It was asserted yesterday that for All Quiet on the Western Front to win the Best Picture Oscar, “It must win Best Adapted screenplay, but that will be tough because Sarah Polley could definitely win that.”

And I said “oh, yeah?”

It was then claimed that whichever film wins the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, Banshees or EEAAO, that is your Best Picture winner. What else can Banshees win?  If Kerry Condon wins, it’s over.  Banshees will take the Best Picture Oscar.

And I said “oh, yeah?”

It was pointed out that a film “usually can’t win Best Picture Oscar without a Best actor nom, a Best Screenplay nom/win, and a Best Editing nom.”

And I said “Oh, yeah?”

The same guy said “if Judd Hirsch wins the Don Ameche award, then The Fabelmans could win.”

He concluded by saying that Top Gun: Maverick, which will almost certainly win Oscars for sound and editing, can only win if it somehow wins Best Screenplay, but that ain’t happening.”

And I went “Ohhhhh, yeaaahhhh.”

Friendo: “Any thoughts on Jacob Bernstein’s 1.21 NY Times piece about the last days of Nikki Finke?”

HE: “What’s there to say? Okay, to some extent Fink wept and lamented as she faced the Big Sleep, and to some extent she was accepting. Most of the article is a “Nikki’s greatest hits” rehash. The only new material (at the beginning and end) is from a friend of Nikki’s, Diane Haithman, who helped her during the waning days.

“For what it’s worth, Jay Penske comes off like a human being.

“The piece says, by the way, that Finke died last October at Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton. In fact it’s located roughly 20 blocks from the sea. It should be called Hospice by Interstate 95.

“The important thing, no offense, is that she’s dead. Nobody wept when J.J. Hunsecker passed on either.”

Two days ago I caught The Son (Sony Pictures Classics, 1.20), which I found well-written, well-acted and somewhat arduous to watch. Which doesn’t mean it’s a bad film — it’s just a bit of a thing to get through. Not a slog, which has negative connotations, but somewhat burdensome.

Directed by Florian Zeller (The Father) and cowritten by Zeller and Christopher Hampton, it’s about five characters — a 50ish, high-powered Manhattan businessman (Hugh Jackman), his anguished and estranged teenage son (Zen McGrath), the son’s divorced, worry-fraught mother and Jackman’s ex (Laura Dern), Jackman’s second, 20-years-younger wife (Vanessa Kirby) and Jackman’s crusty, tough-as-nails father (Anthony Hopkins) who’s in his late 70s or early 80s.

My mp3 review lasta around 12 minutes.

Hollywood Elsewhere is extremely bummed that Everything Everywhere All at Once nabbed 11 Oscar nominations this morning. Congrats, however, to Martin McDonagh‘s The Banshees of Inisherin and Edward Berger‘s All Quiet on the Western Front, which took nine noms each.

Given that All Quiet landed so many noms without much promotional help from Netflix, it seems to be the Best Picture frontrunner. Will Netflix finally start promoting it? Or will they continue to sit on their hands?

Especially given the negative responses to EEAAO from the over-45 crowd, and given the bloody finger stump residue from Banshees.

All Quiet is not an easy sit, but it’s obviously a compassionate, humanistic film at the end of the day.

9:17 am tally: Best Picture — All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Tar, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, Women Talking.

8:32 am: Wait…Best Supporting Actress nominees include Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, both from Everything Everywhere All At Once? Bad sign. Very bad sign.

8:47 am: To Leslie‘s Andrea Riseborough got nominated for Best Actress! Her seat-of-the-pants campaign worked! And Ana de Armas overcame the Blonde negativity to land a nomination also. Till‘s Danielle Deadwyler snubbed though…sorry, raw deal, tough darts.

Against all odds, Women Talking managed to get nominated for Best Picture. Not a prayer of winning, of course. But at least saved from being snubbed.

Decision to Leave snubbed in Best Int’l Feature category…admired the chops, didn’t like the film, fine with me.

Allison Williams speaks with one of those mincing Millennial beep-beep “sexy baby” voices. Lauren Bacall she’s not.

Director friendo: Netflix totally blew it with All Quiet on the Western Front. No campaign. I know many directors who were unaware that the film even existed.
HE: But it was nominated for Best Picture and five or six other Oscars….right?
Director friendo: Yes. Nine. But no Best Director nomination for Edward Berger. It can still win Best Picture if only Netflix would mount a campaign.
HE: Netflix was strangely reticent with this film. Odd.
Director friendo: More than reticent. Neglectful. It scored 9 noms with no Netflix suppoprt. What does that tell you?

The 95th Oscars will happen at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 12. Jimmy Kimmel will host.