Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | March 26 - April 1, 2022 By Kyla Brewer TV Media W ith everything going on in the world right now, most people could use some posi- tivity. Hollywood is about to an- swer the call with red carpet glamour as stars celebrate the power of film to not only enter- tain but educate, uplift and unite us. A trio of fabulous, funny wom- en take the stage to co-host the (mostly) live, in-person 94th Acad- emy Awards, airing Sunday, March 28, on ABC. Wanda Sykes ("The Upshaws"), Amy Schumer ("The Humans," 2021) and Regina Hall ("Support the Girls," 2018) have been recruited to bring levity and humor to the highly anticipated event, no small feat given the state of the world. But if anyone can do it, they can, according to Oscars producer Will Packer. "This year's show is all about uniting movie lovers," Packer said. "It's apropos that we've lined up three of the most dynamic, hilari- ous women with very different co- medic styles. I know the fun Regi- na, Amy and Wanda will be hav- ing will translate to our audience as well. Packer finished up by saying, "Many surprises in store! Expect the unexpected!" While this year marks the first time any of the comedians have hosted the Oscars, veteran di- rector Glenn Weiss returns to helm the ceremony for the sev- enth time. Having won two Em- mys for previous work on the Oscars telecast, Weiss is well poised to bring the gala back in style. This year, the star-studded awards ceremony returns to its traditional home: the Dolby The- atre in Hollywood. Last year's subdued, physically distanced event held at Union Station in Los Angeles (due to the COV- ID-19 pandemic) failed to wow viewers, and its viewership num- bers plummeted below 10 mil- lion. Producers hope to reverse that trend this year with a star- studded telecast featuring a mix of up-and-comers and Holly- wood A-listers. In early March, it was an- nounced that Kevin Costner ("Yellowstone"), Zoë Kravitz ("Big Little Lies"), Lady Gaga ("House of Gucci," 2021), Rosie Perez ("The Flight Attendant"), Chris Rock ("Everybody Hates Chris") and Youn Yuh-jung ("Mi- nari," 2020) were slated to pres- ent. They will be among those welcoming dedicated artists and craftspeople to the stage to ac- cept awards for acting, directing and more. "The Power of the Dog" has earned the most nominations this season, with 12 Oscar nods, including one in the coveted Best Picture category. Based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name, the Netflix west- ern is unique in a number of ways: It is the first film directed by a woman to earn more than 10 Oscar nods; director Jane Campion is the first woman to be nominated twice for Best Di- rector, the first time being for 1993's "The Piano"; and director of photography Ari Wegner ("In Fabric," 2018) is the second woman nominated for Best Cin- ematography in the ceremony's 94-year history. In addition to acting nomina- tions for "The Power of the Dog" stars Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Imitation Game," 2014) and Kodi Smit-McPhee ("X-Men: Apocalypse," 2016), the film's real-life couple Kirsten Dunst ("On Becoming a God in Central Florida") and Jesse Plemons ("The Irishman," 2019) have both been nominated in sup- porting acting categories for their talent. Married couple Javi- er Bardem ("No Country for Old Men," 2007) and Penélope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona," 2008) are also each nominated in acting categories for "Being the Ricardos" and "Parallel Mothers," respectively, marking the first time in Oscars history that two real-life couples have been nominated in all four major acting categories. Best Picture nominations are rounded out by "Belfast," "CODA," "Don't Look Up," "Drive My Car," "Dune," "King Richard," "Licorice Pizza," "Nightmare Al- ley" and "West Side Story." It is worth noting that in a ca- reer of milestones, Steven Spiel- berg ("Schindler's List," 1993) has reached one more. His nomination for "West Side Story" makes Spiel- berg the first director in history to be nominated across six decades. (His 11 Best Picture nominations have also set a record.) While it would be tedious to list every nomination this year, there are a few of note. Along with Campion and Spielberg, Best Director nomi- nees include Kenneth Branagh (for "Belfast"), Ryusuke Hama- guchi (for "Drive My Car") and Paul Thomas Anderson (for "Lico- rice Pizza"). Bardem and Cum- berbatch face competition from Andrew Garfield (for "Tick, Tick... Boom!"), Will Smith (for "King Richard") and Denzel Washing- ton (for "The Tragedy of Mac- beth") in the Best Actor category, while Cruz is in good company in the Best Actress category with Jessica Chastain (for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"), Olivia Colman (for "The Lost Daughter"), Nicole Kidman (for "Being the Ricar- dos") and Kristen Stewart (for "Spencer"). Fans in search of other categories can find that in- formation at the official Oscars website, oscars.org. Sometimes the big news is not so much who was nominated, but who wasn't. Among this year's Oscar snubs, neither Lady Gaga ("House of Gucci") nor Jennifer Hudson ("Respect") were nominated in the Best Ac- tress category, a surprise to many. Denis Villeneuve did not get a directing nod for "Dune," despite the film earning 10 nomi- nations (second only to "The Power of the Dog"). In another snub, previous six-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio ("Don't Look Up") was left out of the Best Ac- tor category. Others who are surprisingly not in contention include Caitrio- na Balfe ("Belfast"), Ruth Negga ("Passing"), Ben Affleck ("The Tender Bar"), Cate Blanchett ("Nightmare Alley," "Don't Look Up"), Bradley Cooper ("Licorice Pizza") and Jared Leto ("House of Gucci") for acting, as well as Aaron Sorkin ("Being the Ricar- dos") and Tony Kushner ("West Side Story") for their screenplays. Whether your favorites made the list or not, watch as stars cel- ebrate 2021 in film at the 94th Academy Awards, airing Sunday, March 27, on ABC. Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst star in "The Power of the Dog" Lights, camera, action: Academy Awards shine spotlight on year's best films 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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