Tiffany Haddish - Girls Trip [196 points / 18 votes]
"A couple of months ago, I attended a celebratory, end-of-the-year dinner my local film critics’ group was having. All through the evening, they were debating and going back-and-forth on what were their favorite films and performances and which ones will most likely be nominated for Oscars. When one critic (not me) asked, 'Do you think Tiffany Haddish will be nominated for Best Supporting Actress?' everyone at the table – and this was a table with about 20 people – fell silent. Well, everyone except this one dude, who just uttered, 'Come on?' It took everything in me not to throw my keys at that guy’s forehead. But since I was the only black guy at this table (the only people of color in this group is me and an African-American lady), I kept myself in check so I didn’t scare these white people into thinking they should’ve never let this negro into their clique. Not to mention I just ate a bunch of free pizza on their dime, and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful.
But instead of 'Come on?' the real question that should be asked is 'Why not?' Why shouldn’t Tiffany Haddish be nominated for her balls-to-the-wall performance in the box-office smash Girls Trip? As the consistently ratchet party girl Dina, she is the cinematic embodiment of every woman’s crazy homegirl. She’s the wild-child BFF who has no qualms flashing her breasts at a concert, showing up with questionable drugs/alcohol for a girls’ night out or teaching you some nasty-ass tricks of the trade in order to satisfy your man. (I must admit Haddish’s most infamous scene in the movie is a recreation of this equally-infamous viral video.) But she is a gal who’s also loyal and supportive of her friends, as well as a ride-or-die chick who is literally ready to cut any guy or girl who does any of them dirty.
"Since Girls Trip made a killing in theaters ($115 domestic and $140 worldwide, proving once and for all that PEOPLE OF ALL SHADES WILL SEE GOOD MOVIES WITH BLACK WOMEN IN IT!), thinkpieces began popping up about how Haddish’s hilarious, heartfelt turn is awards-worthy and that a Best Supporting Actress nonimation was imminent. After all, Melissa McCarthy was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her breakthrough, tour-de-force performance in Bridesmaids back in 2012. You would think a nod for Haddish would be in the bag, especially after the New York Film Critics Circle gave her its Best Supporting Actress award. (She also gave an uproarious, inspiring, 18-minute speech that was the talk of the ceremony.) But, unfortunately, when she announced the nominees (sometimes incorrectly) for this year’s Oscars last month, she was not listed in the Best Supporting Actress category.
"It would be easy to say this was a racist move on the part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences -- except the Best Supporting Actress category includes not one, but two African-American actresses (Mary J. Blige for Mudbound and Octavia Spencer for The Shape of Water) this year. I can only assume this is the Academy once again turning up its nose at comedy – and comics like Haddish who bring their shtick to the big screen. For some reason, the Oscars still think that people who give bravura, comedic turns in movies aren’t worthy of receiving their statuettes. (Remember, even though she was nominated, McCarthy didn’t win the Oscar.) And when the Academy does give an Oscar to someone for being funny, like Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny, people continue to believe it was a mistake.
"Yes, Tiffany Haddish getting an Oscar nomination for her go-for-broke work in Girls Trip was a nice thought. But, sadly, that’s all it was. Thankfully, Haddish has been making a lot of major moves lately, from hosting Saturday Night Live to signing a first-look deal with HBO. So, it looks like she’ll be shining brightly without the help of that bald-headed, piece of gold – thank you very much!" ~ Craig D. Lindsey
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