Come on Academy, put Adam Sandler in the game!
The Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations announced Wednesday yielded 25 first-time nominees in film and television. Among them was Sandler, who in Jeremiah Zagar’s “Hustle” takes a dramatic turn as a basketball scout who discovers a street ball player in Spain. With AMPAS voting opening tomorrow, he comes at the perfect time to win his first Best Actor Oscar.
Outside of his Independent Spirit Award win for 2020’s “Uncut Gems,” the SAG nod was Sandler’s first major acting recognition in his 35-year career. Released by Netflix in early June, “Hustle” would have been pushed aside had it been with any other studio for awards prospects. But the streaming giant has made Sandler, and film, one of its top priorities with a slate that includes more industry-friendly titles, including the war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the sequel to the thriller “Glass Onion” and the animated stop-motion “Le Pinocchio de Guillermo del Toro”.
So far, Sandler has received a tribute at the Gotham Awards, where her hilarious and touching speech penned by her daughters has gone viral, in addition to a few regional critics’ accolades. Playing Stanley Sugarman, a jaded scout for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the 56-year-old comedy veteran delivers a crossover role, which clearly resonated with the SAG nominating committee.
After Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG nominations, in addition to BAFTA long lists, the Best Actor race cemented four actors – Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) and Bill Nighy (“Alive”). Last Place toured with Tom Cruise (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Hugh Jackman (“The Son”) and Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) , with a few names still bubbling over though they haven’t introduced themselves yet – Tom Hanks (“A Man Called Otto”) and Gabriel LaBelle (“The Fabelmans”). The question is, does a big enough contingency in the acting branch feel compelled to vote for Sandler after snubbing him in the past?
hustle
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No movie star is without their share of “bombshells” and “critical” films, and Sandler had a few during his career with “Little Nicky” (2000) and “Jack and Jill” (2011 ). However, Sandler has also played revered roles, such as the anxious Barry Egan from his Golden Globe-nominated ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ (2002) or the musically unemployed Harold from ‘The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)’ (2017). ). His closest dance with the Academy came with Howard Ratner, his gambling-addicted jeweler in the Safdie Brothers thriller “Uncut Gems” (2019). His awards season that year included accolades from Critics Choice, Gothams, Indie Spirits, and a notable National Board of Review win for Best Actor. With its solid performances and anxiety-inducing pacing, “Uncut Gems” became one of the notable Oscar snubs of that year.
Now, sitting with this major piece of industry recognition, which has considerable crossover with Academy members, Sandler finds himself in a period of transition for stars who are traditionally more popular with consumers but who are competing award recognition. Discover the first nods to Tom Hanks for “Big” (1988), Robert Downey Jr. for “Chaplin” (1992) and Johnny Depp for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2004).
However, for every comedy star who makes the effort to transition into a “serious actor,” that Academy recognition never comes. See Jim Carrey’s three blatant rebuffs for “The Truman Show” (1998), “Man on the Moon” (1999), and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004).
So will Sandler manage to clinch the final Best Actor spot? If there was ever a time for Sandler to earn Academy recognition, it’s now, the day before voting for the Oscar nomination opens.
To see the current rankings for each category, visit Variety Oscar Center. Be sure to bookmark the 2022-2023 Awards Season Schedule for all the key dates and deadlines of the season.