Oscars organizers have determined that British actress Andrea Riseborough can preserve her nomination, but have expressed “alarm” over the film’s advertising techniques.
Riseborough was an underdog for a nomination, but stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Edward Norton advocated for her.
The Oscars Academy is currently evaluating whether the advertising violated its rules.
It was determined that the flaws “did not warrant revoking the film’s nomination.”
Bill Kramer, chief executive of the Academy, added: “Concerning social media and outreach campaigning methods, we did uncover some. These techniques are being addressed immediately with the parties responsible.”
The Academy has not disclosed the identities of these “responsible parties.” Riseborough has not been charged with a crime.
The previous week, she was nominated for best actress for To Leslie, a low-budget film in which she plays an alcoholic mother from Texas who struggles to make ends meet after wasting her lottery winnings.
She was not previously on the radar for the awards season, but a late surge of support from high-profile admirers who expressed their adoration on social media and in some cases staged screenings brought her to the forefront.
It is believed that the question of whether the campaign violated Academy criteria hinges on a few specific posts that not only supported Riseborough but also mentioned her opponents, which is prohibited.
The official To Leslie account shared a now-deleted Instagram post that has garnered attention.
“As much as I enjoyed [Cate] Blanchett’s work in Tár, my favorite performance by a woman this year was given by the chameleonlike Andrea Riseborough,” commented Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times.
While the critic did not commit any violation by voicing his opinion, the To Leslie campaign may have gotten into difficulty by using a quote that contrasted Riseborough with Blanchett.
Similarly, Frances Fisher, an actress who had participated in Titanic and Gone In 60 Seconds, advocated for Riseborough while hinting that Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Danielle Deadwyler, and Viola Davis did not require more support because they were “a lock for their exceptional performance.”
Blanchett and Yeoh were ultimately nominated alongside Ana de Armas and Michelle Williams for best actress. However, Deadwyler and Davis, who are both black, were not selected.
The writer and director of Deadwyler’s film Till, Chinonye Chukwu, later accused Hollywood and the broader society of “blatant misogyny towards Black women.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added the following Tuesday: “The Academy’s campaign standards are intended to maintain a fair and ethical awards process, which are among its core principles.
“As a result of this analysis, it is evident that portions of the legislation must be clarified in order to establish a stronger framework for respectful, inclusive, and impartial campaigning.
“These modifications will be implemented after this awards cycle and communicated to our membership. The Academy seeks to foster an environment in which votes are exclusively based on the creative and technical merits of eligible films and achievements.”
Riseborough and Bill Nighy are the two British actors nominated for an Oscar this year. The winners will be unveiled on March 12 in Hollywood.
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