2025 Oscars Guide And What's Making Us Happy

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour Episode Summary: "2025 Oscars Guide And What's Making Us Happy"

Release Date: February 28, 2025
Host: NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour Team – Aisha Harris, Linda Holmes, Glenn Weldon, Stephen Thompson

---

Introduction to the Oscars Guide

As the excitement builds for the 2025 Oscars, NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts Aisha Harris, Linda Holmes, Glenn Weldon, and Stephen Thompson delve into the year's most buzzworthy films, discussing nominations, predictions, and the controversies shaping the awards season.

Best Picture Nominees and Big Blockbusters

The panel begins by spotlighting the major contenders for Best Picture, focusing on two significant blockbusters:

1. "Wicked"

   • Synopsis: A prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," exploring the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West.
   • Stars: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
   • Stephen Thompson [01:55]: "Never let it be said that that movie does not end on a strong note."

2. "Dune Part 2"

   • Synopsis: Continues the saga of Paul Atreides as he faces the Harkonnens' control over the desert planet.
   • Star: Timothée Chalamet.
   • Aisha Harris [02:33]: "I was definitely thankful for those recaps for Dune Part one before I watched this one."

Smaller, Ambitious Nominees

Linda Holmes provides an overview of the more nuanced Best Picture nominations:

1. "Conclave"

   • Plot: A twisty exploration of the papal conclave process.
   • Star: Ralph Fiennes.
   • Linda Holmes [03:05]: "It's a convent, Aldo."

2. "Nickel Boys"

   • Plot: Follows two black boys bonding at a segregated reform school in the Jim Crow South.
   • Linda Holmes [03:53]: "Nickel Boys is the story of two black boys who form an unshakable bond."

3. "Honora"

   • Plot: Centers on a New York sex worker who marries the son of Russian oligarchs.
   • Star: Mikey Madison.
   • Aisha Harris [05:56]: "It normalizes this depiction of sex work."

4. "Anora" and "Emilia Perez"

   • Plot: "Anora" follows a sex worker marrying into Russian oligarchy; "Emilia Perez" tells the story of a trans cartel boss reinventing her life.
   • Stephen Thompson [05:41]: "Emilia Perez is about a trans Mexican cartel boss who disappears from the criminal underworld."

Controversies Impacting Best Picture

A significant discussion arises around "Emilia Perez", led by Aisha Harris:

• Controversy: Carla Sofia Gascon, the film's lead, resurfaced old racist and Islamophobic tweets.
• Impact: Apologies were issued, but opinions are divided on whether this affects the film's Oscar chances.
• Linda Holmes [07:32]: "I do think that these controversies are going to affect Emilia Perez."

Best Picture Predictions

The hosts weigh in on potential Best Picture winners:

• Linda Holmes [07:47]: Predicts "The Brutalist" might win Best Picture due to its traditional Oscar appeal.
• Stephen Thompson [09:02]: Agrees with Linda, highlighting "The Brutalist" as a quintessential Oscar film.
• Glenn Weldon [10:06]: Sees potential for "Anora" to triumph, noting its success at the Producers Guild of America Awards.
• Aisha Harris [10:06]: Advocates for "Anora," emphasizing its genre subversion and relevance.
• Final Standings:
  • Linda Holmes and Glenn Weldon: Support "Nickel Boys."
  • Aisha Harris and Stephen Thompson: Champion "Anora."

Lead Actress Category

The discussion shifts to the Best Actress nominees:

• Nominees:

  • Cynthia Erivo for "Wicked"
  • Fernanda Torres for "I'm Still Here"
  • Mikey Madison for "Honora"
  • Carla Sophia Gascon for "Emilia Perez"
  • Demi Moore for "Conclave" (Presumed frontrunner)

• Predictions and Preferences:

  • Aisha Harris [16:15]: "I think Demi Moore is going to walk away with this award."
  • Stephen Thompson [15:03]: Favors Mikey Madison for her charisma in "Honora".
  • Linda Holmes [19:06]: Supports Cynthia Erivo, highlighting her performance in "Wicked".

• Notable Quotes:

  • Linda Holmes [19:36]: "If not this, what am I rewarding?"
  • Aisha Harris [16:22]: "She doesn't seem to be somebody who has, for some reason, made enemies in her long time in Hollywood."

Lead Actor Category

The panel examines the Best Actor nominees:

• Nominees:

  • Colman Domingo for "Sing Sing"
  • Ralph Fiennes for "Conclave"
  • Sebastian Stan for "The Apprentice"
  • Adrien Brody for "The Brutalist"
  • Timothée Chalamet for a biopic of Bob Dylan

• Predictions and Preferences:

  • Aisha Harris [22:06]: Advocates for Timothée Chalamet, drawing parallels to transformative performances.
  • Linda Holmes & Glenn Weldon [24:50]: Favor Adrien Brody for his traditional Oscar appeal.
  • Stephen Thompson [25:29]: Initially favors Chalamet but later supports Colman Domingo.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Stephen Thompson [25:21]: "I think Brody will and should."
  • Linda Holmes [24:38]: "You're gonna win the Brutalist."

Supporting Actress Category

The conversation moves to the Best Supporting Actress nominations:

• Nominees:

  • Ariana Grande for "Wicked"
  • Felicity Jones for "The Brutalist"
  • Isabella Rossellini for "Conclave"
  • Monica Barbaro for "A Complete Unknown"
  • Zoe Saldana for "Emilia Perez"

• Predictions and Preferences:

  • Linda Holmes [31:40]: Bets on Zoe Saldana, despite reservations about her film.
  • Aisha Harris [33:10]: Leans towards Ariana Grande, citing her musical performance edge.
  • Glenn Weldon [34:24]: Shares hopes for both Saldana and Grande.
  • Stephen Thompson [35:02]: Supports Monica Barbaro for her critical role in "A Complete Unknown".

• Notable Quotes:

  • Linda Holmes [31:40]: "I suspect it's gonna be Zoe Saldano."
  • Aisha Harris [33:10]: "I think Ariana Grande has a lot of goodwill."

Supporting Actor Category

The panel discusses the Best Supporting Actor nominees:

• Nominees:

  • Edward Norton for "A Complete Unknown"
  • Guy Pierce for "The Brutalist"
  • Jeremy Strong for "The Apprentice"
  • Yuri Borisov for "Anora"
  • Kieran Culkin for "Real Pain"

• Predictions and Preferences:

  • Stephen Thompson [37:06]: Strongly supports Kieran Culkin for his magnetic performance.
  • Glenn Weldon [38:16]: Acknowledges category fraud but aligns with Stephen.
  • Linda Holmes [39:28]: Ultimately supports Edward Norton for his portrayal of Pete Seeger.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Stephen Thompson [37:06]: "Kieran Culkin is a genius."
  • Glenn Weldon [38:50]: "Colman Domingo rules and is king forever."

Best Director Category

Finally, the hosts analyze the Best Director nominations:

• Nominees:

  • Coralie Farja for "The Substance"
  • Jacques Odillard for "Emilia Perez"
  • James Mangold for "A Complete Unknown"
  • Brady Courbet for "The Brutalist"
  • Sean Baker for "Honora"

• Predictions and Preferences:

  • Stephen Thompson [41:33]: Favors Brady Courbet for "The Brutalist".
  • Linda Holmes [42:56]: Agrees with Stephen, citing Hollywood's preference for sweeping epics.
  • Glenn Weldon [43:05]: Advocates for Sean Baker, praising his unique filmmaking style.
  • Aisha Harris [43:05]: Also supports Sean Baker, noting his recent Directors Guild of America award.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Linda Holmes [42:02]: "The way that this film plays with color... really makes it magical."
  • Glenn Weldon [43:05]: "Sean Baker makes exactly the kind of movies that people have been telling us for years don't get made anymore."

Oscar Predictions and Debates

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in lively debates, often agreeing on certain categories while diverging on others. Notably:

• Best Picture: Split between "The Brutalist," "Anora," and "Nickel Boys."
• Best Actress: Differing opinions with support for Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, and Cynthia Erivo.
• Best Actor: Tension between supporting Timothée Chalamet and Adrien Brody.
• Best Supporting Actress: Divided support between Zoe Saldana and Ariana Grande.
• Best Supporting Actor: Leaning towards Edward Norton and Kieran Culkin despite category discrepancies.
• Best Director: Consensus leans towards traditional choices like Brady Courbet and Sean Baker over more audacious directors.

"What's Making Us Happy" Segment

In their favorite weekly segment, the hosts share what brings them joy amidst the Oscars frenzy:

• Glenn Weldon [47:18]: Recommends "Flo," a Latvian animated film about a cat surviving a global flood.
  Glenn [47:27]: "It's about a cat who survives a flood... you can root along with me for it on Oscar night."

• Linda Holmes [48:49]: Finds happiness in listening to Pete Seeger’s music, specifically recommending "We Shall Overcome."
  Linda [48:52]: "Anything you can find of Pete Seeger... is really stirring."

• Stephen Thompson [49:44]: Enthusiastically promotes "Deal or No Deal Island," a competitive game show hosted by Joe Manganiello on NBC and Peacock.
  Stephen [50:19]: "It's a lot of fun to watch. It may just be the palate cleanser that you need this Oscars weekend."

• Aisha Harris [50:52]: Loves "Sly Lives, AKA the Burden of Black Genius," a documentary about Sly Stone directed by Questlove, available on Hulu.
  Aisha [51:03]: "It's a real fun delight. I highly recommend, especially if you like Summer of Soul."

Conclusion and Announcements

As the episode wraps up, Aisha announces upcoming content for Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus, including monthly bonus episodes featuring additional discussions and listener questions.

• Aisha Harris [53:14]: "If you want to get these monthly bonuses mailback episodes, subscribe now to Pop Culture Happy Hour [e-mail]/happy."

The hosts express camaraderie and tease further discussions on Oscar nominees in future episodes, promising an engaging recap of the Oscars telecast.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Aisha Harris [00:53]: "A misunderstood witch, an unknowable singer, songwriter, a dejected TV personality and the dean of car cardinals will all walk into the Dolby Theater on Sunday night because it's that time of year again. Yes, it's the Oscars."

• Linda Holmes [07:32]: "I do think that these controversies are going to affect Emilia Perez."

• Stephen Thompson [09:02]: "I feel that the Brutalist is going to wind up reaping a lot of the benefit of some of the blowback against Amelia Perez."

• Aisha Harris [16:22]: "I think she's just one of those people who's worked with a gazillion people over the course of her career who all seem to have a reasonable amount of affection for her."

• Stephen Thompson [25:29]: "I think this is a role that I really, really dug."

• Linda Holmes [31:40]: "I suspect it's gonna be Zoe Saldano."

• Stephen Thompson [35:02]: "If it didn't have that performance, it would fall apart."

• Aisha Harris [43:05]: "I think that if Honora should win Best Picture, I also think I feel like that should align here."

---

This episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour offers an in-depth exploration of the 2025 Oscars contenders, blending sharp analysis with lively debates. Whether you're a film enthusiast or just curious about the awards season buzz, this summary captures the essence of the hosts' discussions and predictions.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance and the name your price tool. It helps you find car insurance options in your budget. Try it [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match, limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Instacart Ad]

This message comes from Instacart. This cold and flu season, Instacart is here to help deliver all of your sick day essentials. Whether you're in prevention mode and need vitamins, hand sanitizer, and that lemon tea your nana swears by, or you're in healing mode and need medicine, soup and a lot more tissues. Simply download the Instacart app to get sick day supplies that reinvigorate or relieve. Delivered in as fast as 30 minutes plus enjoy. Zero dollar delivery fees on your first three orders. Excludes restaurant orders. Service fees and terms apply.

[Aisha Harris]

A misunderstood witch, an unknowable singer, songwriter, a dejected TV personality and the dean of car cardinals will all walk into the Dolby Theater on Sunday night because it's that time of year again. Yes, it's the Oscars.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's an interesting crop of best picture, director and acting nominees, and we're talking about who we think will win and who we think should take home those shiny gold statues. I'm Stephen Thompson.

[Aisha Harris]

And I'm Aisha Harris. And on this episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're offering up a guide to this year's Oscars. Joining us today are our fellow Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts, Linda Holmes. Hey, Linda.

[Linda Holmes]

Hello.

[Aisha Harris]

And Glenn Weldon. Hey, Glenn.

[Glenn Weldon]

Hey, Aisha.

[Aisha Harris]

It's great to be here with all of you to talk about the Oscars for our big Oscar show. We are going to obviously spend some time on Best Picture first, since that's the big ticket award of the night and a couple big blockbusters earned nominations. Steven, do you want to set those up for us?

[Stephen Thompson]

Sure. We've got Wicked. Set before the events of the wizard of Oz, this musical is the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West. It stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

[Glenn Weldon]

What a good clip. Perfect clip.

[Aisha Harris]

I knew that was gonna be the moment that we chose.

[Stephen Thompson]

Never let it be said that that movie does not end on a strong note. The other big, big, big blockbuster, you've Got Dune Part 2. Timothee Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides, who must now contend with a group called the Harkonnens who have seized control of the planet.

[Glenn Weldon]

May thy knife chip and shatter.

[Aisha Harris]

I was definitely thankful for those recaps for Dune Part one before I Watched this one.

[Stephen Thompson]

Did you try to read the Wikipedia page about Dune Part one before going into Dune Part Two? Because I was more lost than I was going in.

[Glenn Weldon]

Try the books if you think that's daunting. Try the books.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes. Yes. Well, okay. There's also a handful of smaller but no less ambitious movies that were nominated. And to some, I think this crop. We all really liked and admired quite a few of these. So, Linda, can you give us the rundown on these films?

[Linda Holmes]

Absolutely. Conclave is a fun and twisty look at the secretive process by which a pope is replaced. Ralph Fiennes plays the cardinal leading the process. If you want to defeat Tedesco.

[Aisha Harris]

This is a conclave, Aldo.

[Glenn Weldon]

It's not a war.

[Linda Holmes]

It is a war. And world's most smooth segue in the substance. Demi Moore plays an aerobics instructor who went to stay in the spotlight. So she turns to a strange black market drug.

[Instacart Ad]

Remember, there is no she. And you, you are one. Respect the balance and you won't have any more inconveniences.

[Linda Holmes]

Yeah, exactly. Like picking a pope. It's basically the same thing.

[Glenn Weldon]

It's pretty much the same thing.

[Linda Holmes]

Nickel Boys is the story of two black boys who form an unshakable bond at a segregated reform school in the Jim Crow South.

[Instacart Ad]

There are four ways out of nickel.

[Aisha Harris]

Serve your time or age out court. Martin Aveen. If you believe in miracles, you could die, they could kill you, you could run. Those are all very different, but like I said, very ambitious in their own ways. So it's nice to see them in the mix here for sure. And then, of course, we've got the more traditional best picture nominees here. Glenn, tell us about this group.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, we've got one of those biopics, a complete unknown. Timothee Chalamet playing a young Bob Dylan. The movie follows his rise in the music.

[Aisha Harris]

How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?

[Glenn Weldon]

Six. Six is the answer. We've got the brutalist. Adrien Brody plays a fictional Jewish Hungarian architect who relocates to the United States after World War II. I would like to draw something and.

[Aisha Harris]

Present it to you.

[Glenn Weldon]

You'd like to win the commission?

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. And, you know, for the past several years, we've seen international features nominated in the Best Picture category. And so this year, I'm Still Here actually earned a nomination. It's set in 1970s Brazil when it was under a military dictatorship. And it tells the story of a mother dealing with the disappearance of her politician husband. And finally, we've got Two movies that have been making lots of waves.

[Glenn Weldon]

Waves. We're calling them waves now.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay, we'll talk a little bit more about that in a second. But they've been on the scene since way back at Cannes. The Cannes Film Festival last spring. Steven, what have we got here?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, we've got Anora, Sean Baker's movie about an enterprising sex worker who marries the immature son of Russian oligarchs.

[Aisha Harris]

So you want to get married to me, Vanya?

[Linda Holmes]

You want me to be your little wifey? Yeah.

[Aisha Harris]

Guess this accent. Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

And then there's Emilia Perez. It is about a trans Mexican cartel boss who disappears from the criminal underworld and eventually reunites with her family after creating a new life as a woman.

[Aisha Harris]

Changing the body changes society.

[Stephen Thompson]

Changing society changes the soul.

[Linda Holmes]

Changing the soul changes society.

[Glenn Weldon]

Changing society changes it all. Oofta.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay, okay. Well, before we truly dig into who we think will and should win here, it's important for us to sort of briefly touch on the controversies that have arisen during award season. There's the big one. Very soon after the nominations were announced in January, some old racist and Islamophobic tweets made by Amelia Perez star Carla Sofia Gascon resurfaced by journalist Sarah Haggie. Now, in those tweets, the actress used slurs and other disparaging language to refer to a wide range of demographics and people, including Muslims, Chinese people, and George Floyd. Gascoigne apologized via an official Netflix statement but continued to discuss it in interviews, and she suggested there was some kind of larger conspiracy at work against her. Now, to a lesser degree, the Amelia Perez team has also faced some flak for using AI cloning to widen Gascon's singing range. Amelia Perez led the Oscars race this year with 13 nominations. But I'm actually curious if you all think that these controversies have impacted this film's chance of taking home Best Picture. Lynda, let's start with you and what you think will win.

[Linda Holmes]

Well, I do think that these controversies are going to affect Emilia Perez, and that's partly because I think there are a lot of people who had a lot of misgivings about this movie anyway. And these controversies have sort of given them an opportunity to say, okay, cool, I'm gonna rule that one out.

[Aisha Harris]

Then.

[Linda Holmes]

I think if people were more excited about the movie, it probably would have less of an. But I do think that is likely to have an effect. And that left me predicting that the Brutalist would win Best Picture. It is kind of the most traditional Oscars y movie Remaining. It is a heavy historical drama. It has a really strong lead performance from Adrien Brody, who's kind of a very beloved, awardsy type of actor. You know, the director, Brady Courbet has been widely praised for making it on a relatively small budget compared to its sweep. And despite the fact that they're have been a couple of questions raised about use of AI, I think those things are going to fall away and I think the Brutalists will win.

[Aisha Harris]

Just to back up a little bit, in case you haven't heard about the AI controversy around the Brutalists leads, Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones were reportedly their voices were fed into some AI software. And director Brady Courbet said in a statement that only their Hungarian dialogue was enhanced by the AI but also the film's editor said that generative AI was used as inspiration for some of the architectural drawings that are done by Adrien Brody's character. So, Steven, what are your thoughts on what will win?

[Stephen Thompson]

I feel almost word for word the same way Linda does. I feel that the Brutalist is going to wind up reaping a lot of the benefit of some of the blowback against Amelia Pettis. It's a great man, historical epic running more than three and a half hours in length. What could be more Oscars than that?

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, one thing I will note is that it's also important to remember that the Oscars are ultimately decided through ranked choice voting. And so it doesn't have to be everyone's favorite film. It just has to be enough people's, maybe even second favorite film.

[Stephen Thompson]

And I think that is maybe what hurts Emilia Pettis the most. There may be a passionate contingent putting it first, but there are going to be a lot of people who rank at 10th, not just me, and I'm not even an Oscar voter.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, but see, I think the ranked choice voting has got. I think a lot of people feel very favorably disposed toward that film. If they don't rank it first, they're going to rank it second or third. I think the buzz around Anora has been growing. I think this is a real chance for a scrappy little movie like Anora to take it home.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, and that's where you and I align, Glenn. I also think Anora is going to win. It won the Producers Guild of America awards, and since 2010, every winner of the PGA Award has also won Best Picture, with three exceptions. And then there was also one year where there was a tie between gravity and 12 Years a Slave. 12 Years a Slave wound up winning the Oscars. So, like, I feel like the odds were kind of in Anora's favor, but we shall see. So we all said who we think will win. But, like, who do we think should win? For me, I think Honora should win. I think it is, to me, the correct choice, in part because it subverts expectations around genre. You think it's gonna be some sort of, like, sort of crime movie, but it's also a family comedy and a screwball comedy and a drama. And it just feels like a movie that's of the moment in a way that most of the other films in this pack do not land. For me, it normalizes this depiction of sex work. It also has this very matter of fact take on capitalism that I don't think is either subtle, but it's not preachy either. It's just very resonant.

[Stephen Thompson]

You've just got me piggybacking off people who share my opinions.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yay.

[Stephen Thompson]

I agree with you. Now, there are several other films in this field that I really dearly love, and I could make a case for Conclave, make a case for the substance, in spite of some plot issues that I had with it. A movie that has really stuck with me and I suspect will continue to stick with me. But Honora, to me, is made with such verve, and for me, it just felt like such a victory lap for Sean Baker, who's been making great movies for a long time now without necessarily a ton of major awards consideration. For me, this is a film that I really, really dug. And it's not. Again, I'm gonna keep harping on this point. It's not a typical Oscar mo.

[Linda Holmes]

I don't know.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, Linda, I know you were not a huge fan of this, and we don't have to get into why. And also, like, I love that we have different opinions on this show. So I am curious as to what you think should win.

[Linda Holmes]

I ultimately went with Nickel Boys. It's the one that I thought was the most emotionally rich and satisfying. It's also the one that I think was the most innovative in terms of filmmaking. People have talked a lot about the first person point of view camera work here from the director, Romel Ross. I think that's really interesting. I think there are some very interesting decisions about what to give away and what to withhold. I think he got some really wonderful work out of the actors in this film. If we're gonna have a big party where we honor people making movies, I want it to be something like this. You know, for me, everything else, there was some Reason not to pick it. Whether it was controversy or, you know, for me, the Enora thing of sex workers who sort of turn out to just want to be hugged to me is not that interesting and actually is a pretty familiar trope from film. This is what I picked. I picked Nickel Boys.

[Glenn Weldon]

As did I. I thought I was gonna be out here all alone, but I join you, Linda. I think I'd like to see the Academy rewarding any innovation, any tweaking of the format. And it's not just that it's told from, you know, through the character's eyes. The use of that could have easily been just a distracting gimmick, Right? But it's used so SM to serve the story and to serve the emotions of the story. And not for nothing, this film has a closing montage that's like five, ten minutes long that also could have been confusing, disorienting. But the director, Romel Ross, is going back to his experimental film roots. That montage took you by the hand. It guided you along in such a confident and assured way. You knew exactly what was happening. Which is yet another reason the fact that we didn't get a nomination for directing or cinematography or editing.

[Stephen Thompson]

Cinematography.

[Aisha Harris]

Bizarre.

[Stephen Thompson]

How did this not get nominated for cinematography?

[Glenn Weldon]

You know, what are we? Outstanding achievement. Of these 10 films, this is the outstanding achievement.

[Aisha Harris]

I would be so happy to see this one. It has stayed with me months later, and I think it's just such a beautiful film that I need to rewatch. I definitely need to rewatch, and I think it rewards rewatch. And we should also note that Nickel Boys is actually released by Amazon, MGM Studios, and Amazon supports NPR and pays to distribute some of our content. So. So another note I wanna make is that we are going to be making these next predictions before the Screen Actor Guild Awards have come out at the time of this recording. So ordinarily, as I did with the Best Picture, I would have kind of like, dug into my back and looked, oh, who won SAG Awards? And that would have helped inform my opinions here.

[Glenn Weldon]

We're just out here being brave. That's all.

[Aisha Harris]

We're being brave. We're out here naked, just sheets to the wind. We're doing that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Will we ever make an accurate prediction from this field?

[Aisha Harris]

I have no ide. So let's move on to the acting categories and let's start with the lead actress category. Steven, who is nominated here?

[Stephen Thompson]

Cynthia Erivo for Wicked. Erivo plays Elphaba in this origin story about the Wicked Witch of the West.

[Aisha Harris]

Sorry, we just got it every Time. Every time.

[Stephen Thompson]

Fernanda Torres for I'm Still Here. Torres plays a mother and activist whose life is upturned when her politician husband goes missing during the military dictatorship in Brazil. Mikey Madison for Honora. Madison plays a New York sex worker who marries the son of Russian oligarchs. Carla Sophia Gascon for Emilia Perez. Gascon plays the titular Emilia Perez, a trans cartel leader who leaves the criminal underworld to begin a new life. She's the first openly trans actress or actor of any gender nominated in an acting category. And then we've got the presumed frontrunner. Aisha. I don't think you need the SAG Awards to predict this one. Demi Moore for the substance. Moore plays a TV aerobics instructor who turns to a mysterious black market drug to stay young. I need you because I hate myself. We.

[Linda Holmes]

You gotta. You gotta get ready. It's our big. It's our big night.

[Aisha Harris]

Come on.

[Stephen Thompson]

They're gonna love you so much.

[Aisha Harris]

All right. And I'm pretty sure that we all think Demi Moore is going to walk away with this award. Linda, why do you think she'll win?

[Linda Holmes]

Well, I mean, some of it is just forecasting based on, you know, awards already won and sort of critical reaction already received. But also, I think she has exactly the kind of story that often does well at the Oscars. Demi Moore has been around for a really long time. She talked about this at the Golden Globes. She was originally kind of pigeonholed as a, like a pop movie actress, as she put it, a popcorn actress. And I think she's been really good in a number of different things for a long time, but not the kinds of things that necessarily got her awards. You know, first of all, people tend to think it's very brave when you go through some sort of body transformation and do something that looks ugly and gross, especially if you are a woman who came up as a kind of conventionally beautiful woman. So that tends to weigh in her favor. I also think she's just one of those people who's worked with a gazillion people over the course of her career who all seem to have a reasonable amount of affection for her. She doesn't seem to be somebody who has, for some reason, made enemies in her long time in Hollywood. And sometimes that really helps just to have been around forever acting with a ton of people, working in a ton of projects. I think that's gonna do it. I think she will win.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. If you're looking for any kind of dark horse in this race, in terms of somebody who has the Potential to win. I wouldn't 100% rule out Fernanda Torres, who gives a pretty magnificent performance in I'm Still Here, who really carries that film and who is a very. Again, a veteran actress who has done a ton of great work. I don't think she will win against Demi Moore, but this is definitely one of the most heralded performances of the year and one that I could see slipping through.

[Linda Holmes]

Well. And I do want to add, you know, it's easy now to look at this and be like, oh, yeah, it's going to be Demi Moore, obviously. Ho hum. But like, go back to reading this script, right?

[Glenn Weldon]

Absolutely.

[Linda Holmes]

Go back to the moment when this script shows up and you look at it and it's like. I mean, now it feels like she's just. Demi Moore's gonna cakewalk to the best actress Oscar for this horror movie in which she winds up as a blob of tissue by the end of the.

[Glenn Weldon]

I mean, that's how Katharine Hepburn did it.

[Linda Holmes]

The unlikelihood of getting recognized for horror. The unlikelihood of getting recognized for something as strange as this movie is. This is not something you would take thinking, like, I'm gonna cakewalk to an Oscar for playing this part.

[Aisha Harris]

Now, Glenn, who do you think should win the. I think I have a sense of who you're thinking here.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, it's. To me, it's will and should. I mean, for all the reasons we've talked about. Plus it's the only shot this very weird movie has at a major award, one of the big five. So, yeah, let's give it.

[Linda Holmes]

I absolutely think she's deserving and I will be thrilled if she wins. However, in this category, I decided to go with Cynthia Erivo. And I'll tell you why. I get that Wicked has sort of fallen out of most of the major Oscar conversations at this point in its life. And I think that's. That's a shame because I don't think it's a perfect movie. I think a lot of its charm comes from the source material and the performances. But to me, the last 15 to 20 minutes of that film, which include obviously Defying Gravity, which obviously became immediately a meme and a TikTok sound. And, you know, there were things of like a dog on a broomstick going up into the sky with It's Me, it's me. I think that sequence is good enough that that is what a movie star who is a good actor is supposed to do. And when you put on top of it the fact that I think it is A hell of a performance of a really good song. Like, what am I asking for? Right? Like, what am I asking people for? If not this, what am I rewarding? If not this, I picked Cynthia Erivo. I have no regrets. None at all.

[Aisha Harris]

I love it. I love that.

[Glenn Weldon]

Solid pick.

[Aisha Harris]

Steven, who do you think should win?

[Stephen Thompson]

I went with Mikey Madison for Honora. I think the movie falls apart if she doesn't give a great performance. I think she manages to bring just huge amounts of charisma and energy. This performance could so easily have dipped into caricature. And maybe Linda thinks it did dip into caricature. I don't know. But I really found this to be just like a very vibrant and committed performance from somebody I can't wait to see in more movies.

[Linda Holmes]

No, I think she's wonderful. I think she is absolutely wonderful. I think the charisma that you talk about is 100% real. My issue is with the ending. I think the ending sells out the character and sells out what the movie was doing at the beginning. But it's only the ending that irritated me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I get that.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, I get that. I mean, Steven, you and I are aligned. I also would really love to see Mikey Madison take this home. I've been a huge fan of hers ever since she was in Better Things, the Great Pamela Adlon show as one of her daughters. I've seen some criticisms of the film as be like a movie where we don't learn much about the Mikey Madison character and that she's just this one note, you know, sex worker. And I disagree with that. Hard. I think that just because we don't learn every single detail about her backstory, that doesn't mean that she's not a fully realized character. I think that there are just these so many great moments and interactions that hint at both her social class, her status in life. And I think the ending actually is one of the great endings. But look, we're not here to deliberate that. I'm just here to say that I loved Mikey Madison. And look, I'd be happy if Cynthia Erivo won. I'd also be happy if Demi Moore won.

[Linda Holmes]

I probably had my Honora expectations raised too high. That's probably part of what happened.

[Aisha Harris]

So that's also possible. All right, well, let's move on to the nominations for actor in the leading role. Glenn, why don't you set that up for us?

[Stephen Thompson]

Sure.

[Glenn Weldon]

We've got Colman Domingo for Sing Sing. Domingo plays an incarcerated man who finds purpose by acting in a theater troup. We've got Ralph Fiennes for Conclave. Fiennes plays the cardinal who is managing the process of finding a new pope. We've got Sebastian Stan for the Apprentice. Stan plays a young Donald Trump establishing his career in real estate and his relationship with the attorney Roy Cohn. And then we have the two presumed frontrunners. Adrian Brody, as we've talked about for the Brutalist. Brody plays a visionary Hungarian architect who moves to America to rebuild his life after World War II. And Timothee Chalamet for a complete unknown, he plays Bob.

[Aisha Harris]

All right, so I'm gonna go first here, because I guess I'm the only one who is convinced that Timothee is probably gonna pull off a Rami Malek here. I was looking at sort of this entire crop of nominees, and unlike with the Best Actress category, there's not really any that are, like, transformative in the traditional way. Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

Like in the Gary Oldman as Winston.

[Aisha Harris]

Churchill or the whale, Brendan Fraser, like that kind of thing. Dic on the Revenant, like, that's not happening here. And so I think, for me, we can never underestimate the enthusiasm of the Academy's boomer and raucist membership, as well as its tendency to love actors who play real people. Again, Rami Malek and Bohemian Rhapsody, Will Smith and King Richard, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Daniel Day Lewis, Colin Firth, on and on and on. Like, over the last 15, 20 years, a lot of the winners in this category have been playing real people. And I don't know if the Dylan cosplay on SNL hurt or helped Shalloway's chances. I think maybe it's possible they just kind of neutralized them. I feel as though Timothee has a very good shot, and I would not be surprised to see him wind up with the Oscar.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think one thing I would add to that is that he has been campaigning his rear end off for months and months, and that does come into play. I mean, you talked about snl, where he appears on SNL as the host and the musical guest performing Dylan songs. Like, he is really trying to win this award. And that does factor in.

[Glenn Weldon]

But for him to win, he would have to escape the gravity well of Adrien Brody in the Brutalist, which is the uber traditional choice. You watch that movie, and his performance is a series of Oscar clips. You keep waiting for them to cut away to him sitting in the audience and people clapping around him. It's impressive, but it's the default choice.

[Linda Holmes]

Listen, I like Little Timmy. I think if Little Timmy is gonna Win and Oscar this year for either of the two snotty little megalomaniacs that he played in movies this year, it's obviously it will be this one.

[Aisha Harris]

Sunsets and seagulls, smell of buttercups. Your songs are like an oil painting at the dentist's office.

[Linda Holmes]

You're kind of an bone. I think he plays a pretty good snotty megalomaniac, but I do think that the movie is not good enough. And I think the movie itself has too many weaknesses. But I agree with Glenn that the Brody performance is more, you know, traditionally Oscars y. I think the academy loves him. That's the direction I think they're gonna go.

[Aisha Harris]

I'm the only one here. I'm standing alone here on my club Chalamet boat.

[Stephen Thompson]

Look, I think Timothee Chalamet is going to win an Oscar.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

At some point. I'm not sure if it's for this film. I'm a little higher on this film than Linda is. I really love really all three of the central performances in this film for me, I mean, Adrien Brody, it is a Oscar winning performance. He's terrific in it. Even if I think that film kind of careened off the rails in its second half, his performance is so solid at the center of it that it never crashes into the ditch.

[Linda Holmes]

Stephen, we are gonna have to have a beer sometime and discuss how you are anti traditional Oscar movies and pro a complete unknown.

[Glenn Weldon]

Thank you. I have been trying to make these things connect for ever since I found out how much he likes this very boring movie.

[Linda Holmes]

But we're gonna have a beer. It's not for today.

[Glenn Weldon]

Not for today.

[Linda Holmes]

We're have a beer and have it out.

[Stephen Thompson]

There's not as much contradiction there as you think, Mr. I think Brody will and should. But I do want to put in a word for that Colman Domingo performance, which I think is magnificent in Sing Sing, a movie I would have loved to have seen in the best picture field. I think it's a terrific performance in a very, very good movie.

[Glenn Weldon]

Well, Stephen, you're happy because I pick Colman Domingo for should win. I think he makes that film a hell of a lot more compelling than it could have been on paper. After all, it is, let's face it, a feel good movie about the carceral state. I just get itchy whenever there's any kind of narrative, any kind of marginalized group, and the narrative is, well, at least they have Shakespeare. You know, I just. That rubs me the wrong way.

[Stephen Thompson]

But I don't think that's what that movie does.

[Aisha Harris]

No, not at all.

[Glenn Weldon]

He is the reason that a film that could have been about, you know, this very tidy kind of neoliberal uplift has any real grit in the gears at all. He's the thing that makes it work.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Linda Holmes]

I just want to point out they're not staging Hamlet. They're staging their own weirdo show that has, like, a little, tiny smidget.

[Aisha Harris]

There's mummies. There's time traveling.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Glenn Weldon]

You're missing Hamlet is.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Glenn Weldon]

It's not that they're staging Hamlet.

[Stephen Thompson]

Hamlet is just. Just a tiny part of that bonkers.

[Linda Holmes]

Production that also has Freddy Krueger.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. Yes.

[Linda Holmes]

I also chose Colman Domingo. I think this is a spectacular performance. First of all, I think he's possibly our most charismatic and reliable actor working right now.

[Stephen Thompson]

For me, I would not disagree with that.

[Linda Holmes]

He is perhaps the actor most able to elevate literally anything, But I don't actually think he has to here. Cause I think this is a wonderful film. And I will also say we talk a lot about sort of what I would consider to be like, side factors that affect not wanting to vote for things, Whether it's a Or it's controversy or something like that. I will freely admit there are some side factors here that make me root for this film, including, you know, a lot of the actors in it are, in fact, formerly incarcerated people who were part of this program, some of whom worked on the story. They also had a really interesting. And I encourage you to read about this. I won't explain the whole thing, but a really interesting compensation scheme in which everybody sort of got paid the same to work on the film, no matter who they were. So I love this movie. It should have been nominated for best picture. I rate that. It wasn't. And Colman Domingo rules and is king forever.

[Aisha Harris]

So, yeah, look, in a just world, Clarence macklin, who is one of the other performers in this movie and a formerly incarcerated person who contributed to the storytelling of this film, would have also been up here in this category because he, to me, gives just as good of a performance. But I am glad that Colman Domingo is here, and I am with you both, Glen and Linda, that I think he should win. So it sounds like Glenn, Linda, and I are for Colman Domingo.

[Glenn Weldon]

Say it. We're right.

[Stephen Thompson]

You've actually fully talked me into this. I was on the fence.

[Linda Holmes]

Unanimous pro. Colman Domingo bullying for the win.

[Stephen Thompson]

No. You know what? If you're gonna bully me in any direction, bully me in the direction of Colman Domingo. Who's genuinely one of the best actors in the world?

[Aisha Harris]

A late stage change in the numbers or for Colman Domingo, deathbed convers. All right. Well, up next, we're going to talk about more of the Oscar nominees, including supporting actor, actress and director. So grab those cheat sheets and come right back.

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and definition affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Instacart Ad]

This message comes from Better Help online therapy Relationships of all kinds are complicated and they tend to come with a lot of tough questions. From questions about co workers to family to romantic partners, therapy can be your safe space to talk about challenges you face in any of life's relationships. BetterHelp offers therapy 100% online and sign up takes only a few minutes. Minutes. Visit betterhelp.com NPR to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.com NPR this message comes from Thuma.

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

Create your oasis with Thuma, a modern design company that specializes in furniture and home goods by stripping away everything but the essential. Thuma makes elevated beds with premium materials and intentional details with clean lines, subtle curves and minimalist style. The Thuma bed collection is available in four signature finishes to match any design aesthetics. To get $100 towards your first bed purchase, go to T H U M A CO NPR.

[Aisha Harris]

Welcome back. We're gonna move on to actress in a supporting role. Stephen, what do you have for us here?

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, we've got Ariana Grande in Wicked. She plays Galinda, the good witch. Felicity Jones for the Brutalist. Jones plays the wife of a famed architect who reunites with him in America. Isabella Rossellini for Conclave. She's a strategic nun who works at the Vatican. Monica Barbaro for A complet unknown. Barbaro plays acclaimed singer songwriter Joan Baez as she navigates her relationship with Bob Dylan. And Zoe Saldana for Emilia Perez. Saldana plays a lawyer who is forced to help a Mexican cartel leader find a new identity and life. Let us get a win. Best original song and it is a bad song.

[Aisha Harris]

Linda, where are you placing it?

[Linda Holmes]

I think based on precursor awards and kind of general sense, I suspect it's gonna be Zoe Saldano, which despite the fact that it's not a supporting performance and I don't like the movie, but I think that's who's Gonna win.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, I agree. I think the Academy is looking around for a way to defend its decisions to pelt this movie with a fusillade of nominations. And giving it to her is a way for them to save face.

[Linda Holmes]

And she's another one. Been around for a long time, which.

[Instacart Ad]

Would a lot of people.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, she also. But she is the best thing in that movie, which is almost saying nothing. So they're rewarding the one aspect that they can feel good about. They're taking the nugget of gold out of the pile of poop.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. I mean, I think Saldanya is going to win. I think it's easy to overstate how much a backlash might prevent the Oscars from giving Oscars to something that's true. We were all around for Green Book. We all remember Crash. Like, there have certainly been a number of films that were heavily, heavily criticized or heavily, heavily controversial leading up to the Oscars, where people told Oscar voters over and over again, don't vote for this movie, because XYZ and the Oscars have ignored that. And I think this is one very easy way for them to stubbornly continue to support this movie.

[Linda Holmes]

Also, don't forget power of Netflix.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, sure, she gives a very strong performance. Is it a supporting role? It is not. But I don't think that's gonna deter any voters.

[Aisha Harris]

Here I am alone on my own, because I did not choose Saldana. Look, maybe I'm the lone person who's maybe not the most cynical about this category. I don't know why I just decided not to be.

[Stephen Thompson]

You're pretty cynical in general.

[Aisha Harris]

I know. But in this case, I kind of feel like perhaps Ariana Grande might win. So here's the thing. Look, is Saldana playing in a musical performance? Yes, I guess. It's barely a musical. It's mostly ASMR level vocals with Emilia Perez. But Ariana Grande is very much in a musical. She's very much giving a musical theater performance. And those performances do tend to be favored in this category. Think about Ariana DeBose in West side Story, Anne Hathaway and Les Mis, J. Hud and Dreamgirls, Zeta Jones in Chicago. Like, I also think Ariana Grande has a lot of goodwill despite the fact that this press tour has been going on forever. I do feel as though she kind of touches lots of different segments of both theater and music and movies in a way that could help her get this award. I also think she should win in this category.

[Glenn Weldon]

I'm cynical on my will with Zoe Saldana, but I'm with you in hope with only you should. I mean, I think she surprised a lot of people with her comic timing. Which were, let's remember, honed in the fire of Nickelodeon. And she's just got this quality of, I know exactly what I'm doing. I understand this assignment. I'm gonna commit to the bit.

[Aisha Harris]

There's nothing that can stop you from becoming popular. Laur.

[Linda Holmes]

I would never advocate for her because that is not a supporting performance. I am in my era of being against category fraud.

[Aisha Harris]

Fair enough.

[Linda Holmes]

I am gonna be the sole rebel who goes with Isabella Rossellini in conclave. I think she brings such an important note of kind of campy seriousness in a way, to this film. You can get very absorbed in how this little group of men is sort of shuffling all around, talking to each other. And it's very exclusionary of women in general. And she's kind of looking in on this process from the outside. The whole movie is sort of silly and gossipy. And she certainly is keyed into that. But I also think there's a gravity in how she seems to understand some of the weight of this. I also love her and think she's such an interesting actor.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a very quiet performance. I think if it weren't Isabella Rossellini. I'm not sure it gets nominated. Because there is a certain amount of name recognition that I think goes into this nomination. But it is a true supporting performance. And it's a terrific supporting performance. And a movie that I really, really enjoyed. This is where Linda and I are gonna have to have an extra beer later. Cause I know Linda and I disagree on this very, very deeply. But I love Monica Barbaro in A Complete Unknown to me, it's a flawed but very solid film for what it's trying to do. And if it didn't have that performance, it would fall apart.

[Linda Holmes]

I'm not the one you want, babe.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm not the one you need first of all, she sings as Joan. She's there to kind of undercut a lot of his self mythology. And I felt like she was kind of cutting him off at the knees all the time. In ways that I really appreciated as a viewer. Because one thing you get from that film is that young Bob Dylan is a huge jerk. I loved her performance. You know, I loved Edward Norton's performance as Pete Seeger. I felt like they're there to provide kind of counterweights to how Dylan sees himself. And so I love this performance. I was thrilled that it was nominated. I know it Was kind of on the bubble to be. I love that it's here, and I'm rooting for her even though I don't think she's gonna win.

[Aisha Harris]

All right, well, I think the rest of us are.

[Stephen Thompson]

Everybody on this panel disagrees with me. I can feel it happening. I'm wrapping all of your scorn around me like a blanket.

[Aisha Harris]

How does it feel? All right, the next category today is actor in a supporting role. Linda, who is nominated in this category.

[Linda Holmes]

All right, so nominated in this category, we have Edward Norton for a complete unknown movie that we were just discussing, playing the singer songwriter Pete Seeger. We have Guy Pierce in the Brutalist, playing the wealthy and prominent industrialist who enlists Adrien Brody's character to build a lavish community center. Jeremy Strong for the Apprentice. Strong plays lawyer Roy Cohn who develops a relationship with the young Donald Trump. Yora Borisov for Anora. Borisov plays a Russian henchman who. Who is like, maybe the only nice person in the entire movie. And the presumed frontrunner is Kieran Culkin for a Real Pain. Culkin plays the adrift Benji who goes on a Holocaust tour of Poland with his cousin, played by Jesse Eisenberg.

[Glenn Weldon]

You don't feel weird being in a first class car?

[Stephen Thompson]

No.

[Glenn Weldon]

We paid for it.

[Aisha Harris]

It's not hurting anybody. No, dude, we are Jews on a train in Poland. Think about it. Well, as Linda has already hinted, we all think Kieran will win. And most of us think he should win, though not all of us. Steven, tell me why you think he will win.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, it's a magnificent performance. It is very much the performance on which this film hangs. I also really love Jesse Eisenberg in this movie. First of all, I love this film in general. This is a very compact and thoughtful and really well written, really well acted film. And Kieran Culkin is magnetic. He's magnificent throughout. I really don't have any notes on this performance. The only caveat which Linda will say if I don't is that it's massive category fraud. This is a lead acting performance. This is not a supporting performance in any way, shape or form. So I think he absolutely will run away with it. He's run away in this category in basically every other award, and I think he'll continue to do so. Though I would put in good words both for Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown and for Yura Borisov in Anora. I think both of those performances are terrific.

[Glenn Weldon]

I agree he's not supporting, but you and I, Aisha, we live in the real world. Right. We're not off in some wonderland where category fraud doesn't exist.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. I mean, I think he should win. I think this is a role that, like, you can't really picture anyone else playing. It is also a role in a performance that, yes, it calls to mind Culkin's other role, specifically on succession, but it does so in a very different way.

[Stephen Thompson]

Just the moment in which Kieran Culkin says the. Oh, snap.

[Linda Holmes]

Yeah. I mean, I think he certainly will win. No question. Genius. Not supporting, not doing it. Not gonna pretend that's a supporting performance and therefore not gonna give him my should win. However, when I watched A Complete Unknown, and here is where I give Steven some of what he desperately wants, which is, you know, my love of a complete unknown. When I saw Edward Norton stand up in a complete unknown and begin speaking in court as Pete Seeger, it just made my heart. Heart just absolutely grow three sizes, as they say. I am very familiar with Pete Seeger. I have listened to a lot of Pete Seeger. I've listened to a lot of Pete Seeger talking and singing. And, boy, does he have the essence of Pete Seeger. And it's not just in the sense of an impersonation. It's that I think he brings sort of the essence of who that guy was and how he came across to people and the ways in which he was different from Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan was never looking to become Pete Seeger. That is the most important thing to understand is that Pete Seeger loved the music that that kid was making, but that kid was not looking to follow in his footsteps at all. I think they capture that really well and sort of the discomfort of that really well. So I went with Edward Norton, who, again, great actor, done a ton of stuff I really like over many, many years. Delighted to be in his corner for an award that he is definitely not going to win.

[Aisha Harris]

We're all here just laboring with our.

[Stephen Thompson]

Little teaspoons, and you come and bring a show.

[Aisha Harris]

And thanks to you, we're almost there. We're on the verge of tipping it, Bob, and you're our closing act. And finally, finally, we've got the director. Race up for nominations are Coralie Farja for the Substance, Jacques Odillard for Emilia Perez, James Mangold for A Complete Unknown. Okay. Brady Courbet for the Brutalists, and Sean Baker for Honora. Stephen, who do you think is going to win?

[Stephen Thompson]

I think Brady Courbet is gonna win for the Brutalist. I think it's such a perfect Oscar story to make a sweeping, Oscar winning, three and a half hour plus epic for apparently roughly $10 million. I think that is the kind of story that speaks to Oscar voters. You know, kind of going back to that old Roger Ebert line where you can replace Oscar categories, just replace the word best with most. He did the most directing as far as huge sweeping film.

[Linda Holmes]

Yeah. I also think Courbet is gonna win. I think that most years I try to make predictions about the Oscars based on the story that I think Hollywood is interested in telling about itself. And I think right now, the story that they are interested in telling about themselves is we still make big, sweeping, important historical epics and they don't have to cost all that much money, and we can continue to make them in a fundamentally, increasingly hostile environment for art. And I think that's what they're going to be drawn to. I also think there's legitimately some very good directing in this movie. I don't want to sound like I'm making light of that. You know, there is some lovely work done with the directing and cinematography that brings some real beauty to brutalist architecture that is not always gorgeous to look at if not shot correctly. I think the directing and cinematography does a good job of bringing out what makes some of these styles and works seem magical. I think ultimately that's what's gonna win.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, Glenn, I know you and I are twin souls here in the fact that we think who will and should win is the same in this category.

[Glenn Weldon]

Yeah, it's Sean Baker. Let's real talk. Ramel Ross's name should be in the mix here. He directed the Nickel Boys, but again, real world, not some Pollyanna fantasy world. Sean Baker. I almost want to go with him on principle, right, because he makes exactly the kind of movies that people have been telling us for years don't get made anymore. And then you look at the field. Emilio Perez is a bad mov. Complete unknown to me is a boring movie. The substance is fun, but I think we'd all agree it's not entirely in control of itself. And the Brutalist is your hyper conventional pick. But Honora is a movie that just keeps surprising you and changes, you know, its tone changes. It takes turns in the plot, and it feels a little disjointed when you're watching it. But when you look back at it, it all feels of a piece, all feels in control. And that's all down to Sean Baker.

[Aisha Harris]

Mm. Yeah. I mean, agree with everything you said here. I also, in terms of who, like, why, I think he will win. I'M just looking at the fact that he the Directors Guild of America award and there's a lot of overlap there. There has been in the winners of that and then went on to win best Director. And also I just think he deserves to win here. If I said Honora should win best Picture, I also think I feel like that should align here. And I have like small issues with every other movie in a way that I don't have with Anora.

[Stephen Thompson]

I could not complain of. Shawn Baker won. I loved Anora. I loved his work directing it. He has done magnificent work for a really long time now. But I have to put a stake in the for Coralie Farja for the substance, who made a movie that is stunning to look at, a big and bold, wild and weird swing. I have some issues with kind of the general story and how well it hangs together logically. But I think as an audacious piece of filmmaking, as the kind of movie that I would love to see the Oscars consider more often. She is definitely the audacious French director that I would like to see rewarded here. I'd like to replace Jacques Audiology with Denis Villeneuve. For me, I think Coralie Farjah is kind of the one that I'm rooting for, even though I don't think she has a chance.

[Linda Holmes]

Well, Steven and I are ending on a welcome note of agreement. I also went with Coralie Farja. The movie that I look at, and I think I can't imagine what this movie would have looked like with any other director is the substance. This movie is a lot harder than it looks now in retrospect, now that it's popular and now that it's a beloved project by a kind of legacy actress, if I can call her that. I think getting this movie from the conception point to the actual where it's at now required a lot of people's brilliant guidance, including the director. I love the way that this film plays with color, which is obviously to the credit of a lot of other people in the crew who worked on the film. I think the way that it deals with the body horror that it presents is really interesting. I think the way that it kind of uses an 80s aerobics aesthetic in certain places is really interesting and successful. I go with Coralie Farshah also. Stephen and I are in agreement finally on this one.

[Aisha Harris]

Aw, I love this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Our 20 year friendship is saved.

[Linda Holmes]

Yep.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, you should definitely make sure to check out our feed on Monday morning. We'll have a recap of the Oscars telecast right here in your podcast feed. You won't want to miss it. And we want to know what you think about this year's Oscar nominees. There are, of course, many we weren't able to get to, but we'll be discussing a lot of them after the telecast. And you can find us on [e-mail] PCHH up next, what is making us happy this week?

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

This message comes from Warby Parker. If you wear glasses, you know how hard it is to find the perfect pair. But step into a Warby Parker store and you'll see it doesn't have to be. Find a Warby Parker store near [e-mail] retail. This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less and all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] switch and now it's.

[Aisha Harris]

Time for our favorite segment of this week and every week. What's making us happy? Glenn, let us know.

[Glenn Weldon]

I'm keeping it on the Oscar tip. It's a wonderful night for Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. Who will win? Flow is one of the films nominated for best animated feature this year. It's also up for best international feature film and it's the first Latvian film to be nominated for any Academy Awards. You can watch it on max. It is a Latvian film but there are no subtitles because there is no dialogue. It is about a cat who survives a flood that seems to cover most of the earth and they're forced to reject all their cat like intuition and actually work with others. So there's a capybara and a lemur and the dumbest, the doofiest, the most obnoxiously cheerful golden retriever that they have to work with if that makes it sound cutesy. There's nothing Disneyfied or Dreamworksian about them. Cause so much work has been done to not to anthropomorphize these animals, right? All their actions and reactions are kind of kept as realistic as possible. Cat people are gonna watch this and think, yes, that's exactly what my cat would do. And dog people like me are gonna watch it and think, yes, that is just what my dumb jock of a dog would do. It's great. My husband refused to watch this because he saw the trailer and said it seems artsy. It seems like homework. So I watched it by myself. Don't be like my idiot husband who missed out on one of the best films of the damn year. In the market for a new Husband, actually someone who makes better choices. Watch Flo on Max and then you can root along with me for it on Oscar night.

[Linda Holmes]

Happy to accept your cast off husband. A lovely person. If he would like to come and live in my house platonically, that is perfectly fine.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was gonna say Glenn's husband is amazing, but okay.

[Aisha Harris]

All right. Well, Linda, what is making you happy?

[Linda Holmes]

So I really did sit around this week thinking, what is making me happy? And I'm gonna stay. Also, osc, I talked a little bit about how much Pete Seeger I have listened to. And in the last few weeks, I've spent a lot of time listening to Pete Seeger. If you can track down one that is called We Shall Overcome, either as a double CD or on streaming, that is one where he performs a handful of Bob Dylan songs. And it was recorded only within, I think, a week or two of when the Free Will and Bob Dylan came out. Anything you can find of Pete Seeger, anything you can find of the Weavers, the group that he sang with for a really long time, not only is happy making, but also is really stirring. And a lot, a lot of it is about difficult times and times of trial and things like that. And I recommend it most highly. And you can find lots of recordings of both him and that group kicking around wherever you get your music.

[Aisha Harris]

Awesome. Thanks so much, Linda. Steven, what is making you happy?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, all this awards caliber cinema has had me hankering for something that will continue to expand my horizons, broaden my palette, perhaps even nurture my soul. And I think you know where I'm going with this. Deal or no Deal Island Trash TV is airing on NBC, streaming on Peacock. And look, if you are like me, maybe you saw the phrase deal or no Deal island kind of go by on your TV schedule. You thought the Howie Mandel thing with the suitcases on an island and never thought of it again. But Deal or no Deal island is basically a mashup of about six different shows, including Deal or no Deal. They still do the thing with the suitcases at the end of each episode, but the purposes of that are different. There are also elements of Survivor and the Challenge and Big Brother, other shows with alliances and hurt feelings and splashing in the mud. It's held together in this case by Joe Manganiello, who was born to do this. If you're a Magic Mike person, as.

[Linda Holmes]

I am, I was gonna say, does he wear a shirt or not wear a shirt?

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, that's the question.

[Stephen Thompson]

He's wearing, like neat linens. You'll still you'll be glad.

[Aisha Harris]

I mean, linens are nice.

[Stephen Thompson]

He looks good in a linen, so he was born to do this. It's all a very light lift. It's a lot of fun to watch. If you like these competition shows, but scoffed at the idea of a called Deal or no Deal Island, I'm here to tell you it's been a lot of fun. It may just be the palate cleanser that you need this Oscars weekend that is Deal or no Deal island airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock Glenn.

[Linda Holmes]

You should recommend that to your husband.

[Stephen Thompson]

Faust and I will hang out. We'll watch some Deal or no Deal Island.

[Glenn Weldon]

Probably.

[Linda Holmes]

I mean, if he's looking for things that are not artsy.

[Aisha Harris]

I know. Well, what's making me happy this week is Sly Lives, AKA the Burden of Black Genius, which is a documentary about the legendary Sly Stone and directed by Questlove. Now, is this Questlove's Oscar winning debut, Summer of Soul? No, that's a tough fact to follow. It's actually really kind of almost impossible to follow. This is a movie that's about not only Stone's groundbreaking artistry, but it also explores how that artistry has been historically undervalued through interviews with people like Chaka Khan, Q Tip D'Angelo. We get a lot of great little clips and moments and sound bites from those folks. But I think the best thing about this is when the talking heads get super, super nerdy about the music itself. There's some great sequences where you have Nile Rogers, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis. They're like breaking down the instrumentation and the vocals on songs like Dance to the Music. And it's just like a real fun delight. And so I highly recommend, especially if you like Summer and Soul, check out Sly Lives, AKA the Burden of Black Genius. And that is streaming on Hulu now. So that's what's making me happy. And we've also got a special announcement. You've heard us talking about pop culture happy hour plus many times on this podcast. And in a few weeks we're actually going to be releasing some monthly bonus content episodes. These are going to be mailbag style. Stephen and Linda, you're actually going to be in that first episode. So tell us a little bit about what you discuss.

[Linda Holmes]

That's right. We answered a question from listener Elizabeth off about what's more fun to discuss, something you love or something you hate and whether we like it when our feelings conflict with one of the other hosts. So we kind of got into a little bit of the, like, what is fun to talk about what's not so fun to talk about.

[Instacart Ad]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

And as you've heard on this episode, we never actually disagree. So, you know, that isn't a problem.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, yes, yes. So if you want to get these monthly bonuses mailback episodes, and here Steven and Linda disagree and agree sometimes, you should subscribe now to pop culture happy hour [e-mail] happy that brings us to the end of this big Oscars extravaganza show. Glenn Weldon, Stephen Thompson and Linda Holmes, thanks so much for being here. We all owe each other beers at this point. We'll make it happen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Absolutely. Thank you, Aisha.

[Glenn Weldon]

Thank you.

[Linda Holmes]

Fears and Fights. Thank you, friend.

[Aisha Harris]

This episode was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Jessica Reedy. And hello. Come in provides our theme music. Thanks for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Aisha Harris. We'll see you on Monday when we'll be recapping the Oscars and probably finding some more about who won.

[Instacart Ad]

This message comes from NPR sponsor a new perspective on performance apparel. Check out the latest Dream Knit Collection by visiting vuori.com NPR for 20% off your first purchase exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. This message comes from NPR sponsor Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. AI needs lots of speed and computing power. So how do you compete without cost? Spiraling Upgrade to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. OCI is the blazing, fast and secure platform for your infrastructure, database, application development and AI workloads. Now till the end of March 31, 2025, new US customers with a minimum financial commitment can cut their current cloud bill in half. See if your company [e-mail] NPR this.

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

Message comes from Warby Parker. If you wear glasses, you know how hard it is to find the perfect pair. But step into a Warby Parker store and you'll see it doesn't have to be. Find a Warby Parker store near [e-mail] retail.