‘Reagan’ One Of 100+ Major Films Ineligible For Best Picture Oscar On Sunday Thanks To DEI
It’s no real surprise that the bootstrap, guerilla-marketed “Reagan” movie wouldn’t get an Oscar, despite it being a top release just about everywhere it screened.
But 36% of the 322 other feature films that otherwise would qualify for a Best Picture nod at the Academy Awards on Sunday were taken out of the running, according to numerous film industry blogs.
The reason: Efforts to enforce racial diversity, gender equity, and sexual inclusion on the big screen. Yes, DEI.
Read and weep over the criteria here, which sets up quotas for how many of each race, gender, sexual lifestyle, etc., are included on top billing. As one example of the four “standards” — of which two must be met in order to qualify:
A1. Lead or significant supporting actors from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups
At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors submitted for Oscar consideration is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group in a specific country or territory of production.
This may include:
• African American / Black / African and/or Caribbean descent
• East Asian (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian)
• Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x
• Indigenous Peoples (including Native American / Alaskan Native)
• Middle Eastern / North African
• Pacific Islander
• South Asian (including Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan)
• Southeast Asian (including Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese)
A2. General ensemble cast
At least 30% of all actors not submitted for Oscar consideration are from at least two underrepresented groups which may include:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
…
Ad nauseum, and you get the picture, and now the reader can see clearly why such efforts are made to make sure even historical movies in a monoculture reflect the rainbow of demographics favored by modern Progressivism.
But there’s another problem other than the myriad of issues DEI represents, according to film industry publication The Wrap:
“The discrepancy between films that have qualified for the top category and films that are eligible in other categories comes either because the filmmakers did not attempt to qualify – likely the case for several documentary, animated or international films. Or because of new eligibility rules that require Best Picture candidates to meet additional benchmarks for diversity and inclusion. This is the second year that Representation and Inclusion Standards (RAISE) have been enforced, though they did not appear to disqualify any serious contenders in the category.
Among titles excluded from Best Picture consideration are Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour,” Michael Keaton’s directorial debut “Knox Goes Away,” the summer action sequel “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and the musical remake “Mean Girls.” Several shortlisted documentaries and international features are also not eligible, including “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” “The Girl With the Needle,” “Dahomey,” “Frida,” “Armand” and “Universal Language.” The biopic “Waltz With Brando,” shortlisted in the makeup and hairstyling category, was also omitted from the best picture lineup.
According to conservative-leaning BizPacReview, that left the 97th Academy Awards’ “Best Picture” category on Sunday “arguably a contest between gender ideology and prostitution as films such as ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘Conclave.'”
However, it wasn’t merely the content that catapulted some films ahead of others for the shortlist of nominations as Sean McNamara’s Dennis Quaid-starring biopic “Reagan” failed to meet the DEI requirements necessary for consideration, prompting producer Mark Joseph to quip to the New York Post in the style of the Gipper, “There they go again.” A Screenwriter … added with regard to the film about President Ronald Reagan, “By these new rules, many previous winners would never have been recognized.”
Quality of productions has also taken a hit, with ticket sales still recovering from pre-COVID levels. Strikes, streaming, and social distancing are all factors there, including a rise in video game activity. But could it also be that viewers are voting with their feet? If that’s the case, then why are taxpayers still funding failing films?
According to the New York Times, various states have spent $25 billion to lure productions from Hollywood. (No telling what DOGE will uncover there.) In 2023, film and TV production in Greater Los Angeles plunged nearly 20%. Production volume across the board is down 35% since the last quarter.
Over the first half of 2024, the total number of productions filming globally in 2024 is still 16% lower than in 2022, and 37% lower in the US.
If We the People continue to subsidize the film industry and offer tax abatements at various levels, perhaps we should have a say in the Academy’s stringent DEI rules, which obviously are not increasing the quality of silver screen offerings nor the number of movies qualifying for an Oscar.
No wonder Oscars viewership has fallen by 40 million viewers over the past decade.
