Oscars: How Do You Feel About Andrew Garfield As A Frontrunner?
I won’t say that I’m the foremost expert on cinema. There are far better film critics out there than myself. I have some rather strong opinions of film and the actors who display their craft in them. In 2021, the general consensus of Oscar predictions has a clear Top-3 when it comes to Best Actor (and I agree with that consensus). Now what order they belong, that’s a good debate. In my humble opinion, and no disrespect to Benedict Cumberbatch or Will Smith, Andrew Garfield deserves that Oscar.
I held on to the belief that Andrew Garfield was screwed out of a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Eduardo Savarin in The Social Network (I’d argue a win as well). I saw The Kings Speech, The Fighter, The Town, and I did not think (the Supporting Actors who were nominated) Captain Barbosa, Batman, or Hawkeye were as good as The Amazing Spiderman. What Garfield brought to that role was brilliance, in large part because of Aaron Sorkin’s beautiful mind.
Sorkin knows how to bring actors to their best with his screenplay and direction. In terms of just Best Supporting Actor/Actress nominations, Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Phillips Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War), Sacha Baron Cohen (Trial Of The Chicago 7), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs), and more than likely in 2022, J.K. Simmons (Being The Ricardos), all have been nominated off his work. Why was, in my opinion, the best role he’s ever gotten from a supporting actor left out? I mean, what actor could have pulled off dialogue that utters the words, “f*ck you, flip-flops” and have made it seem extraordinary?
To Garfield’s credit, he was nominated for an Oscar in a lead role for Hacksaw Ridge in 2017. Since then (and arguably before) he’s become one of the best actors in Hollywood, not some under-the-radar name. Before I get into what makes him worthy of the 2022 Oscar for Tick, Tick…Boom, I’d like to state how I feel about his career progression.
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The maturity and progression Garfield has had as an actor; had he shown this range during his run as two-film run as Spiderman, perhaps Kevin Feige never thinks about casting Tom Holland. That’s just how much he has grown as an actor. Saying this out loud, maybe him getting ousted as Spiderman for Holland was what Garfield needed to hone his craft. Being rejected by Disney and Marvel, maybe don’t get the 2021 version of Garfield.
Now, on to TTB and his 2022 Oscar chances. Garfield, hands down, with my favorite performance this year. Watching this film, it’s more than just the way he delivers his lines or the singing voice. This acting clinic was about his facial expressions, the vibrant energy, a real embrace of his role as Johnathan Larson. That’s what sets him apart from Smith and Cumberbatch. While I loved them in their roles, there was just something magical about Garfield and how he brought his character to life.
The Best Actor Oscar is a three-person race. However, it might as well be considered a two. Smith and Cumberbatch are the frontrunners with the Academy. I don’t see either losing to Garfield or any other possible nominee (Denzel Washington, Peter Dinklage, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Javier Bardem). The Academy (over the course of history) has favored the dramatic and less witty roles from film and industry mainstays (and never gives consideration to an actor from a musical). It happened in 2011 with Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network once again) losing out to Colin Firth (Kings Speech). Let’s also not forget how many undeserved nominations Meryl Streep has gotten.
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With the new crop of Academy voters supposedly giving a gateway to different nominees, I’d expect Garfield to be taken as more of a threat. In 2017, Garfield didn’t face the heavy hitters as he does in 2022 (Denzel Washington was nominated, however, Fences wasn’t his best all-around role). In 2017, the Academy went with Casey Affleck in a dramatic role. Ryan Gosling, who many thought of as the frontrunner, was probably not given much thought given his role in a musical( as will be the case with Garfield this year). I’m afraid, despite the great performance, Garfield is once again the outsider. Although, as mentioned before, the new committee might look a bit more favorable on him. I just don’t see that happening in this instance.
I’m thoroughly convinced Garfield should be the frontrunner for the Oscar. I’ve still got a few best actor contenders to see and determine if that’s true (Dinklage, Ali, Washington), but it’ll be hard to top for sure. Will the Academy see things how I do? I highly doubt they will. However, I’d not count Andrew Garfield out. Besides, he’s going to be back at Oscar’s table quite consistently over his still relatively young career.
Image Source: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
