This One Goes to 11 – The Critics Vote to Add The Force Awakens to Best Picture and only Best Picture

What do you call a problem like a massive cultural moment? Star Wars: The Force Awakens is either going to go down in film history as one of the greatest or… it’s not. Either way, the Critics Choice members did not get a chance to see it before voting on their best of the year, so the establishment decided to add the Force Awakens. I can only think of one problem — other than it being mildly embarrassing — and that’s the idea that the film was allowed in only for Best Picture and no other categories. Seems weird, don’t you think? Like what better movie to feature in categories like female action actor or even score, or visual effects or sound. It just messes everything up. Still, I understand their dilemma. They did the same thing back in 2000 when they didn’t see Cast Away and added it at the last minute. But that was Cast Away. This is The Force Awakens.

Here is the fully updated list of nominees:

BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Weirdly, it fits in even alphabetically as the last entry. It’s not a bad choice if you happen to think it’s one of the best films of the year. I’m not sure I do yet, though I’m leaning towards not. Tangerine, Son of Saul, Ex Machina, Steve Jobs.

To find what the Producers Guild will pick, you have to dump one because they won’t have 11. Given that Kathleen Kennedy produced Star Wars it has a very good chance to get in, especially as it box office continues to rise. To get to the Academy’s choice, you have to dump two off that list.

Producers Guild might go:
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

And the Academy might go:

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Straight Outta Compton? Beasts of No Nation? Son of Saul? Trumbo?

There are going to be surprises for sure. There will be glaring omissions and strange additions. Who knows how it will go down. But remember, the Academy only has five choices, not ten, and that means they will be voting with their hearts. We will soon find out.