It's no secret the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never been fond of recognizing genre films at the Academy Awards. Science fiction has always been a particularly tough sell when it comes to the venerated Best Picture award. Even 2001: A Space Odyssey, widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, was snubbed in that particular category.
Recent years' nominations suggest that's finally changing, however. 2022's list of Oscar nominations includes a Best Picture nom for Dune, making Denis Villeneuve's adaptation only the 13th sci-fi film to receive that honor. Let's take a look back at the list of sci-fi flicks nominated for Best Picture and why it's been such an uphill battle for this genre at the Oscars.
2001: A Space Odyssey may have been snubbed in the Best Picture category, but at least Stanley Kubrick still has the distinction of directing the first sci-fi film to be be nominated. That achievement came two years later with A Clockwork Orange. It probably didn't hurt that A Clockwork Orange's sci-fi elements are more low-key than most. This may be a film set in a dystopian future, but it's all about the tone and the career-making performance from star Malcolm McDowell.
The Star Wars franchise often cleans up at the Oscars when it comes to technical awards, but it's rarely found much traction in other categories. However, the original Star Wars does have the distinction of being the one entry in the series to be nominated for Best Picture. Given that Star Wars was such a cultural milestone in 1977, perhaps the Academy voters felt they had no choice but to recognize George Lucas' space epic.
Given his knack for blending high-concept plots, grand adventure and deeply human conflict, it comes as no surprise that Steven Spielberg won the hearts of the Academy with 1982's E.T. Even the staunchest anti-sci-fi voter couldn't argue against this one.
Following E.T.'s Best Picture nomination, it would be several decades before the Academy recognized another sci-fi film in the Best Picture category. When the dam finally broke, the Academy wound up nominating two sci-fi movies in one year. Leave it to the tag-team combo of James Cameron and Neill Blomkamp to manage that feat. Blomkamp's District 9 was a natural choice, given that it uses aliens as an allegory for South Africa's apartheid government. As for Cameron's Avatar, that seems to have been another case like Star Wars, where it was simply too much a part of the cultural zeitgeist to ignore.
The 2011 Best Picture nominees were an unusually diverse bunch, including a Coen Bros. Western (True Grit), a Pixar sequel (Toy Story 3) and a boxing movie (The Fighter). Christopher Nolan's high-concept heist film Inception managed to land a place among that eclectic bunch. Inception was the first Nolan movie to earn a Best Picture nom, though it would later be joined by 2016's Dunkirk.
Gravity was among the most heavily represented films at the 2014 Academy Awards, and it wound up taking home quite a few trophies. Clearly, the voters were bowled over by director Alfonso Cuaron's ability to make the viewer feel like an astronaut stranded in orbit. But though Cuaron took home the Best Director award that year, Gravity ultimately lost Best Picture to 12 Years a Slave.
Joining Gravity that year was the quirky sci-fi love story Her. With Oscar mainstays Spike Jonze writing and directing and Joaquin Phoenix starring, it was no surprise Her also crept into the Best Picture category.
2015 continued the trend of two sci-fi films being nominated for Best Picture. And this pair could hardly have been more different from one another. On one hand, George Miller presented a hellish (yet quite stylish) vision of the future in Mad Max: Fury Road. On the other, Ridley Scott gave audiences a feel-good story about an astronaut persevering against the most overwhelming odds imaginable. Neither film won that year, but it was becoming increasingly clear that sci-fi trappings were no longer a barrier to entry at the Oscars.
Prior to Dune, Denis Villeneuve directed another Oscar-nominated sci-fi film in Arrival. Once again, the Academy wasn't quite moved enough to give Arrival the top award, but even the nomination was a testament to Villeneuve's mastery of the genre.
If there's any genre the Academy spurns more than science fiction, it's superhero movies. But apparently the combination of the two is enough to overcome all barriers. Black Panther became the first superhero movie to earn a Best Picture nomination, something even The Dark Knight couldn't manage back in 2009. The Academy seemed to recognize the importance of Marvel's first film focused on a majority Black cast, and the presence of Oscar darlings like director Ryan Coogler and stars Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan clearly didn't hurt.
Dune has now become the second Denis Villeneuve-directed film to be nominated for Best Picture. The question now is whether it can accomplish what Arrival couldn't and become the first sci-fi film to actually take home that trophy. The odds aren't great, considering the competition and the Academy's historic reluctance to honor science fiction. But even if Dune comes up short, there's always hope for the sequel.
The 94th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to IGN for coverage of the awards.
What iconic sci-fi films should have been nominated for Best Picture? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know your pick in the comments below.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...
Recent years' nominations suggest that's finally changing, however. 2022's list of Oscar nominations includes a Best Picture nom for Dune, making Denis Villeneuve's adaptation only the 13th sci-fi film to receive that honor. Let's take a look back at the list of sci-fi flicks nominated for Best Picture and why it's been such an uphill battle for this genre at the Oscars.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
2001: A Space Odyssey may have been snubbed in the Best Picture category, but at least Stanley Kubrick still has the distinction of directing the first sci-fi film to be be nominated. That achievement came two years later with A Clockwork Orange. It probably didn't hurt that A Clockwork Orange's sci-fi elements are more low-key than most. This may be a film set in a dystopian future, but it's all about the tone and the career-making performance from star Malcolm McDowell.
Star Wars (1977)
The Star Wars franchise often cleans up at the Oscars when it comes to technical awards, but it's rarely found much traction in other categories. However, the original Star Wars does have the distinction of being the one entry in the series to be nominated for Best Picture. Given that Star Wars was such a cultural milestone in 1977, perhaps the Academy voters felt they had no choice but to recognize George Lucas' space epic.
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Given his knack for blending high-concept plots, grand adventure and deeply human conflict, it comes as no surprise that Steven Spielberg won the hearts of the Academy with 1982's E.T. Even the staunchest anti-sci-fi voter couldn't argue against this one.
Avatar (2009) & District 9 (2009)
Following E.T.'s Best Picture nomination, it would be several decades before the Academy recognized another sci-fi film in the Best Picture category. When the dam finally broke, the Academy wound up nominating two sci-fi movies in one year. Leave it to the tag-team combo of James Cameron and Neill Blomkamp to manage that feat. Blomkamp's District 9 was a natural choice, given that it uses aliens as an allegory for South Africa's apartheid government. As for Cameron's Avatar, that seems to have been another case like Star Wars, where it was simply too much a part of the cultural zeitgeist to ignore.
Inception (2010)
The 2011 Best Picture nominees were an unusually diverse bunch, including a Coen Bros. Western (True Grit), a Pixar sequel (Toy Story 3) and a boxing movie (The Fighter). Christopher Nolan's high-concept heist film Inception managed to land a place among that eclectic bunch. Inception was the first Nolan movie to earn a Best Picture nom, though it would later be joined by 2016's Dunkirk.
Gravity (2013) & Her (2013)
Gravity was among the most heavily represented films at the 2014 Academy Awards, and it wound up taking home quite a few trophies. Clearly, the voters were bowled over by director Alfonso Cuaron's ability to make the viewer feel like an astronaut stranded in orbit. But though Cuaron took home the Best Director award that year, Gravity ultimately lost Best Picture to 12 Years a Slave.
Joining Gravity that year was the quirky sci-fi love story Her. With Oscar mainstays Spike Jonze writing and directing and Joaquin Phoenix starring, it was no surprise Her also crept into the Best Picture category.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) & The Martian (2015)
2015 continued the trend of two sci-fi films being nominated for Best Picture. And this pair could hardly have been more different from one another. On one hand, George Miller presented a hellish (yet quite stylish) vision of the future in Mad Max: Fury Road. On the other, Ridley Scott gave audiences a feel-good story about an astronaut persevering against the most overwhelming odds imaginable. Neither film won that year, but it was becoming increasingly clear that sci-fi trappings were no longer a barrier to entry at the Oscars.
Arrival (2016)
Prior to Dune, Denis Villeneuve directed another Oscar-nominated sci-fi film in Arrival. Once again, the Academy wasn't quite moved enough to give Arrival the top award, but even the nomination was a testament to Villeneuve's mastery of the genre.
Black Panther (2018)
If there's any genre the Academy spurns more than science fiction, it's superhero movies. But apparently the combination of the two is enough to overcome all barriers. Black Panther became the first superhero movie to earn a Best Picture nomination, something even The Dark Knight couldn't manage back in 2009. The Academy seemed to recognize the importance of Marvel's first film focused on a majority Black cast, and the presence of Oscar darlings like director Ryan Coogler and stars Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan clearly didn't hurt.
Dune (2021)
Dune has now become the second Denis Villeneuve-directed film to be nominated for Best Picture. The question now is whether it can accomplish what Arrival couldn't and become the first sci-fi film to actually take home that trophy. The odds aren't great, considering the competition and the Academy's historic reluctance to honor science fiction. But even if Dune comes up short, there's always hope for the sequel.
The 94th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to IGN for coverage of the awards.
What iconic sci-fi films should have been nominated for Best Picture? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know your pick in the comments below.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...