For Your Consideration: Best Actor, Best Picture, and More…

Okay, here we go…

With his Screen Actors Guild award signalling the way, Denzel Washington in Fences (pictured with Supporting Actress front runner, Viola Davis) looms the obvious frontrunner in the Best Actor category, and good for him. He’s a national treasure, as much a true-blue actor as he is a bona fide movie star.  His Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Glory, 1989) and Best Actor (Training Day, 2001) already make him the most honored African-American actor in Academy history (that is, excluding Sidney Poitier who counts 1 competitive and 1 honorary Oscar among his victories) ; moreover, his total of 8 Oscar nods, 7 for acting and 1 for producing Fences (a Best Picture nominee) puts him in the same league as such luminaries as Marlon Brando. Peter O’Toole, Jack Lemmon, Richard Burton, and Dustin Hoffman, among a slight few others.  He’s already in such rarified company as  the aforementioned Lemmon, Robert De Niro, and Kevin Spacey as supporting winners who further earned trophies in the leading actor category unlike, say, Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman who won their first Oscars for starring roles before picking up second statuettes as supporting candidates.  As with Nicholson, if Washington wins, he’ll be one of a select few actors with three golden boys: Walter Brennan, Nicholson, and Daniel Day-Lewis; moreover, if Washington wins, and it’s a  mighty powerful performance to be sure, he’ll take his place alongside Sir Laurence Olivier (Hamlet) and Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful, 1998) as the only performers to direct their own Oscar winning performance. Not a bad way to be remembered in the history books. Once upon a time, this prize seemed destined for Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), but Washington’s effort as, again, his film’s leading actor, director, and co-producer registers as the more significant achievement.

I haven’t actually seen Viggo Mortensen (right) in Captain Fantastic, one of the few 2016 releases that I somehow missed during its first run; nonetheless, I have only heard wonderful things about it. I’m glad to see Mortensen back in the Oscar race. Can you believe it’s been a walloping 9 years since his first (and until recently only) nomination for the riotous  Eastern Promises? I hope to catch up with this one soon.

Regarding Best Actress, meh. With Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) out of the running and Viola Davis (Fences) relegated to supporting actress status, I’m at a bit of a loss. My sincere belief is that Davis would have won in this category, and handily, if Paramount (with the actress’ consent) had chosen a different campaign strategy. Early enthusiasm for Natalie Portman’s mannered, if effective, portrayal of widowed First Lady Jackie Kennedy seems to have evaporated. Maybe it’s because she already won an Oscar (Black Swan, 2010) and her career in the interim as, till now, been…nothing special.  Personally, I’m still kicking myself that I missed seeing Ruth Negga in Loving in what seemed to be an abbreviated theatrical run in the DFW area. I know many people who still hold high hopes that she’ll win. We’ll be watching it in our household soon. I also wish I’d seen Isabelle Huppert in Elle, directed by always provocative Paul Verhoeven. Huppert is always worth watching. She and her film, btw, just won top honors at France’s Oscar equivalent, the César awards. I don’t consider myself a true Meryl Streep devotee. Instead, I take her on a case by case basis, but it’s hard to knock a track record that includes 20 Oscar nominations. I actually think her turn as Florence Foster Jenkins ranks as one of her best, and I’m thrilled that the Academy saw fit to recognize such an unlikely vehicle (a summer release based on the life of an amateur opera singer of minute talent and deep pockets), but this isn’t the film that will earn Streep a fourth Oscar. Barring an upset by Negga, La La Land looks to be Oscar gold for Emma Stone, her first Best Actress race (after being nominated as a supporting player for 2014’s Birdman). Stone is a refreshing talent, and she brings such tremendous enthusiasm to La La Land that it’s hard not to like her in it, but I don’t think it represents her best work, either.  Meanwhile, what about Amy Adams (Arrival), Annette Bening (20th Century Women), and Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train)? Not to mention, again, Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis?

For Best Picture, La La Land‘s 14 nominations, a three way tie with All About Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997) as Oscar’s most nominated pics (both Best Picture winners, as well), will be hard to beat in the final stretch. Michael and I saw La La Land on Christmas Day, and we both enjoyed it tremendously. Believe me when I say there wasn’t a single frame in which I was anything less than entertained. I truly believe it is one of the best movies of the year, and I applaud the efforts of all involved getting an original live-action musical through the development phase and on to the big screen, a no doubt heroic feat–though not necessarily more heroic than the effort it must have taken to see either Hidden Fences (headlined by three African-American actresses, two of whom are over 40) or Moonlight (a movie about life on the streets and the effect of drugs, minus stereotypical gang warfare, that is, excessive gun violence ) to fruition, but I digress.   That a dicey proposition such as La La Land should catch on like gangbusters has to be quite a thrill. But I don’t think it’s THE best film of the year, and that’s my prerogative. It’s my opinion. Do I think a certain amount of La La Land backlash has set in? Yep. But I also think that is to be expected, and I don’t really think it will matter so much. After all, Titanic faced similar last minute harrumphing to no avail.

If I were voting, I’d be torn, and I do mean torn, between Hidden Figures (above) and Moonlight (below). I love, love, love the former because it tells a never before told true story, a story that needed to be told, and has proven to be monstrously popular. It also features a host of lively performances, giving such reputable performers as Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer (Best Supporting Actress nominee), Janelle Monáe, and Mahershala Ali, a chance to shine. That’s quite an accomplishment, one that registered strongly enough with members of the Screen Actors Guild to warrant its top prize. Of course, in 2011 the SAG accorded similar honors to The Help though it could not get around the Academy’s love for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius’s cheeky Hollywood send-up, The Artist.

As much as I love Hidden Figures, and applaud its massive success, I think the greater artistic achievement lies with Moonlight, tied with Arrival as the year’s second most nominated movie with a total of 8 nods, including two for director and co-screenwriter Barry Jenkins.  He shares writing credit with Tarell Alvin McCraney upon whose semi-autobiographical play the film is based. Whatever its strengths, Moonlight runs short on the crowd pleasing pizzaz that marks both Hidden Figures and La La Land, making it tougher sell; however, in its depiction of a young back male living in poverty, from elementary school through the teen years and beyond, Moonlight exudes rare insight into the world that shapes who we are, and almost no film in recent memory demonstrates greater clarity  of what it feels like to grow up queer in a world of heteronormative expectations.  What it really asks from audiences is understanding. Understanding.  A win for Moonlight, over shiny, candy-coated La La Land, won’t necessarily rate as a stunning upset, but it will be startling. Kudos, by the way, to Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes, all of whom play the main character over the course of Moonlight‘s three acts. What an amazing achievement for these actors and director Jenkins, especially as three performances meld into a seamless whole, with middle (Sanders) and concluding (Rhodes) portrayals echoing the first (Hibbert).  Actually, a similar effect is achieved through the clever casting of Jaden Piner, Jharrell Jerome, and Andre Holland who all share the role of lead Chiron’s lifelong bf Kevin.

The delightful Zootopia (l) wherein a rabbit from the countryside (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin)  tries to score big as a police officer in the big bad city (with unlikely assist from a fox voiced by Jason Bateman) sat unchallenged as my favorite 2016 flick for most of the year. Its message is one of hope and positivity, but it’s not heavy-handed. Mainly, it’s just fun.  Though not as widely hyped as its Disney sister Moana,  Zootopia is turning out to be the toon to beat in the Best Animated Feature film category. It all but swept the Annie awards (specifically honoring the work of artists and technicians in the animation field), capturing top honors along with a Golden Globe, a Producers’ Guild Award, and accolades from, among others, the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.  Almost nothing will please me more than for this one to win in its only category though I keep hearing rumblings about Kubo and the Two Strings.

My vote for the movie most inexplicably ignored by the Academy is the lush melodrama The Light Between Oceans, adapted by writer-director Derek Cianfrance from the best selling novel by M.L. Stedman. The movie was hardly a box-office hit, likely because today’s moviegoers aren’t receptive to its melodramatic (there’s that word again) flourishes, so it’s not surprising that it was glossed over, say, for Best Picture or Best Director. Okay, sure. On the other hand, the performances by Michael Fassbender (in the running last year for Steve Jobs), Alicia Vikander (last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner for The Danish Girl), and Rachel Weisz (2005’s Best Supporting Actress for The Constant Gardener) were on-point; however, the biggest omission, by far, is that of cinematographer Adam Arkapaw who wasn’t singled out for any year-end honors, not even among members of the American Society of Cinematographers. La La Land, all colorful, sunny, and sparkling, might have the lead here,  but Arrival and Lion have admirers as well.

All right, now, fasten your seat belts….and thanks for your consideration.

 

For Your Consideration: Best Supporting Actor

This year’s race for Best Supporting Actor includes a previous winner–with a total of 7 nominations–an additional previous nominee, and three Oscar newcomers–but one such exciting newcomer, at least to the Academy,  will give the previous champ a run for his money.

Prior to his whiz-bang 2016 breakout performances in Moonlight (above) and Hidden Figures, Mahershala Ali racked up impressive credits in the likes of Crossing Jordan, The Curious Cage of Benjamin Button, House of Cards, The Place Beyond the Pines, and Luke Cage, proof that overnight success rarely occurs overnight.

Drumroll please…and the likely victor…more drumroll…is…Mahershala Ali in Moonlight. Officially, Ali is in the running for his performance as a shady if well-meaning mentor to the main character, a boy named Chiron being raised by a single mom. Chiron is the film’s central character, and the movie charts his life over a period of more than 10 years, from elementary school to several years after his teens, with three mostly well-matched actors playing the character as he grows from boy to man.

Ali’s Juan functions as an unlikely father figure who takes to the shy boy and wants to teach him about life,  how to stand up for himself against the bullies on the playground. But Juan really isn’t the right man for the job. He’s a bit of a thug himself, a criminal, and his hands aren’t exactly clean as Chiron comes to realize in one of the film’s tense, awkward scenes, the moment when Juan has to “be a man” and answer Chiron’s tough questions. It’s an incredibly well-played, understated  moment. Ali only appears in the first third of the film, but he makes a lasting impression in a true supporting role.

In addition to a host of awards he has claimed during the current awards season, Mahershala Ali earned two trophies at the recent Screen Actors Guild awards: one for his specific supporting performance in Moonlight and another as part of the Hidden Figures ensemble cast.

I think what propels Ali to frontrunner status, besides his obvious, complex talent, is the added bonus of his recent Screen Actors Guild award. That has to be a plus considering the voting body overlaps with that of the Academy; moreover, Ali has dominated the competition for most of the awards season, laying claim to prizes from the likes of the New York Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Broadcast Film Critics, the National Society of Film Critics, and the DFW Film Critics. I would definitely call that a streak. Add to all that, the bonus of appearing in not one but two Best Picture nominees: both Moonlight and Hidden Figures. In the latter, he portrays real-life army officer Jim Johnson who courts widowed Katherine Johnson, memorably played by Taraji P. Henson. He makes a dashing romantic lead, to be sure, and when taken together, both performances showcase good ole fashioned versatility. No doubt.

I say Ali is the man to beat because, besides all of the above, Moonlight is an amazing film, one of the most incredibly insightful films I have ever seen. No, it’s not a crowd pleaser on the order of La La Land or Hidden Figures,  but its impact is hard to shake, and Academy members are likely to respond.

One of the few awards that somehow bypassed Ali is the Golden Globe. Instead, the Hollywood Foreign Press opted for Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water), grizzled and ornery as ever, as a Texas Ranger in determined pursuit of a pair of bank robbers, siblings, portrayed by Chris Pine (exceptionally strong) and Ben Foster. A decade ago, Bridges was a four time nominee with 0 wins. Then, came 2009’s Crazy Heart, in which he played a broken-down country & western singer trying to pull himself back together. Suddenly, on his fifth try, Bridges was everywhere, winning awards all over the place, and the Academy followed suit. Then, Bridges scored his 6th nomination the very next year when he more or less stepped into John Wayner’s Oscar winning shoes as “Rooster Cogburn” in the Coens’ reboot of True Grit. Now, in Hell or High Water, Bridges plays a character not unlike Cogburn, and that’s why I think he won’t win. The Academy has already seen this portrayal in a different film, and Bridges is no longer the hard working vet who has yet to be honored with a statuette of his own. That noted, Bridges has one truly sublime scene, a confrontation with Pine that is just as powerfully underplayed as the scene between Ali’s Juan and Chiron in Moonlight. So, maybe it’s not over…yet. Btw, Bridges’ six previous nominations stack up as follows: Best Supporting Actor for The Last Picture Show (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), and as the President of the United States in The Contender (2000), along with Best Actor nods for Starman (1984), Crazy Heart (2009), and True Grit. Whew!

Meanwhile, sitting in the wings as a possible spoiler is no less than Dev Patel for the highly promoted, fact-based,  Lion. Moviegoers have enjoyed this exciting young actor for almost a decade, beginning with 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire and up through The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) and TV’s Newsroom. He’s a stunner, but he’s also young and will likely have better opportunities. Technically, he plays the lead character–but only as an adult. Apparently, the bulk of the story is told through flashbacks with a much younger actor essaying the role. Speaking of young, Lucas Hedge, of Manchester by the Sea, is only 20, about the same age as Timothy Hutton when he triumphed for 1980’s Ordinary People. But remember this: Hutton’s film was a major contender, plus he was second generation Hollywood; plus, it was just, again, obvious that Hutton had the showiest role in his respective film. Hedge fights an uphill battle. Despite reams of critical acclaim that greeted Manchester by the Sea, interest in it seems to have waned compared to, say, La La Land, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight. Did you know, btw, that the Academy members have historically been less responsive to juvenile actors than, say, juvenile actresses? Okay, so, technically Hedge is not necessarily a juvenile actor, but the role is that of a juvenile. Will that make a difference?

Finally, the wild card: Michael Shannon, back in the race almost 10 years after his first nod for 2008’s Revolutionary Road. Now, he is in the running for his turn as a detective in Nocturnal Animals‘ film within a film, that is, the dramatization of one the main character’s novels. Sounds quirky? That’s what Michael Shannon does. Quirky. Nocturnal Animals is the second feature film from designer-turned-director Tom Ford, who previously guided no less than Colin Firth to his first Oscar nomination–for 2009’s A Single Man, but I digress. Since Revolutionary Road, Shannon has garnered attention for the likes of Mud, Take Shelter, 99 Homes, and TV’s Boardwalk Empire. He even played Elvis Presley opposite no less than Kevin Spacey in Elvis & Nixon, as in Richard Nixon. See? Quirky, right? No doubt, Shannon is a hard worker, and he excels, kind of like Josh Brolin, in roles that might intimidate other actors. Plus, he’s been around for years, with credits going back as far as 1993’s Groundhog Day. The question is, whether the Academy believes Nocturnal Animals is a significant enough achievement to push Shannon to the head of the pack. I don’t see it. After all, look how long Bridges had to wait. FYI: Did you know that Shannon and Ali are about the same age, with the IMDb showing both of them born in 1974?

Did the  Academy overlook any worthwhile contenders? Well, yeah, maybe. Oh, I’m all about Mahershala Ali, the first and best choice, but I was also rooting for Alden Ehrenreich as the young (dare I say, “dim”) singing cowboy in the Coens’ salute to 1950s’ Hollywood, Hail, Caesar! This exciting actor created a little buzz during the current awards season, but not enough. Enjoying a slightly higher profile is Simon Helberg, Golden Globe nominee for playing Florence Foster Jenkins‘ put upon pianist.  Both actors turned in crowd pleasing performances, no doubt, but not enough to sway Academy members. Maybe their high profile efforts in 2016 will net better opportunities in the future.  

Right now, hopefully, it’s Mahershala Ali’s moment to shine.

Thanks for your consideration…

 

For Your Consideration: Best Supporting Actress

Well, here we are: Oscar season is in full-swing, and to the surprise of no one, La La Land grabbed the lion’s share of nominations, tying for the most nominations with the likes of All About Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997), both of which went on to win Best Picture honors. Even knowing past history, I’m still not convinced that La La Land can sail to an easy victory, and my guess is that Moonlight, with 8 nominations (including an all important bid for director Barry Jenkins) and Hidden Figures will attract voters who aren’t as easily swayed by La La Land’s razzle-dazzle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Even though Theodore Melfi, the director and co-writer of Hidden Figures, was snubbed for his directorial efforts, the fact that Hidden Figures just claimed “Best Ensemble” honors from the Screen Actors Guild shows strong support for the film, overall–and, please note, La La Land wasn’t even nominated for Best Ensemble by SAG voters. Fancy that.

Best Actor nominee Denzel Washington (r) and Best Supporting Actress nominee Viola Davis (l) won Tony awards, as Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, for their portrayals in the 2010 revival of playwright August Wilson’s 1987 Tony and Pulitzer winner. Davis is clearly the actress to beat in this category. She and Washington just won SAG awards for their stellar performances.

Elsewhere, setting a new Academy record is Viola Davis, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Fences (up for 4 awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Denzel Washington). Davis has made history by being the first African-American actress to earn a total of three Oscar nods. She was first in the running for her supporting role as a hurt, confused, and protective mother trying to push through an unforgivable tresspass  in 2008’s Doubt, starring Meryl Streep. Three years later, she competed against Streep for Best Actress honors: Davis for The Help and Streep, the victor, for The Iron Lady.  Curiously, Davis is now competing in a race that includes Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), who actually won an Oscar for her supporting turn in The Help. That means that Spencer is now tied with Whoopi Goldberg as the second most nominated African American actress in Academy history, having been nominated for Best Actress (The Color Purple) in 1985/86. and winning Best Supporting Actress (Ghost) in 1990/91. To compare, Davis’s Fences co-star Denzel Washington (already a two-time winner) is in his 7th and 8th Oscar races as he is credited, besides his acting nomination, as one of the Best Picture candidate’s producers..

Based on her recent wins at the Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and  SAG awards, Davis looks to be an Oscar shoon-in. Certainly, hers is a towering talent and she masterfully–masterfully–portrays the put-upon wife of Washington’s character. Oh, he’s a slippery SOB, a surly drunk who abuses the trust of his loved ones, especially Davis’  character. Most of the time, she works at being good-natured. Then, she reaches the point at which the betrayal simply hurts too much, consumes her, and she lashes back. But good. In a performance that spans the full emotional gamut, Davis is fierce, ferocious, formidable, and unforgettable, but the Academy has gotten it wrong. The fault is not Davis but the category in which she has been nominated.

Simply, this is Best Actress material as evidenced by the Best Actress Tony award Davis won for the 2010 revival of the play upon which the film is based–also opposite Denzel Washington. To be fair, the great Mary Alice, who originated the role in the 1987 Pulitzer winner, won her award in the Featured (or supporting) rather than Leading category. The Tony committee has concrete guidelines for these distinctions. Typically, performers billed above the title are “leading” while cast members billed below the title are “featured.” Simple enough…unless an appeal by a producer warrants renewed consideration. Obviously, backing up to Mary Alice, it would seem that she had been billed below the title in deference to star-billed James Earl Jones, the marquee draw. At this point, Viola Davis has earned over the title status, so the point should be moot; after all, no less than legendary Bette Davis once famously harrumphed that she would NEVER agree to Best Supporting Actress consideration for any award, regardless of role size, because she was a star and always earned over the title billing. Also, the late Peter Finch railed at the suggestion that his character in Network, famously deranged news anchor Howard Beale, could EVER be considered supporting. The whole story hinged on Beale’s nervous breakdown; however, as the story goes, another take was that if Finch were to be nominated for Best Actor, he would likely split votes with Best Actor hopeful William Holden from the same film. Ultimately, Finch won both the argument and the Oscar, posthumously, of course, but the nomination was already in the bag. Likewise, Anthony Hopkins also bristled at the notion of being listed as supporting player for Silence of the Lambs even though, to this moviegoer’s mind, that would have been the better fit due to the character’s limited screen time, but Hopkins emerged victorious anyway. I still think Nick Nolte should have won that year for The Prince of Tides, but it’s hard to ignore the cultural impact of Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

These controversies and inconsistencies go way, way back by the way. Luise Rainer won her first Best Actress Oscar for 1936’s The Great Ziegfeld in what was essentially a supporting role powered by one well played tearjerking scene; Barry Fitzgerald was actually nominated for Best Actor AND Best Supporting Actor for 1944’s Going My Way, winning the latter and watching top-billed Bing Crosby from the same film carry the former…and then, of course, the dreaded Louise Fletcher being promoted to “Best Actress” status for her role in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to take advantage of what producers saw as an especially weak field of Best Actress possibilities. A strategy that worked, btw. That’s a short list.

Let’s back up just a bit. In contrast to the Tony awards, movie producers and studio marketing personnel may position a performer as either leading or supporting when they launch their awards seasons campaigns, for whatever reasons, but the final call is left to the discretion of voters. This option is how Susan Sarandon garnered her first Best Actress nod, for 1981’s Atlantic City, after Paramount promoted her as a supporting player. Interestingly, Atlantic City and Fences are both Paramount releases, thirty+ years and several studio turnovers apart. I’m surprised Academy members took the “Best Supporting” bait this year, but I shouldn’t be; after all, last year’s winner in the same category (Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl) benefitted from a similar strategy. I guess an Oscar is an Oscar is an Oscar. Winning is winning. Reportedly, the thought is that this year’s Best Actress race is so incredibly competitive, led by Emma Stone in La La Land and Natalie Portman in Jackie, that the powers that be determined Davis would be fare better in the secondary category, and, by all accounts, Davis is fully on board with the idea.If she’s balked, we might be witnessing a different scenario…though I can’t imagine what it’s like being told that one’s work, when one is already a Tony and an Emmy winner, might not be competitive enough for Best Actress, so Best Supporting Actress will have to do. Really?

Again, I was sure that Academy members would reject Paramount’s ploy and nominate Davis in the other category. My thought is that IF Davis had been nominated for Best Actress, she would have won in that category–and handily–and I certainly would have cheered her victory. Davis seizes the role, seizes the screen, and seizes the audience in the process. She won’t just win this category because she is unquestionably great, she will win because no one else stands a chance because no one else in this lineup has as a role that compares; after all, besides the huge range of emotions involved, Davis has notably more screen time than her competitors, meaning more opportunities to connect with viewers, that is, voters.

Of course, this year’s lineup is interesting in that it features a quartet of Oscar vets, including two previous winners, the aforementioned Spencer and Nicole Kidman, who won Best Actress for 2002’s The Hours and is back in the race for Lion. This is Kidman’s fourth Oscar race, with additional Best Actress nominations for Moulin Rouge (2001) and Rabbit Hole (2010). Another four time nominee is Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea). Her first nod was in this category for 1995’s Brokeback Mountain, but she has also been up for Best Actress twice: Blue Valentine (2010) and My Week with Marilyn (2011).  I can’t imagine that Kidman has much of a chance here though, clearly, her nomination signals healthy support. On the other hand, Williams stands as tough competition. Full confession: I have yet to see her nominated flick, but it’s a major contender, and by all accounts Williams delivers the goods in only a few scenes, and that might be what it takes to steal some of Davis’s thunder.

Here’s something else. Besides Davis’ historic third nod, this is also the first time in Academy history that one performance category celebrates three Black nominees. Besides Davis and Spencer, the ballot also includes Naomie Harris as the abusive mother in Moonlight. I think English born Harris, whose character ages more than a decade over the course of the film, has a chance here because her performance so sharply differs from her previous portrayals of Miss Moneypenny in the two most recent 007 entries, in which the character has a lot more oomph than in previous incarnations. This is also a world apart from her role as Winnie Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). Harris might invite compassion for the woman she plays in Moonlight, but awarding an Oscar to a woman, a Black woman, for playing a crack addict might not seem, well, progressive. This brings us back to Spencer. Hers is true supporting role in major crowd pleaser. I don’t think a second Oscar is in the cards, but I’m still considering that SAG award for the entire Hidden Figures cast, and I wonder if voters might jump at the chance to honor Spencer as a way of honoring the film as a whole. Of course, jumping at that chance involves  a huge leap past Viola Davis in Fences.