Wicked: For Good’s Ariana Grande Winning Best Supporting Would Be A Mistake

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A key reason the movie Wicked wasn’t initially favored for awards was the Academy’s preference for complete stories, not just the first part of a two-part adaptation. This led to a firm release date for Wicked: For Good coinciding with the Oscars season. Director Jon M. Chu hoped splitting the musical into two films would build momentum – positive reception for the first film would carry over to the second, potentially making it a strong awards contender. In particular, the performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were seen as likely to earn nominations, as they were already recognized for their work in the first film.

5 Forgotten Action Animated TV Shows Worth Revisiting

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Series like Arcane, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Invincible are among the best shows of the last decade or two, and they’ve all redefined what animated series can achieve. However, animation and action have a long history, and many excellent shows from the past have unfortunately been lost to time.

In ‘Out of Plain Sight,’ a toxic threat off California’s coast comes into view

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Rosanna Xia, an environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has spent years investigating the lasting effects of DDT, a once-common pesticide. DDT was even once considered as harmless as hairspray or water from garden hoses. In 2020, she revealed that toxic waste barrels containing DDT – originally dumped into the ocean decades ago by the manufacturer Montrose – were actually closer to the Southern California coast than anyone realized. Her continuing investigation is now the focus of a documentary called “Out of Plain Sight,” which she co-directed with Daniel Straub. (Note: The documentary was produced by L.A. Times Studios, which is affiliated with the Los Angeles Times.)

Rental Family Is A Really Cute, Wholesome Movie, But I Want To Talk About This Serious Topic

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The film centers on Phillip (Brendan Fraser), an American actor residing in Japan, who lands a surprising job. He begins working for a unique service that provides ‘rental families’ – people hired to temporarily fill family roles for clients. Rental Family is a heartwarming story about finding connection and belonging, and it also touches on themes of mental well-being and the importance of community.

Train Dreams Is a Vision of Hardscrabble Americana That’s Also Bracingly Modern

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Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams isn’t your typical nostalgic look at early 20th-century America. Adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, this film, set in Idaho, doesn’t gloss over the hardships faced by those who built this country. Instead, it presents them as flawed but fundamentally human individuals just trying to survive and provide for their families. Joel Edgerton delivers a quietly powerful performance as Robert Grainier, an orphaned laborer who seems destined for solitude, until a remarkable woman takes the initiative and eventually becomes his wife around 1917. They build a simple life by a river, and Felicity Jones is fantastic as Gladys, a resourceful and capable woman who can seemingly do anything – from constructing intricate fish traps to managing the home and raising a child while Robert is away working. He drifts between jobs – building railroads, then logging – and Will Patton’s understated narration fills in the gaps, creating a beautifully melancholic portrait of a life lived on the edge.