I make a habit of predicting what will be nominated for Best Picture at theOscars, as many movie lovers often do. Not to brag, but I am usually pretty good. Not only can I get an accurate read of the nine or ten movies that will make the list (I only mispredicted one this year), I have been known to call the Best Picturewinnerbefore the nominees are even released. Once you get a consistent feel of how radically formulaic and political the Oscars truly are, this becomes doable and is a rather fun party trick.
The entirety of this past year, anytime someone asked me what I thought would be nominated for Best Picture, I would start by saying that Greg Kwedar’s and A24’s prison dramaSing Singwas the first given. Not only that, but I would follow that statement by saying something along the lines of, “I thinkSing Singwill win Best Picture.” Imagine my surprise when, lo and behold,Sing Singis not even a contender.
‘Sing Sing’ Goes Beyond Great Cinema
The 97th Academy Award Nominations were finally released, and much to my chagrin,Sing Singwas not among the nominees. Yes, I am upset that this has ruined my credibility and streak as a certified award show soothsayer. However, beyond that, I truly think thatSing Singis one of the most special, human, and worthwhile films to come out in a while, and especially within this award season.
Not to mention,it could be incredible “Oscar bait”(in the non-derogatory sense). A story of an arts reform program in a prison that stars real-life formerly incarcerated alumni of said program, as well as two previous Oscar nominees (Colman Domingo and Paul Raci),Sing Singis as much a vehicle for change as it is a movie. Here is why I staunchly believeSing Singshould have gotten a nomination for Best Picture, and why it was the biggest snub of the season.
A Profound True Story
Sing Singis based on the real story of the implementation of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York.It follows a group of inmates as they participate in devised plays through the help of volunteers (primarily their teacher Brent, played by Raci). Our main character is Divine G (Domingo),a man who was wrongfully incarceratedfor a crime he did not commit. Divine G thrives within the RTA program, taking on a dual performance and playwriting role.
The group is preparing to put on their next production, having just closed a successful run ofA Midsummer Night’s Dream. However,when a new recruit to the program, Divine Eye, challenges and resists the sanctity of theater, the entire group must go on a journey to discover the therapeutic nature of acting and how it can allow them both an escape from and a new perspective on life in prison. Throughout the plot, Divine G is also dealing with an active parole hearing.
With a script that is full of the forging of unlikely friendships, philosophy on making meaning of your circumstances, and unexpectedly funny moments,Sing Singdid earn a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.The screenplay was written by the real Divine G and Divine Eye, as well as being drawn from several books by alumni/teachers of the program.
Domingo and Raci are the only two “professional” actors in the film, in thateveryone else in the cast actually went through Sing Sing and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. This is a similar gimmick to, say,Nomadland, which employs the performances of many real nomads (and whichdidwin Best Picture). However, if you are like me and did not know that the men inSing Singwere not working actors when going to see the film, you would never know. Each individual in the cast is sincerely amazing.In particular, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who plays himself, gives a transcendent performance that should have absolutely warranted a supporting actor nomination.
Prison Reform and Social Impact
As well as just being an emotionally effective and thought-provoking film,Sing Sing is also a history maker.On January 17th,Sing Singbecame the first movie to ever be simultaneously released in theaters and prisons. I think that the hardest part aboutSing Sing’s egregious snub, considering this, is how genuinely the movie bleeds compassion about an issue (prison reform) that goes underacknowledged in our society. It brought attention to a social matter so gracefully and creatively, and then was completely ignored by the Academy. Sure,Sing Sing was nominated for three Oscars, but that is not enough.
Colman Domingo is one of my favorite actorsworking today, and I am glad they recognized him. I am, again, glad the screenplay was nominated, as well as the original song (“Like a Bird,” quite great). But,to throw bones out for some of the most distinguished categories and not for the Big Enchilada feels somewhat deliberate and insulting, especially in a season where extremely reductive and arguably harmful films like Emilia Pérez are not only nominated but setting records. It is profoundly discouraging to see work as profound asSing Singto get swept under the rug.
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I should not say that I am “surprised” though, at the end of the day.The Academy has a history of promoting movies that areaboutsocial issues and minority experiences butforwhite, rich, and able-bodied audiences.Sing Singis not that movie and is actually interested in promoting change and education, both to the general public and to the people the film is about. So, I have always had a playful sort of"they don’t know what they’re doing!" relationship with the Oscars, as my predicting habit suggests, but this might be the last straw.
Of course, in the grand scheme of things, you could argue that awards don’t really matter; but, when something as human, life-affirming, and impact-making asSing Singbecomes the movie among the batch to get discarded, it raises serious larger questions about these award institutions and the power we give them.
