Well, there was no envelope mix-up this year, but the Best Picture category still proved to be the most shocking of the night.
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water won the coveted prize, surprising everyone who thought Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, would win.
The Shape of Water was one of the most obscure and grotesque films nominated this year — and it didn’t stack up to the other films nominated for Best Picture.
The fantasy film about a mute woman who falls in love with an amphibious fish god was visually pleasing, but there wasn’t much more to it. Best Picture should go to the film that has the best performances, writing, directing and visuals. The Shape of Water was just Oscar bait.
The film hit every single demographic. There was a mute woman who fell in love with someone way different than herself. The film took place in the Soviet era when black people were not well-respected. There was a straight, white creepy guy, and the main character’s best friend is her middle-aged next-door neighbor who is gay. The characters are evidence that the film was trying to get as many viewers as possible.
The Academy is known for voting for some obscure films for Best Picture. At the 2015 Academy Awards, Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) won Best Picture, and the fan-favorite leading up to the ceremony was the 12-year project Boyhood. The former film was about a washed-up actor who thought he had superpowers.
The Best Picture race this year was filled with many that were capable of winning the award, but the film that should have won was Get Out.
Get Out had so much of an impact that the Academy voted for it in four major awards. The film came out more than a year before this year’s Oscar ceremony, which is an impressive feat.
What really elevated Get Out was its overall production. The writing was superb and the fact it is an original social satire made it stand out from all of the other films nominated. Jordan Peele’s writing and directing allowed every person involved in the film bring the best performances of 2017.
The Shape of Water was not a terrible film, but it was not the most progressive or original choice. And it was not the most deserving.
Georgia Davis is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you think The Shape of Water deserved Best Picture? Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.
