry Hadden-Paton, My Fair Lady
Rebecca Hall, Animal
Harriet Harris, The Low Road
Brian Tyree Henry, Lobby Hero
Joshua Henry, Carousel
Tom Hollander, Travesties
Oscar Isaac, Hamlet
Chukwudi Iwuji, The Low Road
Glenda Jackson, Three Tall Women
Joshua Jackson, Children of a Lesser God
Hailey Kilgore, Once On This Island
LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Katrina Lenk, The Band's Visit
Robert Sean Leonard, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Taylor Louderman, Mean Girls
Elizabeth Marvel, Julius Caesar
James McArdle, Angels in America
Laurie Metcalf, Three Tall Women
Jessie Mueller, Carousel
Patti Murin, Frozen
Alex Newell, Once On This Island
Sahr Ngaujah, Mlima's Tale
Seth Numrich, Travesties
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
Ashley Park, Mean Girls and KPOP
Billie Piper, Yerma
Karen Pittman, Pipeline
Condola Rashad, Saint Joan
Lauren Ridloff, Children of a Lesser God
Roslyn Ruff, X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation
Amy Schumer, Meteor Shower
Tony Shalhoub, The Band's Visit
Paul Sparks, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
John Douglas Thompson, Julius Caesar
Michael Urie, Torch Song and The Government Inspector
Denzel Washington, The Iceman Cometh
Dianne Wiest, Happy Days

At first glance, this crop of nominees doesn't do much to shape the Tony race. Since the Drama League allows more than 5 nominees in their show categories, nearly all of the major contenders are present.

The one curiosity is the Best New Play category. The League largely shafted the light-on-new-works Broadway season in favor of Off-Broadway. The only two Broadway contenders here are "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and "Meteor Shower." That is certainly a boon for the Steve Martin comedy, which is seen as "on the bubble" for a Tony nomination. The most surprising omission is "The Children," but we must remember that the League can be joined by anyone who wants to pay for membership. Very limited runs with minimal advertising/buzz will always struggle to resonate with such a group, no matter the quality. The play still looks good for a Tony nomination.

The most shocking omissions in the Distinguished Performance category are Denise Gough ("Angel in America"), Caissie Levy ("Frozen"), and Ethan Slater ("Spongebob Squarepants"). Levy's co-stars Patti Murin and Jellani Alladin were nominated, and the League caps a production at 2 performer nominees maximum. Denise Gough was hit by this rule too, with her cast mates Andrew Garfield and James McArdle taking the two spots for "Angels in America." I don't know how to explain Slater's omission other than snobby theater folk turning their nose up at SpongeBob. He's sublime.

In terms of the ultimate win, it looks like Glenda Jackson's to lose. Though Michael Urie, Denzel Washington, and Katrina Lenk may give her some competition.

"The Sammys" 2018! It's like the Oscars but better.

It's that time of year! The Oscars always get plenty wrong with their nominations and winners, so I'm bringing you my own personal picks. It's "The Sammys" (OR: how the Oscars should have voted).

I have seen a bunch, but I don't claim to have gotten to every film this year. I failed at getting to most of the documentaries for instance. I can't wait to catch up on them, but as a result I've eliminated that category this year. I also have six nominees for Cinematography because I couldn't decide, and it's my awards so I'll do what I please. I made up for it by only nominating 4 Animated Features...because I couldn't really come up with a fifth that I loved.

The year ultimately came down to three films for me, which tower above the rest in my mind.

Logan is one of the most satisfying superhero films I've experienced. How ironic that it really bares no resemblance to any conventional superhero flick. Featuring career best performances from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, the touching script takes cues from classic westerns to explore the concepts of death, legacy, and self worth via characters who are something of a dying species in the world. Wolverine and Xavier couldn't have asked for a more beautiful send off.

There are a thousand ways Blade Runner 2049 could and should have failed. How do you make a proper sequel to one of the greatest films of all time? A film with such distinct style and dangling open-ended questions that kept viewers mind's occupied for decades? Somehow Denis Villeneuve succeeded in his task. 2049 captures the essence of the original while building upon the questions it posed and creating some new ones. You don't watch it so much as give yourself over to it, letting it wash over you like a wave. People complained about the run-time, but I thought the deliberate pacing was perfect and I can't wait to submerge myself in the world many more times.

And then there's Call me by Your Name. Andre Aciman's novel was a huge moment for me as a teen. I've returned to passages over and over again. I was worried that a film adaptation could never capture the experience and live up to the book. But I shouldn't have been worried. Different, sure. But Luca Guadagnino's film made me feel like no other film has before (just like the book). It gloriously captures that feeling of first love. The sensuality, the longing, the way that it infects and takes over every molecule of your body and mind. And for young queer people, that specific sort of secrecy: That you and this other person have a whole private world together. writing about it makes me want to dive back into that idyllic summer again.

On with it then. Here are The Sammys!

Best Picture
10. Coco
9. The Shape of Water
8. BPM (Beats Per Minute)
7. Dunkirk
6. Get Out
5. The Florida Project
4. Lady Bird
3. Logan
2. Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
1. Call me by Your Name (winner)

Best Director
Sean Baker, The Florida Project
Luca Guadagnino, Call me by Your Name (runner-up)
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 (winner)

Best Actor
Jamie Bell, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Nahuel Perez Biscayart, BPM (Beats Per Minute)
Timothee Chalamet, Call me by Your Name (winner)
Hugh Jackman, Logan (runner-up)
Josh O'Connor, God's Own Country

Best Actress
Annette Bening, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Jessica Chastain, Molly's Game
Brooklynn Prince, The Florida Project (runner-up)
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird (winner)

Best Supporting Actor
Harrison Ford, Blade Runner 2049
Armie Hammer, Call me by Your Name
Patrick Stewart, Logan (winner)
Michael Stuhlbarg, Call me by Your Name (runner-up)
Arnaud Valois, BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Best Supporting Actress
Hong Chau, Downsizing
Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip (runner-up)
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird (winner)
Lois Smith, Marjorie Prime

Ensemble
BPM (Beats Per Minute)
Lady Bird (runner-up)
The Meyerowitz Stories
Mudbound (winner)
The Post

Adapted Screenplay
Blade Runner 2049
Call me by Your Name (winner)
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Logan (runner-up)
Molly's Game

Original Screenplay
The Big Sick
The Florida Project
Get Out (winner)
Lady Bird (runner-up)
The Shape of Water

Film Editing
Baby Driver (winner)
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk (runner-up)
Get Out
Molly's Game

Cinematography
Blade Runner 2049 (winner)
Call me by Your Name
Dunkirk
God's Own Country
The Florida Project
Mudbound (runner-up)

Production Design
Blade Runner 2049 (winner)
Dunkirk
It
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water (runner-up)

Costume Design
The Greatest Showman
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water (winner)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman (runner-up)

Makeup/Hair
Darkest Hour (runner-up)
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
It
I, Tonya
Logan (winner)

Sound Editing
Baby Driver (runner-up)
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk (winner)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Wonder Woman

Sound Mixing
Baby Driver (winner)
Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
Dunkirk
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes

Score
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Good Time (runner-up)
Phantom Thread
Wind River (winner)

Original Song
"Mystery of Love" from Call me by Your Name (written by: Sufjan Stevens) (winner)
"Visions of Gideon" from Call me by Your Name (written by : Sufjan Stevens)
"Remember Me" from Coco (written by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
"Beyond the Moon" from Hello Again (written by: Michael John Lachiusa)
"This is Me" from The Greatest Showman (written by Pasek and Paul) (runner-up)

Visual Effects
Blade Runner 2049 (runner-up)
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Thor: Ragnarok
War for the Planet of the Apes (winner)

Animated Feature
Coco (winner)
The LEGO Batman Movie
Loving Vincent (runner-up)
Mary and the Witch's Flower

Foreign Language Feature
BPM (Beats Per Minute) (winner)
A Fantastic Woman (runner-up)
First They Killed my Father
On Body and Soul
Thelma

WINS
4 - Call me by Your Name
3 - Blade Runner 2049
2 - Baby Driver
2 - Lady Bird
2 - Logan
1 - BPM (Beats Per Minute)
1 - Coco
1 - Dunkirk
1 - Get Out
1 - Mudbound
1 - War for the Planet of the Apes
1 - Wind River

Top 10 Film Moments of 2017

I don't know about you, but when I think of specific movies I often remember them by moments. Specific images or lines that evoked enough feeling to burn into my memory. It could be a piece of action, like Uma Thurman's silhouetted fight scene in "Kill Bill vol. 1." It might be a cathartic image, like Samwise Gamgee finding the strength to carry Frodo up Mount Doom in "The Return of the King." Or it might simply be a line that resonates, like Rosemary Harris' "I believe there's a hero in all of us" from "Spider-Man 2." Or anything Norma Desmond says in "Sunset Boulevard."

So I decided to sift through the movie moments that have remained with me from this year in film. This isn't a list of favorite films (my own personal nominations will come out tomorrow before the Oscars), but these are the moments that struck me the most. Needless to say, but major spoilers for this year's movies follow. Here are the ten best moments in film from the year 2017 (according to me).

Honorable Mention: Romeo and Juliet, "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool"

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell were shafted by most awards bodies this year. I don't know why Sony couldn't get this film to take off, because this scene alone is worth the price of admission. Just when Gloria Grahame is at her worst and her body the weakest, Peter has one last surprise for her. A reading of Act 1 sCene 5 from "Romeo and Juliet." In this one scene Bening and Bell chart the entire emotional trajectory of their relationship, and Grahame finally has the chance to play her dream role. Age be damned. And she's sensational.

10.) Love and Attention, "Lady Bird"
"Lady Bird" is constructed with exquisite economy by writer/director Greta Gerwig, and is filled with quiet moments that are instantly recognizable for anyone who had a modicum of teen angst. But the film's best moment arrives when Gerwig dares to be the slightest bit poetic with her language. Ronan's Lady Bird sits with Sister Sarah Joan (played brilliantly by Lois Smith). "You clearly love Sacramento" she tells her. "You write about Sacramento with such affection and care." Lady Bird scoffs that "I was just describing it." "Well it comes across as love" says Sister Sarah. "Sure, I guess I pay attention." "Don't you think maybe they are the same thing?" offers the sister, "Love and attention?" It's an example of Gerwig's beautiful simplicity, Smith's affecting charms as an actress, and the type of lesson that most of us received often as teens without realizing it.

9.) Her Eyes Were Green, "Blade Runner 2049"
In this pivotal moment from Denis Villeneuve's exceptional "Blade Runner 2049," both Deckard and the audience have their jaws on the floor. In a bid to bend Deckard to his will, Jared Leto trots out a replicant of Deckard's deceased lover Rachael to taunt him. As the shape of Sean Young circa 1982 emerges from the shadows, we glimpse the first CGI character to truly cross the uncanny valley. Harrison Ford also proves why he is one of our best movie stars when he stares into the eyes of his true love and mutters "Her eyes were green." Rachael gets her head blown off and Deckard is shattered. But most shocking of all: fans will remember that Rachael's eyes weren't green. Deckard saw a perfect recreation and still let her go.

8.) The Sunken Place, "Get Out"
A year later and I'm still freaked out by clinking spoons. And Catherine Keener. This scene is so expertly constructed. It starts out with innocent questions, but dread creeps in as Keener continues to pry. The scraping of the spoon is incessant and unbearable until: "Now sink. Into the floor." Daniel Kaluuya's tear stained face became one of the most iconic images of the year, and for good reason. When his character does indeed sink through the floor to "the sunken place" (which is a mesmerizing use of the "dry for wet" filming technique), the black void swallowed up all preconceived notions or theories about the film in the same way it swallowed up Kaluuya.

7.) Live. Die. Grieve. Fight. Fuck. Dance. Repeat., "BPM"
I was struck by the ways in which "BPM (Beats Per Minute)" used a cyclical storytelling format to craft an AIDS era movie that was about vitality and life, instead of death and darkness. The film is unafraid to depict the ways in which activism and sex are intrinsically linked to queer life, especially during the height of the AIDS crisis. This is most exemplified at the end of the film when the group protests a gala by spreading the ashes of Sean over the food and attendees. Colorful lights and strobes fill the space as the space transforms, dreamlike, into a rave. Bodies writhe to the rhythms of pulsing beats and reach for one another in dark. The camera pulls back to focus on dust particles floating through the air like cells flowing through a bloodstream. The group in the movie will continue flowing too, continue fighting for a better life, and continue showing the world what it is like to truly live.

6.) Home Arrives, "Dunkirk"
"Dunkirk" was certainly the most stressful film experience of 2017. A chaotic frenzy that captures the horrific nature of war. So when Kenneth Branagh looks out over the water expecting the worst, so does the audience. But what does he see instead? "Home." The sight of small British fishing vessels sailing towards Dunkirk beach is like a giant exhale. For the stranded soldiers, their home lies frustratingly out of reach the entire movie. And the people who finally crossed the channel weren't military, but citizens. As Hans Zimmer's score swells and tugs on heartstrings, the same sense of relief washed over my face as it did Branagh's.

5.) Hyperspace Fatality, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
I had plenty of issues with "The Last Jedi" but Laura Dern was not one them. Her brilliant purple wig deserves a supporting actress nomination of its own, and her surprising performance confirms my theory that Laura Dern makes any project better with her mere presence. But when her Admiral Holdo realizes the rebels are sitting ducks for the First Order's canons, she makes the ultimate sacrifice. Rotating her own ship towards the enemy she activates the hyperdrive, slamming her vessel into the enemy fleet at light speed. It creates a brilliant arc of light and blows their ships to smithereens. Not only does Dern redeem what has to be the slowest chase scene depicted in cinema, but she lays claim to the most badass kill of the saga thus far.

4.) Xavier's Goodbye, "Logan"
In James Mangold's "Logan" Patrick Stewart's Professor X is losing control of his abilities as dementia and old age set it. There are small hints that Xavier accidentally killed most of his X-Men team with one psychic sweep. He awakes from a dream one night, and has a rare moments of clarity. With Logan standing beside the bed, Stewart launches into a heartfelt confessional. He remembers the loved ones he's killed. He asks Logan for forgiveness but is instead stabbed in the chest by the X-24 clone. The fact that one scene prior, he was discussing the future with his protege and now believes he is going to die by his hand is the ultimate gut punch. The monologue is a perfect swan song for Stewart's iconic character and should have earned him an Oscar.

3.) Tragic Kingdom, "The Florida Project"
Disney World looms in the background of "The Florida Project," as a tantalizing fantasy and cruel reminder of the poverty of the main characters. Brooklynn Prince's Moonee can't go to Disney, so she creates a Magic Kingdom of her own design. But when Child Protective Services finally comes to separate her from her mother, the girl flees to her friend Jancey's motel room. Moonee can't speak, only sob, before gushing "you're my best friend and I may never see you again." And suddenly the camera lens changes, Jancey grabs her hand and they run. Run away from the CPS and into their own land of fantasy. But this time they reach the gates of the real Magic Kingdom, race down Main Street hand in hand, and stand in front of Cinderella Castle. Or they didn't. Many films mixed fantasy with realism this year, but none of them were as devastating.

2.) A Father's Lesson, "Call me by Your Name"
I was a teenager when I first read Andre Aciman's "Call me by Your Name,"
 and I instantly fell in love with the book. Elio's father delivers a powerful monologue at the end of the novel and I cannot tell you how many times I have referred back to it over the years. So I was gobsmacked when Michael Stuhlbarg was able to deliver that monologue at the end of the film adaptation, and evoke the same gut wrenching emotions in me. As if I was sixteen again and reading it for the first time. James Ivory wisely left the words alone for the most part, only excising a single line of Aciman's (which probably would have been too lyrical for the screen). Stuhlbarg displays brilliant economy as an actor as he imparts key wisdom to his son, with a reassuring sense of understanding and acceptance that takes Elio by surprise. The best moments often surprise you.

1.) No Man's Land, "Wonder Woman"
I never expected to cry during "Wonder Woman." But something happened when Gal Gadot's Diana climbed out of that trench during World War I. Her character is an impeachable one. Someone who shows other humans in the movie how important it is to fight for the helpless. Even if it means risking your own life. There is also no shortage of symbolism to the fact that a woman is the one to finally cross the infamous "no man's land." So I cried. I cried for the little girls who got to see a woman lead a superhero film for the first time. Directed by a female director no less. I cried for the courage Diana displays as she shucks bullets to the side with her gauntlets, charging towards danger and death. I cried because no single image in film this year made me feel more empowered, or better represented the year that was 2017. More like this please. We are all charging forward like Wonder Woman.

Hold on to your butts: Final 2018 Oscar Predictions and an impending shitstorm

Nominations for the 2018 Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow morning. How we have gotten to this point without a crystal clear frontrunner as in most years is an incredible mystery. But we need to talk about Three Billboards.

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri claimed SAG Ensemble last night. Couple that with it's previous Golden Globe (Drama) win, and it's a formidable contender for Best Picture. But the problem with emerging as the leader of the pack, is that it paints a giant target on your back. And boy have people been waiting to take this film down. There has been plenty of think pieces about this film, and whether it accurately depicts the climate in middle America, or if it can successfully redeem racist characters, and should it redeem racist characters, and does the movie have a serious problem in the way it depicts (or doesn't depict) black people?

That's a lot of questions to sift through and I'm not here to answer them. But if your're looking at what can win Best Picture, the important takeaway here is: Three Billboards could prove divisive. Divisive films have a heel of a time winning on the preferential ballot. Just ask The Revenant or La La Land. A contingent of voters who hate a nominee can rank it last, or not at all, and sink the films chances in favor a a film that everyone can agree on. A film that everyone has ranked at 1, or 2, or 3.

It makes sense why Three Billboards would be a frontrunner when you know how the Academy works. First and foremost, it's an acting showcase. It's a cast of performers that everyone loves who get to chew the scenery with big memorable sequences. Actors rule the Academy, and they often decide how this thing goes. Second: We are living in a time of cultural division and fire and anger and rage. Whether you agree with the manner in which this movie depicts those things, it taps into an element of this post election America. Complete with Frances McDormand at the center, whose character literally wants to burn the world down. The question becomes, will the Academy voters feed their anger or fear controversy and go with something else?

Well, the tricky part is there are 3 other films they could go with. The Shape of Water is the next obvious choice. It won the PGA (also decided with a preferential ballot) and Critics Choice, and it is highly likely that del Toro takes the DGA. And yet, it failed to make SAG's Ensemble category. They also snubbed Octavia Spencer in Supporting Actress. So I have doubts as to whether the actors will firmly unite behind this one. But it's beautiful, and unique, and has a nice message about acceptance. So it's absolutely possible.

Actors DID nominate Lady Bird and Get Out for Ensemble. And that's why I can't count them out for Best Picture quite yet. Lady Bird not only won the Globe (Comedy), but that entire ceremony was almost a PSA as for why Hollywood should rally behind Greta Gerwig. Powerful women like Natalie Portman are doing Q&A's with her to bolster the film's chances. And in the era of the #metoo movement and our "Year of Women," Lady Bird becomes an obvious choice. Only it doesnt REALLY have a strong message about those things. It's a beautiful film about a young woman finding her way and discovering what is important to her. Plenty of voters have already groaned that they are trying to make too much out of a movie that is created by a woman, but doesnt have a strong female cause at its center.

Then there's Get Out. I'm frankly shocked it didn't win the PGA. A movie that makes 50x its budget and became THE story of the year should have won over a group of producers in a cakewalk. but it didn't. If Three Billboard detractors are split as to which film they should support instead, Get Out might be the hardest for them to back. It's a horror film, and they hardly ever like those. It will probably make the old white voters uncomfortable. There are few categories it can win besides Picture, probably just Original Screenplay. Yet, in a year where so many in Hollywood fretted over the piss poor overall box office, won't they sort of look foolish for NOT giving the most talked about film the Oscar?

Dunkirk, Call me by Your Name, and The Post have been fighting it out, trying to establish some sort of narrative to usurp the above four films. They will all be nominated, but unless the Academy does something truly unexpected with nominations, I can't see any of these taking the top prize.

Time will tell if Three Billboards can hold its frontrunner status or if backlash takes it down. In any case, here are my final Oscar predictions. Full rankings for each category can be found in the "Contenders" section.

Best Picture
1. Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
2. The Shape of Water
3. Lady Bird
4. Get Out
5. Dunkirk
6. Call Me by Your Name
7. The Post
8. I, Tonya
9. The Big Sick
10. The Florida Project
alternate: Darkest Hour - or- Molly's Game

Director
1. Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
2. Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
3. Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
4. Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
5. Joran Peele, Get Out
alternate: Luca Guadagnino, Call me by Your Name

Lead Actor
1. Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour
2. Timothee Chamalet, Call Me by Your Name
3. Daniel Day Lewis, Phantom Thread
4. James Franco, The Disaster Artist
5. Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
alternate: Denzel Washington, Roman J Israel, Esq.

Lead Actress
1. Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri
2. Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
3. Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
4. Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
5. Meryl Streep, The Post
alternate: Chastain, or Bening, or Dench

Supporting Actor
1. Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
2. Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
3. Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
4. Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World 
5. Armie Hammer, Call Me by Your Name
alternate: Woody Harrelson or Michael Stuhlbarg

Supporting Actress
1. Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
2. Allison Janney, I, Tonya 
3. Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
4. Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
5. Hong Chau, Downsizing
alternate: Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Original Screenplay
1. Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
2. Jordan Peele, Get Out
3. Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside of Ebiing, Missouri
4. Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
5. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjani, The Big Sick
alternate: I, Tonya

Adapted Screenplay

1. James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name 

2. Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game

3. Scott Neustadtler and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist

4. Dee Rees & Virgil Williams, Mudbound 

5. James Mangold & Scott Frank, Logan

alternate: James Gray, The Lost City of Z

Film Editing
1. Dunkirk (Lee Smith)
2. The Shape of Water (Sidney Wolinski)
3. Get Out (Gregory Plotkin)
4. Baby Driver (Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss)
5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Jon Gregory)
alternate: Blade Runner 2049 or The Post

Cinematogaphy
1. Blade Runner 2049 (Roger Deakins)
2. Dunkirk (Hoyte Van Hoytema)
3. The Shape of Water (Dan Lausten)
4. Mudbound (Rachel Morrison)
5. Call Me by Your Name (Sayombhu Mukdeeprom)
alternate: Darkest Hour (Bruno Delbonnel)

Animated Feature
1. Coco
2. The Breadwinner
3. Loving Vincent
4. The LEGO Batman Movie
5. Mary and the Witch's Flower
alternate: Despicable Me 3

Foreign Film
1. In the Fade (Germany)
2. A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
3. The Square (Sweden)
4. Foxtrot (Israel)
5. Loveless (Russia)
alternate: The Insult (Lebanon)

Documentary Feature
1. Jane
2. Faces Places
3. City of Ghosts
4. Icarus
5. Strong Island
alternate: Last Men in Aleppo

Visual Effects
1. War of the Planet of the Apes
2. Blade Runner 2049
3. Dunkirk
4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
5. Okja
alternate: The Shape of Water

AFI announces Top 10 films of 2017, Best Picture race takes shape

The AFI (American Film Institute) announced their top ten films of 2017. Everything (mostly) fell into place, as the Best Picture race firms up. The AFI selections:

The Big Sick
Call me by Your Name
Dunkirk
The Florida Project 
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri 
Wonder Woman

The first and last on the list, The Big Sick and Wonder Woman, are certainly on the shakiest ground for Best Picture. Especially since the other 8 films cited have been firming up their Oscar claims, appearing just about everywhere.

The utility players this season, who so far have dominated the awards circuit are Call me by Your Name, Get Out, and Lady Bird. The Post has also come on strong despite a late entry to the race. Dunkirk remains a visual marvel and directorial feat that will remain in conversations until the end. If we were dealing with a five film Best Picture lineup, I think these might be the five. I still contend that Dunkirk will have a hard time winning since it is not an "actor movie."

So which of the other four would win instead? Hard to say. Will Lady Bird represent the strong year in women in film? Does Call me by Your Name win over voters with visual sumptuousness and a gorgeous coming of age tale? Is Get Out their way to acknowledge the lack of opportunities and equality for people of color? Or will The Post serve as the ultimate middle finger to the Trump administration, being raised high by Hollywood's holy trinity of the father (Spielberg), the son (Hanks), and the holy spirit (Streep)? They all have plausible narratives.

The Shape of Water is also rebounding after a rocky start, and could overtake Dunkirk as the below the line juggernaut (with a very competitive Best Actress entry). And though Martin McDonagh might produce too divisive work to ultimately win the top award, Three Billboards is certainly poised for a nomination thanks to a crusading performance by Frances Mcdormand. The actors are with it. The Florida Project, which I've feared may have only been a "critic's movie" has seen universal praise and rounds out this top 8 pack.

With a 10 picture lineup mathematically improbable, we are looking at maybe one more slot to fill. Most assume it belongs to Darkest Hour. But as of now, the film looks more like Iron Lady (remembered for its winning central performance and makeup) rather than a Best Picture juggernaut. It'll be up to the upcoming industry kudos to change the tide for this one. I'm sure Netflix was thinking Mudbound would be able to resonate with AFI, but they may have to settle for some major awards without an accompanying Best Picture citation. It'll probably be up to the PGA to say otherwise (and a SAG ensemble nomination would also be welcome).

Will a comedy breakthrough? The Big Sick is competitive for Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay, but will undoubtedly feel too light to many voters. Another (much darker) comedy is also in play with I, Tonya. But I have a feeling the voters will go for stories with likable people this year. As Sasha Stone says: "good people doing good things."

Wonder Woman would be one of those good people. If Gal Gadot's pic shows up at the PGA, we will have to reassess its chances. But the issue is that so many genre films were incredible this year. The Academy will probably only have space for one of them, if at all. Will voters looking outside the box be united behind Wonder Woman? Or will they be split between her, Logan, Blade Runner 2049, Beauty and the Beast, Baby Driver, and War of the Planet of the Apes? If it's the later, they all lose.

Of course, maybe I'm looking too hard to find a consensus approved ninth nominee. Maybe the strong eight is our strong eight. And that's it.

1984 is Benched! first 2018 Tony Eligibility Rulings are a Shocker

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the first time, to discuss eligibility rulings for the 2017-2018 Broadway season. The productions discussed in this first round of rulings were 1984, Marvin's Room, The Terms of My Surrender, Prince of Broadway, and Time and the Conways.
The rulings were as follows:

• 1984 has been deemed ineligible. According to a statement, "1984 has been deemed ineligible by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The show did not fulfill all of the eligibility requirements, as outlined by the Tony Rules and Regulations."

• Celia Weston will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for her performance in Marvin's Room.

• David Rockwell and Andrew Lazarow will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on The Terms of My Surrender.

• David Thompson will be considered eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Beowulf Boritt will be considered eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• William Ivey Long will be considered eligible in the Best Costume Design of a Musical category for his work on Prince of Broadway.

• Steven Boyer, Anna Camp, Gabriel Ebert, Charlotte Parry and Matthew James Thomas will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Featured Role in a Play categories for their respective performances in Time and the Conways.

So...if you are scratching your head at that first ruling, you aren't alone. In a bizarre turn, the entire production of 1984 won't be competing for any awards this spring. Huh? To qualify for the Tonys a show must: play in an eligible Broadway house, open during the current Broadway season, provide free admission to the Tony Administration and Nominating Committees. It seemed like the disturbing George Orwell adaptation checked all those boxes.

No further clarification has been given by the Administration Committee, but Jeremy Gerard at Deadline is reporting via anonymous source, that the issue may have arisen because one member of the 51 member Nominating Committee was not able to see the performance. This would be most odd, since attending every show in the season is a requirement for serving as a nominator. In previous years, nominators have had to recuse themselves if they could not attend every show (usually because they found themselves involved in a Broadway project of their own).

It's possible that given the early start date of 1984 (it was the first production of the season, beginning previews on May 18, 2017) that individuals who did not officially become nominators until several weeks into the 2017-2018 season were somehow overlooked in terms of invites. The only other possibility that comes to mind: the failure to submit the show's Tony Compliance Certificate within 16 weeks of opening. Both options for exclusion appear to be silly oversights, but without any official clarification from the Tony Awards, we only have speculation at this time.

As for clarification on what the other rulings mean for Tony eligibility:

• Both Lili Taylor and Janeane Garofalo will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Marvin's Room, with the rest of the cast considered under Featured Actor/Actress

• The entire cast of Prince of Broadway will compete in Featured Actor/Actress in a Musical

• Elizabeth McGovern will be considered under Lead Actress in a Play for Time and the Conways, with the rest of the cast competing under Featured Actor/Actress in a Play

RIP to 1984's Tony chances. And my condolences to whomever Scott Rudin is currently screaming at.

Hello, Sammys! (Or: If I as a Tony Voter 2017)

The Tonys reward the right people more often than not. Certainly more than any other major awards show. But I still find myself rooting for overlooked underdogs every year. And that's why I have The Sammys to imagine the Tonys done my way!

This year was filled to the brim with incredible new works and reimagined classics. Broadway has relinquished its hold on strong new plays in recent years. But that all changed this season when a group of audacious and finely crafted plays made their way to the rialto. "The Encounter" was the most unique offering in a Broadway house in years. "Indecent" dared to delve into an avant-garde ensemble structure usually reserved for only the most experimental Off-Broadway houses. And "A Doll's House, Part 2" cemented Lucas Hnath as one of our top American playwrights with a script that was moving and hysterical. All three instantly joined the ranks of my favorite plays and choosing which was my favorite was incredible difficult.

I was brought to tears by the music in "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Come From Away," had stomach pains from laughing at Bette Midler in "Hello, Dolly!" and Stephanie J. Block in "Falsettos," and was blown away by revamped revivals like Sam Gold's deconstructed "Glass Menagerie."

You can view my actually predictions for tonight's Tony Awards in the Contenders section, but here's how I wish the nominees and winners had shaken out:

Musical
Bandstand
Dear Evan Hansen (winner)
The Great Comet
Come From Away (runner-up)
Groundhog Day

Play
The Encounter
A Doll's House, Part 2 (winner)
Indecent (runner-up)
Oslo
Sweat

Musical Revival
Hello, Dolly! (winner)
Falsettos
Sunset Boulevard (runner-up)

Play Revival
Six Degrees of Separation
The Glass Menagerie (runner-up)
Jitney
The Little Foxes (winner)

Actor - Play
Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
Simon McBurney, "The Encounter" (winner)
Gideon Glick, "Significant Other" (runner-up)
Joe Mantello, "The Glass Menagerie"

Actress - Play
Laurie Metcalf, "A Dolls House, Part 2" (winner)
Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"

Actor - Musical
Corey Cott, "Bandstand" (runner-up)
Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen" (winner)
Josh Groban, "The Great Comet"
Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
Jon Jon Briones, "Miss Saigon"

Actress - Musical
Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
Patti LuPone, "War Paint" (runner-up)
Eva Noblezada, "Miss Saigon"
Denee Benton, "The Great Comet"

Featured Actor - Play
Michael Aronov, "Oslo" (winner)
Anthony Azizi, "Oslo"
Danny DeVito, "The Price"
Nathan Lane, "The Front Page"
Richard Topol, "Indecent" (runner-up)

Featured Actress - Play
Jayne Houdyshell, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (runner-up)
Lindsay Mendez, "Significant Other"
Cynthia Nixon, "The Little Foxes" (winner)
Condola Rashad, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Alison Wright, "Sweat"

Featured Actor - Musical
Gavin Creel, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Andrew Rannells, "Falsettos"
Will Roland, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Brandon Uranowitz, "Falsettos" (runner-up)
Michael Xavier, "Sunset Boulevard"

Featured Actress - Musical
Kate Baldwin, "Hello, Dolly!"
Stephanie J. Block, "Falsettos" (winner)
Jenn Collela, "Come From Away"
Amber Gray, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
Rachel Bay Jones, "Dear Evan Hansen" (runner-up)

Director - Musical
Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away" (runner-up)
Rachel Chavkin, "The Great Comet" (winner)
Michael Grief, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"
Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"

Director - Play
Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Sam Gold, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent" (winner)

Score
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) (winner)
"Groundhog Day" (Tim Minchin)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy) (runner-up)

Book of a Musical
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein) (winner)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Steven Levenson)
"Groundhog Day" (Danny Rubin) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy)

Script of a Play
Joshua Harmon, "Significant Other"
Lucas Hnath, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (winner)
Lynn Nottage, "Sweat" (runner-up)
Simon Stephens, "Heisenberg"
Paula Vogel, "Indecent"

Choreography
"Bandstand" (Andy Blankenbuehler) (winner)
"Come From Away" (Kelly Devine)
"Groundhog Day" (Peter Darling)
"Holiday Inn" (Denis Jones) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Sam Pinkleton)

Orchestrations
"Bandstand" (Bill Elliott & Greg Anthony Rasen)
"Hello, Dolly!" (Larry Hochman) (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (Dave Malloy)
"Sunset Boulevard" (David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber) (runner-up)

Scenic Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day"
"Hello, Dolly!" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812" (winner)

Scenic Design - Play
"Jitney"
"The Little Foxes"
"The Play That Goes Wrong" (winner)
"Six Degrees of Separation" (runner-up)

Costume Design - Musical
"Anastasia"
"Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
"War Paint" (runner-up)

Costumes Design - Play
"A Doll's House, Part 2"
"Les Liaisons Dangerueses"
"The Little Foxes" (winner)
"Present Laughter" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Musical
"Bandstand"
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Play
"The Encounter"
"Indecent" (winner)
"The Little Foxes"
"Oslo" (runner-up)

Sound Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Come From Away"
"Miss Saigon" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (winner)

Sound Design - Play
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Jitney"
"Significant Other"

Projection Design - Play or Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Oslo"

WINS
5 - "Hello, Dolly!"
3 - "Dear Evan Hansen," "A Dolls House Part 2," "The Encounter," "The Great Comet,"
     "The Little Foxes"
2 - "Indecent"
1 - "Bandstand," "Come From Away," "Falsettos," "Groundhog Day," "Oslo,"
     "The Play That Goes Wrong"