‘La La Land’ ties for Oscars record

By Tatianna Salisbury

The romantic movie-musical “La La Land” received a record of 14 nominations, including one for Best Picture on Tuesday when Oscar nominations were announced. The film made history as the only movie to tie with “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the record of most nominations.

The big buzz surrounding “La La Land” is too loud to ignore, as the film has been grabbing nominations left and right this award season. This doesn’t quite come as a shock when considering the film’s tremendous success at the Golden Globes, leaving with all seven awards it was nominated for.

“La La Land” will compete at the Oscars for the titles of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. The film’s star couple, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, have both received nominations for best lead as well.

This success is not only great for the stars, but for Lionsgate, the film’s production company, as well. The original screenplay was met with skepticism as many movie musicals have a history of being box office flops such as “Burlesque,” released in 2010, and “Rock of Ages,” released in 2012. “La La Land” has proven to be the exception, quickly climbing to the top of the box office charts. The film has grossed over $175 million worldwide to date, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Sunshine and musical numbers aren’t the only thing attracting Oscar-voter attention. “Hidden Figures” received a nomination for Best Picture as well, with one of its lead actresses, Octavia Spencer, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film tells a story of three fiercely ambitious and determined women who were instrumental in the the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

The Oscars are designed to showcase and celebrate the hilarious and the heroic, never valuing showmanship over sensitivity. The nominees for Best Picture, including the titles above as well as seven others, embody the best, most creative and most thoughtful variety of film this past year has seen.

With the excitement comes a few eye rolls, however, and Hollywood is under some scrutiny for turning their backs on a few star-studded projects. Clint Eastwood’s touching film “Sully,” starring Tom Hanks, received one measly nomination for Best Sound Editing, surely a devastating blow for Hanks and Eastwood. “Deadpool” sparked interest during the Golden Globes with its nomination for Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture, and the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds, was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The film was widely received by audiences across the country but failed to turn any Oscar-voter heads.

Perhaps the biggest shock came when ABC initially listed Amy Adams in the category for Best Actress, later releasing a statement saying her nomination was a mistake. Her film “Arrival” is up for eight categories, but Adams was not recognized as a top performer.

Viewers can tune into the 89th Academy Awards at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 on ABC with late-night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, hosting the show.