New in theaters is “One Life” starring legendary actor Anthony Hopkins as real-life British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton. Just three years ago he led French playwright Florian Zeller‘s feature directorial debut “The Father.” It not only managed to win him a second Oscar for Best Actor following “The Silence of the Lambs” back in 1991, but it also made headlines. One reason was how it was unconventionally the final award presented during the telecast that year because the sentimental favorite, Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), was widely expected to win posthumously. Hopkins pulled off a huge upset, though, and he wasn’t even there to accept it. How did that win happen? Here are five reasons.
1. Hopkins had a very awards-friendly role
His character in “The Father” was an aging man suffering dementia. Multiple actors had won accolades for starring in productions of Zeller’s original stage play prior to this film adaptation. Among them, Kenneth Cranham won an Olivier in 2016 for the West End staging, and Frank Langella won a Tony for the American premiere on Broadway, also in 2016.
Not to mention that characters facing serious illnesses have done well at the Oscars over the years. Other recent examples include Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”), Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”), Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”), Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”). So with those factors taken into account, it shouldn’t have been that surprising Hopkins came out victorious.
2. “The Father” was a stronger contender than “Ma Rainey’s”
Prior to the Oscar nominations announcement, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was predicted by our odds to show up in seven categories including Best Picture. Meanwhile “The Father” was only likely to show up in Best Picture, Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Yet when the contenders were revealed, “Ma Rainey’s” underperformed by missing out on spots in Picture and Adapted Screenplay while “The Father” overperformed by also showing up in Best Film Editing and Best Production Design. So suddenly “The Father” looked like the stronger awards player.
Boseman was the only Best Actor contender that year who was not in a Best Picture nominee. The other four — Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Hopkins, Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Steven Yeun (“Minari”) — were. At the time, the last Best Actor champ who managed to overcome the hurdle of not being in a Best Picture nominee was Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”) in 2009, but Bridges was considered overdue for an Oscar win that year. So “Ma Rainey’s” underperforming in the nominations should’ve been the signal all along that Boseman wasn’t winning.
3. There was a late surge for “The Father”
The movie itself may have had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January of 2020, but its commercial release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” debuted on Netflix in December of that year, “The Father” began its limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on February 26, 2021, less than three weeks prior to Oscar nominations announcement.
With this particular season being longer than usual (eligibility was extended to February, and the ceremony took place on April 25, also due to COVID), that gave voters more than enough time to catch up with a great deal of contenders previous awards voters may have missed. Therefore “The Father” was able to peak at just the right time. The movie not only wound up with the prize for Best Actor, it also took Best Adapted Screenplay over the eventual Best Picture winner, “Nomadland.”
4. Hopkins was a passion pick
Boseman was one of the biggest rising stars of the 2010s but sadly passed away from colon cancer in August 2020 at the age of 43. So many felt sentiment would be on his side here. However, academy members revealed in anonymous ballots prior to the ceremony that they knew Boseman had it locked up, but Hopkins was who they were more passionate about. Which seemed reminiscent of how Glenn Close (“The Wife”) seemed like she was obviously winning Best Actress a couple of years earlier, only for voters to check off Olivia Colman because she was their (pun intended) “Favourite” of the lineup. And we all saw what happened on Oscar night that year.
5. BAFTA was (once again) the more telling tea leaf
Boseman’s final performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom“ won him posthumous accolades from the Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG Awards. However Hopkins managed to beat him for Best Actor at the BAFTAs. While his victory across the pond may have been partly influenced by him being British, BAFTA is still an important industry peer group award (like Oscar is) that has previewed upsets in acting races before.
In 2015 Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”) was the sentimental favorite to win Best Supporting Actor. With accolades from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice, it looked like his big comeback as Rocky Balboa was going to be a narrative that academy members couldn’t ignore. Though on Oscar night, BAFTA winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) knocked him out. In 2018 the aforementioned Glenn Close was the sentimental favorite to win the Best Actress trophy for “The Wife.” After having won at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and SAG, it looked like she was finally going to win her very first Oscar. Yet BAFTA champ Colman pulled through instead.
Hopkins ended up being another example of predictors underestimating the BAFTAs. That same year Frances McDormand (“Nomadland“) won Best Actress there before going on to win a wide-open race at the Oscars. And this year we saw Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) win Best Actress at BAFTA before going on to repeat at the Oscars over frontrunner Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”).
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