Ahead of Sunday’s 89th Academy Awards, here’s a list of the runners and riders for the best picture and director awards.
ARRIVAL
Director: Denis Villeneuve – nominated for best directing
Director’s Oscar history: First nomination
Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Plot: Amy Adams’ linguistics professor is tasked with communicating with an alien lifeform that has arrived on Earth
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Eight. Best picture, directing, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, sound mixing, sound editing, production design
FENCES
Director: Denzel Washington – nominated for actor in a leading role
Director’s Oscar history: Six previous nominations. Wins in 1990 for “Glory” (best actor in a supporting role) and 2002 for “Training Day” (best actor in a leading role)
Stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson
Plot: An examination of the life of Denzel Washington’s character Troy Maxson and how his actions have affected the people closest to him
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Four. Best picture, actor in a leading role (Washington), actress in a supporting role (Davis), best adapted screenplay
HACKSAW RIDGE
Director: Mel Gibson – nominated for best directing
Director’s Oscar history: Two wins. 1995 – “Braveheart” (best picture, best director)
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
Plot: Pacifist army medic Desmond Doss receives a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Six. Best picture, director, actor in a leading role (Garfield), editing, sound mixing, sound editing
HELL OR HIGH WATER
Director: David Mackenzie
Director’s Oscar history: No personal nominations
Stars: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges
Plot: Jeff Bridges’ Texas Ranger searches for two brothers responsible for a series of bank robberies
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Four. Best picture, actor in a supporting role (Bridges), original screenplay, editing
HIDDEN FIGURES
Director: Theodore Melfi
Director’s Oscar history: No personal nominations
Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae
Plot: Biographical drama examining the role that African-American mathematicians played in NASA in the 1960s
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Three. Best picture, actress in a supporting role (Spencer), adapted screenplay
LA LA LAND
Director: Damien Chazelle – nominated for best directing and original screenplay
Director’s Oscar history: Two previous nominations. 2015 – “Whiplash” (best writing, adapted screenplay)
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend
Plot: A musical following the fortunes of jazz pianist Sebastian and aspiring actress Mia as they follow their dreams in Los Angeles
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Fourteen. Best picture, actor in a leading role (Gosling), actress in a leading role (Stone), directing, original screenplay, cinematography, editing, costume design, original score, sound mixing, sound editing, original song x 2, production design
LION
Director: Garth Davis
Director’s Oscar history: No personal nominations
Stars: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Sunny Pawar
Plot: Saroo Brierley attempts to find his birth mother, 25 years after he boarded a train in India and found himself lost, 1600 km from home
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Six. Best picture, actor in a supporting role (Patel), actress in a supporting role (Kidman), adapted screenplay, cinematography, original score
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Director: Kenneth Lonergan – nominated for best directing and original screenplay
Director’s Oscar history: Two previous nominations. 2001 – “You Can Count on Me” (best original screenplay) and 2003 – “Gangs of New York” (best original screenplay)
Stars: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges
Plot: Affleck’s character Lee Chandler is forced to return to his hometown to look after his nephew whose father has died
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Six. Best picture, actor in a leading role (Affleck), actor in a supporting role (Hedges), actress in a supporting role (Williams), directing, original screenplay
MOONLIGHT
Director: Barry Jenkins – nominated for best directing and best adapted screenplay
Director’s Oscar history: First nominations
Stars: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders
Plot: An examination of the life of Chiron – a young black man growing up in a rough Miami neighborhood
Number of Oscar nominations for film: Eight. Best picture, actor in a supporting role (Ali), actress in a supporting role (Harris), directing, cinematography, editing, original score, adapted screenplay
(REUTERS)
