The movies nominated for this year's Oscars run the gamut in terms of style, genre, and racial diversity. Unfortunately, though, a few of those films have some controversies attached. In fact, so much of what's happened around the 2019 Oscars has been shrouded in scandal—including the debate about who should host.
It's unclear whether these issues will affect how the Academy members vote, but viewers certainly shouldn't ignore them. Below, we've broken down each of the pressing, real-life stories to come out in light of the 2019 Academy Awards. Of course, we'll update as more information surfaces, but this list should help you decide what to watch—and whom to root for come Oscar night.
Shortly after Kevin Hart was announced as the host of this year's Oscars, people unearthed homophobic tweets he posted between 2009 and 2011. As a result, he backed out of the gig. "I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscars," Hart announced on Twitter in December. "This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past." Hart has issued several more apologies since, most notably on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Though there was some speculation that Hart would be asked back, he confirmed on a January 9 Good Morning America appearance that he was definitely out.
There are rumors that the Academy might ask Whoopi Goldberg to host—which Goldberg's The View cohost Joy Behar said is not true—but ultimately, the organization has decided to move forward with no host for this year's ceremony. The last time that happened was in 1989, during a broadcast that's often panned as a low point in the awards show's history. It seems the Academy is trying to make up for the lack of host by packing the stage with tons of celebrity presenters, including Michael B. Jordan, Constance Wu, Queen Latifah, Congressman John Lewis, and Awkwafina.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
This comedy-drama, based on true events, follows queer black classical musician Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his Italian American driver (Viggo Mortensen) as they traverse the 1960s Jim Crow South. The film has enjoyed critical acclaim and success at both the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards despite its mounting controversies. In December, Shirley's family came forward and said Green Book was a "a symphony of lies"—a claim its director, Peter Farrelly, defended by telling Vanity Fair, “I believe in this movie. I think it can change people’s hearts and minds, incrementally."
Farrelly's own behavior came under fire when The Cut unearthed a 1998 Newsweek article that outlined how he used to "trick" people into looking at his penis. "I was an idiot," Farrelly said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "I did this decades ago, and I thought I was being funny, and the truth is I'm embarrassed, and it makes me cringe now. I'm deeply sorry."
Also at the center of controversy is Green Book's cowriter Nick Vallelonga, whose anti-Muslim tweets from November 2015 resurfaced after the film started picking up steam. We won't republish the tweets here, but Vallelonga did issue an apology, saying, “I want to apologize. I spent my life trying to bring this story of overcoming differences and finding common ground to the screen, and I am incredibly sorry to everyone associated with Green Book. I especially deeply apologize to the brilliant and kind Mahershala Ali, and all members of the Muslim faith, for the hurt I have caused."
Viggo Mortensen, who earned a Best Actor nomination for his performance, caught heat for saying the N-word while promoting the film. “For instance, no one says n— anymore,” Mortensen said, in reference to the prevalence of racism in the 1960s. He issued an apology about the incident to The Hollywood Reporter. "In making the point that many people casually used the N-word at the time in which the movie’s story takes place, in 1962, I used the full word. Although my intention was to speak strongly against racism, I have no right to even imagine the hurt that is caused by hearing that word in any context, especially from a white man. I do not use the word in private or in public. I am very sorry that I did use the full word last night, and will not utter it again," he said.
His costar, Mahershala Ali, responded to this statement with some words of his own: "However well-intended or intellectual the conversation may have been, it wasn’t appropriate for Viggo to say the N-word," he said. "He has made it clear to me that he’s aware of this, and apologized profusely immediately following the Q&A with Elvis Mitchell. Knowing his intention was to express that removing the N-word from your vocabulary doesn’t necessarily disqualify a person as a racist or participating in actions or thoughts that are bigoted, I can accept and embrace his apology."
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Rami Malek), Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing
This rock biopic about Freddie Mercury received only lukewarm reviews from critics; however, it's had quite the awards-season run, especially for Rami Malek, who plays the Queen front man. Noticeably absent at the Golden Globes—where the movie picked up several prizes—was its director, Bryan Singer, whose sexual misconduct allegations were recently outlined by The Atlantic in a new exposé. (It's important to note Singer was fired from BoRhap a few weeks before the movie finished shooting.) The outlet spoke to four men who have accusations against Singer; two of them say they were underage at the time their alleged incidences occurred. Read The Atlantic's full story here.
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Nominated for: Best Live-Action Short
This Irish film tells the story of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, who, at 10 years old, abducted a two-year-old boy named James Bulger from a shopping center and murdered him. James' mother, Denise Fergus, wanted the movie removed from the Oscars short list and released this statement, below, after it ultimately received a nomination:
In an effort to trim down the broadcast's running time, the Academy announced it would ask only two out of the five Best Original Song nominees to perform during the ceremony: Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "All the Stars” from Black Panther and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. However, Lady Gaga reportedly threatened to pull out of the performance if the other nominees weren't allowed to have their turn onstage. The Academy soon reversed course, announcing that all Best Original Song nominees will perform 90-second cuts of their songs. Kendrick Lamar and SZA later shared they won't be attending the ceremony because of scheduling issues.
In the same move to shorten the broadcast, the Academy also said it would present the awards for cinematography, editing, live-action short, and makeup and hairstyling during commercial breaks. But several industry leaders took issue with the decision, including director Alfonso Cuarón, who made it clear that many of the categories the Academy had picked were integral to the filmmaking process.
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Like the Best Original Song decision, the Academy changed its mind and decided to televise all awards.
“The Academy has heard the feedback from its membership regarding the Oscar presentation of four awards—Cinematography, Film Editing, Live Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling,” the organization said in a statement. “All Academy Awards will be presented without edits, in our traditional format. We look forward to Oscar Sunday, February 24."
