CNN
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Andrea Riseborough may not be a reputation that rings many bells for the common moviegoer.
However, almost definitely, your favourite actor in that film that you simply love is aware of precisely who she is. And so they need her to win an Oscar.
It is, frankly, an odd story — one which started in October with the restricted launch of a short-lived impartial movie known as “To Leslie,” about what occurs when a single mom wins the lottery and runs out of cash. Riseborough performs the titular Leslie, in a efficiency that was extensively praised by critics as some The very best work of her profession.
And simply final week, it was Riseborough nominated for the Academy Award for Greatest Actress, Her first Academy Award nomination.
However there are questions surrounding her nomination, which adopted a public push by a number of huge Hollywood stars — assume Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Adams. Now, with out particularly mentioning Riseborough or To Leslie, the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences says it is investigating the actions of this yr’s marketing campaign to make sure no guidelines have been damaged. (Contacting Academy members to advertise a movie or pay for an award is prohibited.)
So dim the lights and blast the thrilling music. This is every thing you could know:
Till lately, most Individuals had by no means heard of “To Leslie.” The film premiered at South by South West in March Solely $27,000 on the field workplace throughout its restricted version.
This month, that modified when a number of the largest names in movie threw their weight behind the movie. Paltrow They praised the film on Instagramsaying that Riseborough ought to win each prize, together with “all these not but invented.”
Adams hosted a dialog with Riseborough and director Michael Morris, name the film “An astonishing and superb feat of filmmaking.”
Kate Winslet, Jennifer Aniston, Edward Norton, and Charlize Theron have all publicly supported the movie in varied methods, by moderated performances or discussions.
In the meantime, different actors posted on Twitter Nearly equivalent phrases supported the movie, calling it “a small film with a large coronary heart”. Some have likened it to the copy and paste perform.
Though the celebrity-backed marketing campaign is not a purely grassroots effort, the push for Riseborough and “To Leslie” looks like one. Hardly ever do celebrities come out with this type of help for a film they weren’t concerned in, which makes Riseborough’s speedy rise distinctive.
However this is not the primary time an actor has publicly tried to push the Oscars on his personal. A decade in the past, actress Melissa Leo did her personal photograph shoot and took her personal “For Your Consideration” adverts. Liu was then nominated for Greatest Supporting Actress for her position within the 2010 movie The Fighter.
“The entire awards course of is, in a way, about pandering,” she stated He instructed the New York Instances in 2011. Leo went on to win the award.
Business watchers And he observed Voices are sometimes requested to degree the taking part in discipline — on this case, drawing consideration to a low-budget, little-known film. The distinction now’s social media, making this push public relatively than pushing it behind closed doorways.
Nonetheless, not each actor has the sort of connections that Riseborough does. Critics of the nominations identified that Viola Davis (“The Lady King”) and Danielle Didwiller (“Even”), two black actresses who have been among the many early nominees, weren’t nominated for the award. (Each movies additionally drew greater audiences to the field workplace.)
It has at all times been a difficulty with variety on the Academy It’s mentioned and dissected. And though Riseborough is not improper on the shrugSome has indicated The marketing campaign behind it exhibits how helpful it’s to have white well-known buddies.
On Friday, the Academy introduced a “evaluation of marketing campaign procedures round this yr’s nominees,” in keeping with a press release obtained by CNN.
The Academy didn’t particularly point out Riseborough, or superstar stress for her nomination. However many individuals join these dots.
Christina Ricci, star of the Emmy-nominated present “Yellowjackets,” known as the Academy’s choice to evaluation the proceedings “very backward,” in a now-deleted Instagram submit.
She wrote, “It appears amusing {that a} ‘snap nomination’ (which means a ton of cash wasn’t spent for this actress’ place) for a legitimately sensible efficiency has been met,” she wrote. in keeping with the deadline. “So solely motion pictures and actors can afford campaigns that deserve credit score? It feels elitist and unique.”
Whether or not Riseborough’s nomination would really be overruled is tough to say. There’s precedent — in 2014, composer Bruce Broughton obtained an Oscar nomination for the title track of “Alone But Not Alone” and it was later axed on his marketing campaign.
Celeb endorsements apart, Riseborough faces fierce competitors on this class, from the likes of Michelle Yeoh (“every thing in all places without delay”) and Cate Blanchett (tar).
Because the ruckus begins, one factor’s for positive: You are going to want extra popcorn.