MANILA, January 15, 2020 — With Monday’s announcement of the Oscar nominations, Hollywood’s 2020 awards season is gearing to its crowning conclusion. And throughout the highly competitive process, Warner Bros.’ trifecta of awards-worthy films has always been part of the conversation: “Joker, “Richard Jewell” and “Just Mercy.”
“Joker”
Beloved by fans and admired by cineastes, “Joker” garnered a whopping 11 Academy Award nominations, the most for any film this year. Joaquin Phoenix is vying for Best Actor, its director-writer-producer Todd Phillips is up for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. It’s also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. The $1-billion grossing hit is nominated for virtually same categories in the British Academy Awards (BAFTA).
In the recently concluded Golden Globes, the film won two awards — Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
“Joker” started its awards campaign by winning the Golden Lion or Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival. To date, the R-Rated blockbuster has collected more than 40 awards, and still counting.
“Richard Jewell”
Director Clint Eastwood’s latest real-life cautionary tale also ruled the awards season. Kathy Bates snagged an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role with her performance as the suffering mother Bobi Jewell, repeating her accolade from the Golden Globes.
The National Board of Review honored the film as one of The Ten Best of 2019, and bestowed Bates with the Best Supporting Actress award and lead actor Paul Walter Hauser with a Breakthrough Performance Award.
The American Film Institute also declared “Richard Jewell” as Film of the Year.
“Just Mercy”
The inspiring drama about America’s justice system scored a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards 2020.
The film is also contending for six NAACP Awards: Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Foxx), Outstanding Breakthrough Performance (Rob Morgan) and Outstanding Writing.
National Board of Review likewise honored the film with a Freedom of Expression Award, while the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and a Best Supporting Actor prize for Foxx.
The film previously won the Audience Choice Award and Best Feature Film for director Destin Daniel Cretton at the St. Louis International Film Festival.
“Richard Jewell” opens in Philippine cinemas on January 15, to be followed by “Just Mercy” on January 22.
