"La La Land," Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.'s film about star-crossed lovers trying to make it in the entertainment industry, was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including best picture, the most of any movie this year.
Amazon.com Inc.'s "Manchester By The Sea," was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday on its website, in a first for an online distributor. Nine movies will be vying for best picture, including several that feature African Americans in leading roles.
The academy has been criticized for failing to recognize movies featuring people of color. In the past year, the organization changed its membership and voting rules to increase diversity in the mostly older, white male organization. This year's crop of quality films featuring minority actors, including the best picture nominees "Fences," "Hidden Figures" and "Moonlight," will give Oscar voters a chance to make good on that goal.
Rounding out this year's best picture nominees are "Arrival," "Hacksaw Ridge," "Lion" and "Hell or High Water." The 89th Academy Awards will be handed out on Feb. 26 in a live ceremony on ABC hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
Tying Record
In "La La Land," Ryan Gosling stars as a jazz pianist who falls in love with a struggling actress, played by Emma Stone, as they seek success against the backdrop of a romanticized Los Angeles. Their relationship, told through song and dance, frays as their careers take off.
Gosling and Stone received Oscar nominations for their roles in the film, as did Damien Chazelle for his writing and directing. The picture also garnered nominations for original song and cinematography.
The film is the frontrunner for best picture, according to oddsmakers and betting houses. Ladbrokes Plc gave the movie 1 to 4 odds, or an 80 percent chance of winning. The movie set the record for the most awards at this year's Golden Globes, including best musical or comedy, and awards for directing and acting. The only other films to be nominated for 14 Oscars were "Titantic" in 1997 and "All Above Eve" in 1950.
"La La Land," in theaters for seven weeks, has taken in $89.9 million through last weekend, according to researcher ComScore Inc.
Oscars Boost
In "Manchester by the Sea," Casey Affleck plays janitor Lee Chandler, who returns to his hometown to look after his nephew following the death of his brother. But he struggles to cope with the memory of his own children's deaths there in a fire he inadvertently caused, a disaster that led to divorce from his wife Randi, played by Michelle Williams.
The drama was written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan and distributed by Roadside Attractions. Affleck won a Golden Globe for best actor.
The nominations and subsequent awards ceremony, honoring the best films of last year, can provide a boost to movies still playing in theaters or an opportunity to expand films in limited release. "Hidden Figures," nominated for three awards, was No. 3 in U.S. theaters last weekend and has taken in $83.7 million in sales through five weeks in cinemas.
The 21st Century Fox Inc. film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe as engineers trying to break the color barrier at NASA in the 1960s and playing key roles in the launch and safe return of John Glenn. Spencer was nominated for best supporting actress.
In response to complaints about the academy's lack of diversity, the organization last year brought in 683 new members, double the number added the previous year, to change its gender and racial makeup. The group committed to doubling the number of women and minorities by 2020.
The Academy nominated six black actors for Oscars, including three women for best supporting actress: Viola Davis for "Fences," Naomie Harris for "Moonlight" and Spencer for "Hidden Figures."
"This year is a stand out year for diversity, for people of color," said Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango.com.