2020 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Feature-Length Documentary
February 3, 2020
Our annual Oscar Prediction contest is underway so now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Due to a compressed Oscar schedule, and the monthly preview, I have to get all ten Oscar highlight stories done this week. Wish me luck! Today we look at Best Feature-Length Documentary, which is a category that doesn’t have a real favorite, nor does it have a real long shot. It’s a five-way race.
Best Feature-Length Documentary of the Year
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland
Conclusion: I think Honeyland is going to win Best Feature-Length Documentary, but it is far from a sure thing. In fact, none of the films can truly be seen as favorites and no matter who wins, it won’t be a major upset.
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Tomatometer Score: 98% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: BAFTA, DGA, PGA, and Film Independent Spirit Awards
Previous Major Wins: DGA (One Pending)
Notes: A Chinese billionaire reopens a plant in Ohio only to have a clash of cultures. Isn’t this almost exactly the plot of Gung Ho? Like every film on this year’s list, its Tomatometer Score is in the high 90% range. Also like most films, it has picked up some preview major nominations and it has even won one of those previous nominations. It stands out in some ways by its subject matter, which could help it win in the end.
Tomatometer Score: 97% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: DGA and PGA
Previous Major Wins: None
Notes: This film has all of the upsides of the other films, including amazing reviews and previous major nominations. However, it hasn’t won any major awards and it is one of two films about Syria, which could split the vote.
Tomatometer Score: 97% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: None
Previous Major Wins: None
Notes: This is the only Oscar nomination without a previous major nomination, so I guess that makes it the biggest underdog on this year’s list. That said, it wouldn’t be a shock if it won.
Tomatometer Score: 99% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: BAFTA, PGA, and Film Independent Spirit Awards
Previous Major Wins: BAFTA (One Pending)
Notes: This film broke records at the BAFTAs for a documentary earning four nominations. It won three of them. On the other hand, the BAFTAs don’t have a great track record for the Oscars, especially with their British bias. (They are British awards after all.) That said, its performance means it has to be considered a major asset. On the other hand, vote-splitting with the other documentary about Syria could cost it the win.
Tomatometer Score: 99% Positive
Previous Major Nominations: DGA, PGA, and Film Independent Spirit Awards
Previous Major Wins: None (One Pending)
Notes: This film not only earned an Oscar nomination for Best Feature-Length Documentary, it also earned one for Best International Feature Film. That’s has to be a point in its favor, as I think a lot of people who will vote for Parasite for Best International Feature Film will vote for this film in this category.
Filed under: Awards Season, Parasite (기생충), American Factory, For Sama, Honeyland, The Cave