Andrea Riseborough’s controversial Oscar nomination will not be withdrawn after Academy review.
The British actress’ surprise inclusion in the Best Actress category of the year was for her performance in the low-budget drama To Leslie Then. Celebrity last minute campaign Including Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow. Accusations of unfair and academic tactics were raised announce Internal review of campaign procedures.
“Based on concerns that surfaced last week about the To Leslie Awards campaign, the Academy has begun a review of the film’s campaign tactics,” today’s statement read. “The Academy has determined that the activity in question does not rise to the level that the nomination of the film should be rescinded. However, we have discovered social media and awareness campaign tactics that have caused concern. These tactics are being dealt with directly by responsible parties.”
in Los Angeles Times In an article, director Michael Morris and his wife, actress Mary McCormack, were alleged to have contacted several celebrity friends to ask for social media support with many of the resulting tweets containing similar wording pushing the film. However, neither of them were members of the academy.
The film’s official account also shared a post that quoted an excerpt from critic Richard Roeper’s best film of the year, which spoke of Cate Blanchett’s performance in Tar in comparison. An official academic rule states that “any tactic of singling out ‘competition’ by name or titles is expressly forbidden”.
The statement from the Academy added: “The purpose of the Academy Campaign Regulations is to ensure a fair and ethical awarding process – these are the core values of the Academy. Given this review, it is clear that the components of the regulations must be clarified to help create a better framework for a respectful, inclusive, and unbiased campaign. These changes will be made after this awards cycle and shared with our members. The Academy strives to create an environment in which votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of films and eligible achievements.”
Earlier this month, Riseborough received support from her co-star Marc Maron and actress Christina Ricci who… claimed The investigation was “elitist and exclusive and too backward for me, frankly”.
Riseborough is included in the category along with Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised Riseborough in his book reconsidering, highlighting “Outstanding Performance”. The film is being re-released in cinemas after making just $27,000 (£21,936) on release.
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