Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman Face Intense Criticism

The chances of Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie winning the Oscar for Best Actress have significantly dwindled following Wednesday’s announcements.

Kidman, known for her iconic line in AMC’s viral commercial, now faces the cold reality as both she and Jolie were excluded from the Best Actress nomination list by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Highly Praised Performances

Both Kidman and Jolie had garnered widespread acclaim for their performances over the months. In “Babygirl”, Kidman portrayed a powerful executive involved in a romantic affair with a 28-year-old intern. Meanwhile, Jolie delivered a deeply emotional performance as opera singer Maria Callas in “Maria”, a role deemed Oscar-worthy. However, this exclusion marks one of the biggest snubs of the awards season.

SAG and Its Connection to the Oscars

While SAG nominations don’t always align perfectly with Oscar nods, history shows that only once in the past 30 years has an actress who wasn’t nominated by SAG gone on to win the Oscar for Best Actress. That instance was Kate Winslet for “The Reader” in 2009. This makes Kidman and Jolie’s chances even slimmer.

SAG’s New Best Actress Nominees

The actresses nominated by SAG this year include Demi Moore (in “The Substance”), Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), and Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Perez”). After her victory at the Golden Globes and a memorable acceptance speech, Demi Moore has strengthened her position as the frontrunner for the Oscar.

Challenges for Nicole and Angelina

Unlike the Golden Globes, which are voted on by international critics and journalists, the SAG Awards are determined by actors themselves. The acting branch is the largest of the 10,000 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, giving SAG considerable influence.

It’s even possible that neither Jolie nor Kidman will secure an Oscar nomination. Other actresses, such as Fernanda Torres (a Golden Globe winner) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), are gaining significant support.

Setbacks for “The Brutalist”

Despite winning Best Drama at the Golden Globes, “The Brutalist” failed to secure a SAG nomination for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. However, Adrien Brody, the film’s lead actor, managed to earn a nomination for Best Actor.

Other films, such as “A Complete Unknown”, “Anora”, “Conclave”, “Emilia Perez”, and “Wicked”, are strong contenders for the top Oscar prize.

Nonetheless, the criticism directed at Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie appears even harsher than the snubs faced by “The Brutalist.