Next in our series “IF THE OSCARS WERE TOMORROW,” we’ll start unpacking some possibilities that will try to go the distance in the Original Song category – a race that is bound to get more crowded in the coming months.
Ground rules to keep in mind. For the best possible accuracy, we’ll be considering not just every film that’s opened theatrically to date, but also every film SCREENED thus far that has both secured distribution and is already dated for release. These screenings may include any of the big festivals from the first half of the year or earlier. Films exclusively screened privately for the industry or press will not count. *
Original Song
1 – “Seance” (Sinners)
2 – “I Lied to You” (Sinners)
3 – “The Ballad of Wallis Island” (The Ballad of Wallis Island)
4 – “Lose Your Mind” (F1)
5 – “Baby” (Freakier Friday)
With music being such an integral part of the storytelling of “Sinners,” we should comfortably have a significant portion of this year’s nominees in the can. There are a number of great choices from the Warner Bros. original film, but by the end of the year the campaign should solidify which two favorites they’ll put all their weight behind. The track “I Lied to You” plays a critical narrative part in the film and also features audience favorite and the film’s breakout star Miles Caton. There may not be enough room in Supporting Actor to nominate the young Caton, but this song nomination and a performance on the Oscar stage could go a long way to giving the young man a memorable Oscar night regardless.
The other selection from “Sinners” should not be up for debate – and in my opinion is the clear favorite for the win. The song “Seance” not only succeeds in expressing the thematic material of the film, but also offers a richly-textured, more emotional counterpoint to the spectacle on screen. It’s more than a worthy winner.
This year will surely include a wide array of original song contenders as the fall and winter titles finally premiere, so aside from “Sinners” each of the remaining films will have to mount extensive campaigns to stick in the conversation.
For the time being, it may be a good bet to think that “The Ballad of Wallis Island” can see one of its original tracks squeeze out a nod. The Sundance title about a musician reuniting with his ex-lover and one-time collaborator on a secluded island didn’t do much business for Focus Features, but because it foregrounds its acoustic music so well, the branch could easily find this one of spring’s most memorable films. It helps that Tom Basden not only leads the cast and shared writing duties on the film, but is also credited with writing and performing the music as well. In the past, the branch has also taken kindly to nominating fictional musical acts in movies and then inviting them to perform as their personas at the Oscars – “A Mighty Wind” anyone? What a treat it would be to see folk duo McGwyer Mortimer share the stage one last time! They’ve an abundant of choices, but I think the title track “The Ballad of Wallis Island” would serve the campaign best.
If the Academy feels like a dance on Oscar night, maybe they’ll champion a nomination for “Lose My Mind” from the big summer popcorn film “F1.” It’s been a while since the film’s composer Hans Zimmer worked on a film that featured in this race, but it’s happened before with 1994’s “The Lion King” and 1998’s “The Prince of Egypt.” The branch often likes to include a summer anthem, and this electric track fits the bill perfectly. Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” scored a nod here as well, so this nomination is totally in the realm of possibility.
The final slot could potentially go to “Freakier Friday,” whose track “Baby” is not only performed live in the film but also features heavily into the actual plot. After such a warm reintroduction to theater audiences, imagine what an original song nomination could mean to Lindsay Lohan following an extended hiatus from the industry, and to possibly be invited to perform it? Well, they don’t call them “Hollywood endings” for nothing…