This past weekend, I saw “The Hate U Give.” It’s a young adult film based on a New York Times bestselling novel about a black 16-year-old girl who sees a white police officer kill her best friend during a traffic stop. I loved the book, and I had high expectations for this film. It definitely delivered. I walked out of that theater blown away by the entire film. I began to think about what Oscar categories it should be nominated for before realizing it likely won’t garner any nominations to begin with.
That’s not to say the movie isn’t Oscar-worthy. In my mind, it certainly is; however, baring a few exceptions, mainstream films rarely get the recognition they deserve when it comes to the academy. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the academy never gives nods to box-office hits. Blockbusters like “Lord of the Rings” and “Jaws” have earned nominations for best picture in the past, and those were definitely popular mainstream films. However, it usually means that these films somehow struck a chord with audiences enough to become a cultural phenomenon, not just another flick to see with the family.
It’s not as if the academy doesn’t know that this is an issue. This year it tried to implement a new category: outstanding achievement in popular film. The requirements were never released because the new category was quickly nixed due to an intense amount of backlash from people who thought that its addition would further alienate worthy box-office hits from getting the best picture nod they deserve.
For example, if there had been a popular film category last year, would “Get Out” have competed for the top prize? It’s hard to say, but some speculate the answer is no. A comedy-horror that serves as a social satire doesn’t generally fit the bill, but with its rise as a defining cultural moment of 2017, the academy had little choice. The same could be said about “Black Panther,” which is an action/superhero flick that smashed box-office records but deserved best picture, nonetheless.
The thing is, the academy loves drama. Comedies, action-adventure films, fantasies, etc. rarely do well in the best picture category. We usually go into the Oscars season with a clear idea of which films will be nominated, even before they are set to release because of their genre and social critiques.
That means movies like “Black Panther” and “The Hate U Give” face more obstacles when it comes to catching the attention of the academy, which has yet to ever nominate a superhero film for best picture and rarely gives nods to young adult films. These types of films often are not associated with the more serious themes seen in most Oscar-bait films. Whether or not that’s an accurate assumption is another story.
The point is just because films like “The Hate U Give” or “Black Panther” are targeted toward a larger audience doesn’t mean that they don’t hold the same merit as a more niche drama.
In this case, the film definitely handles heavy topics that are often found in films that are nominated for best picture. The truth is that teenagers are currently and have always faced issues surrounding violence and racism in their everyday lives. However, even films that don’t tackle these topics deserve a nod, because that’s not what the nominations should be about. Oscars should go to films that are crafted beautifully, regardless of the topics explored.
Katherine Campione is a UF journalism senior. Her column appears on Fridays.
