“Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.” (Starz/VOD)
Since “Past Lives” is the only Best Picture nominee released before Independence Day, this year's Oscars once again illustrate the strict rule that to get awards consideration, you must make sure your film gets as late as possible. That's not the only reason writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig's charming adaptation of Judy Blume's influential novel failed to generate much traction. (For one thing, it was a box office flop when it came out in April.) But “Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret.” It was that rare coming-of-age movie that felt wise and not condescending, touching and not saccharine. Abby Ryder Fortson proved to be the perfect Margaret: clumsy, insecure, completely independent, while Rachel McAdams probably did her best work in a formidable career as Barbara, a mother struggling to define herself beyond that role.
“Beau is Afraid” (Paramount+/VOD)
Writer-director Ari Aster is now three for three: He's made three magnificent films, and all three have failed to earn any Academy Award nominations. It was a pipe dream to imagine that “Beau Is Afraid,” his most divisive film, would ever receive awards season praise. (In addition, the film, A24's most expensive up to that point, barely had any commercial impact). However, this demanding and ambitious three-hour epic represents the kind of big change that can be easily forgotten during Oscar season because it's too strange. too daring, too defiant, its own strange beast, to fit comfortably with the more polished prestige images. I know plenty of critics and viewers who hate Aster and Joaquin Phoenix's study of a clinically depressed everyman, but there are just as many who love it. Like other maligned stunners, “Beau Is Afraid” cries out for reevaluation in the future. It wasn't Oscar-worthy this year, but perhaps its status will grow over time.
“Mama Earth” (Paramount+/VOD)
In a year of great groundbreaking performances, let's take a moment to highlight Tia Nomore, an Oakland rapper who took on her first lead role in “Earth Mama.” It wasn't an easy task: British-American writer-director Savanah Leaf's silent drama follows pregnant Gia and her two other children in foster care. This single mother wants to get her children back, but with few resources, she has almost no hope and now she must consider giving her unborn child to a married couple. “Earth Mama” is clear about how women like Gia have few options, struggling with addiction and poverty while doing their best to be good mothers. Nomore has a dominant role, suggesting that she could have a brilliant career on the big screen if she ever suited him. The film was awarded at the BAFTAs as Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, one of the few awards that this tremendous film has won.
