Oscar Talk: Best Original Song
Best Original Song -
"Mystery of Love," Sufjan Stevens - Call Me By Your Name
"Mighty River," Mary J. Blige - Mudbound
"Remember Me," Miguel feat. Natalia Lafourcade - Coco
"This is Me," The Greatest Showman cast - The Greatest Showman
"Stand Up for Something," Andra Day feat. Common - Marshall
This year's nominees for Best Original Song are definitely more deserving than last year's. Thankfully, there are no Trolls pop singles in favor of substantial music this time around and all of the nominees stand a fair chance. My personal favorite goes to Sufjan Stevens' "Mystery of Love" simply because it embodies its film (Call Me By Your Name) so well it might as well be a character in the feature. It is such a quiet piece that beautifully captures the essence of its film and its inclusion here makes up for its surprising Golden Globes snub. "Mighty River" and "Stand Up for Something" are both quite powerful, however, and I could see Mary J. Blige or Andra Day taking home a well-deserved statue for these powerful anthems that carry as much cultural significance as the movies they are featured in. The two weakest nominees are in "Remember Me" and "This is Me." The former is nominated for the non-film version of the heartwarming song from Coco and is, in my personal opinion, the weaker of the five possible incarnations of the track. I have not had an opportunity to discuss The Greatest Showman, yet, and I believe this to be the opportunity to do so. This movie is bizarre and confusing, and while the musical numbers are catchy enough, they do not really pack the punch the filmmakers think they do. "This is Me" is not even the best song from the movie (that obviously goes to one of the tracks that mark Zac Efron's return to musicals) and while I understand its message of self-acceptance, it is generic enough to stand in for really any pop song or film anthem.
Who will win: "This is Me" because it is the only musical and the message is inspiring and vague enough to justify a win
Who should win: "Mystery of Love" or "Mighty River"
Images by 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures Classics, Open Road Films
