“La La Land,” a musical tribute to Los Angeles, dominated the Oscar nominations on Tuesday, picking up 14 nods to tie the record set by “Titanic” and “All About Eve.” The honey-coated celebration of all things Hollywood was nominated for best picture and best director for 32-year old wunderkind Damien Chazelle. Both of its lead actors, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, were recognized for their work as big city dreamers in love.
“La La Land’s” main competition in the major categories came from “Arrival,” an alien invasion thriller, and “Moonlight,” a low-boil drama looking at a gay man during the crack epidemic in Florida. Both films landed a total of eight Oscar nominations.
Three films were tied for third with six nods apiece: “Hacksaw Ridge,” a bloody World War II drama, “Lion,” a true story about a man who uses Google to find his long-lost family in India, and “Manchester by the Sea,” a shattering tragedy that marks a return to the A-list for Kenneth Lonergan after a few years out of the limelight. Lonergan’s career was derailed after his previous film, 2011’s “Margaret,” became entangled in a protracted legal fight. He was nominated for best original screenplay and for his direction. “Manchester by the Sea” was backed by Amazon Studios and marks the first time that a streaming service has earned a best picture nod.
“La La Land” wasn’t the only record-breaker. The Academy continued its love affair with Meryl Streep, handing her a precedent-fracturing 20th Oscar nomination, the most ever for a performer. Streep was recognized for her work as a tone-deaf opera singer in “Florence Foster Jenkins.” She will face off against Isabelle Huppert as a rape victim (“Elle”), Natalie Portman as a resilient first lady (“Jackie”), Ruth Negga as a civil rights warrior (“Loving”), and Stone.
After a decade in the professional wilderness, Hollywood signaled that it had at least partially forgiven Mel Gibson. A previous Oscar-winner for “Braveheart,” Gibson was shunned by many industry power brokers when he was caught on tape making anti-Semitic remarks to a police officer after being pulled over for a DUI in 2006. On Tuesday, Gibson was nominated for his directing work on “Hacksaw Ridge,” a gritty war drama that also scored a best picture nod.
