‘The Revenant’ survives the cut to land top Oscar nominations

By Patrick Ryan | Gannett News Service

“The Revenant” is out of the woods and ahead in the Oscar race, leading Thursday’s nominations with 12 including best picture, director (Alejandro González Iñárritu) and actor (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The wilderness drama is one of eight films to fill the available 10 best-picture slots. Also nominated: “Spotlight,” “The Martian,” “The Big Short,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Brooklyn,” “Room” and “Bridge of Spies.”

Others movies making a strong showing are sci-fi epic “Mad Max” with 10 nods, including best director (George Miller), and astronaut drama “The Martian” with seven, although director Ridley Scott was overlooked. Awards-season favorite “Spotlight,” about the Boston Globe’s Catholic Church sex abuse investigation, earned six nominations, while late-surging Wall Street drama “The Big Short” snagged five.

The box office phenomenon “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was well represented, netting five nominations, including best sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects, original score (for legendary composer John Williams) and film editing. However, its Oscar momentum was not enough to propel it to a best picture nomination.

“Carol,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Sicario” and “Creed” are among other notable movies to earn recognition in precursor awards this season, but miss out on best picture nominations.

As expected, DiCaprio clinched his fifth Oscar acting nod for “Revenant,” playing a fur trapper fighting to survive and avenge his son. Fellow Golden Globe winner Matt Damon (“The Martian), Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo)” will also contend in the best actor category.

In best actress, breakout star Brie Larson (“Room”) is joined by Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn), Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”), Cate Blanchett (“Carol”) and Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”), a perceived underdog in the race. So far this season, Larson and Ronan have picked up the majority of critics’ prizes. Larson also won the Globe for best actress in a drama Sunday.

Questions of whether Rooney Mara (“Carol”) and Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”) would land in leading or supporting actress were answered, as both scored nominations in the latter. Surprise Globe winner Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”), Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”) and Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”) also received nods in the category.

The season’s most wide-open field, supporting actor, finally came into view. Expected nominees Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) and Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”) each entered the ring, as did Christian Bale (“The Big Short”), Mark Ruffalo (“Spotlight”) and Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”). Not making the cut was Chicago stage actor Michael Shannon, a frequent nominee for other awards for “99 Homes.”

The best director nominees closely mirrored those of the Directors Guild of America, announced Tuesday. They include the first nomination for former Chicago improv star Adam McKay, up for directing “The Big Short” as well as for co-writing its screenplay. He’s competing with directors Iñárritu (“The Revenant”), George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) and Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”).

Contenders including Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies”) and Todd Haynes (“Carol”) missed out in the category.

Earning nods for best animated feature: Disney/Pixar’s brainy “Inside Out” made the cut, as did Charlie Kaufman’s acclaimed stop-motion “Anomalisa.” “Shaun the Sheep Movie,” “Boy and the World” and “When Marnie Was There” round out the category.

In best documentary feature, music docs “Amy” and “What Happened, Miss Simone? each earned nods, along with “The Look of Silence,” “Cartel Land” and “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.”

The 88th Academy Awards air Feb. 28 on ABC and will be hosted by Chris Rock.

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