Oscars not so white in 2017

Oscars aren’t so white anymore, and it’s about time.

After two consecutive years of no people of color being nominated in the acting categories of the Academy Awards, spawning the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, this year all four categories had at least one person of color nominated — and the best-supporting actress category had three.

In other news from the nominations, announced Tuesday, the backlash against “La La Land” now can begin in earnest; Damien Chazelle’s musical received 14 nominations, including best picture, tying with "All About Eve" and "Titanic" for the most in Oscar history. The cool kids were already sniping about the movie — misguided complaints in my view, but it’s a free country — and this will only add to their ire.

Also: Mel Gibson is back, maybe.

Are we missing anything?

Of course we are: snubs.

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Amy Adams deserved a best-acting nomination for “Arrival” more than Meryl Streep did for “Florence Foster Jenkins.” For that matter, so did Annette Bening for “20th Century Women.” People will accuse the Oscars of rewarding Streep for her scathing speech at the Golden Globes, denouncing Donald Trump (in everything but name). And they might be right. Don’t get me wrong, she’s the greatest actress of our lifetime and her speech caused Trump to again take to Twitter to disparage her (“overrated”), but there’s no way she deserved a nomination this time.

RELATED:Complete 2017 Academy Award nominations

Let’s get back to the good news. Denzel Washington got a best-actor nomination for best-picture nominee “Fences” (though not a directing nod). Ruth Negga got a best-actress nomination for “Loving,” a delightful, well-deserved surprise. Mahershala Ali got a best-supporting actor nod for “Moonlight” and Dev Patel got one for “Lion.” And in the best-supporting-actress category Viola Davis got a nomination for “Fences,” Naomie Harris for “Moonlight” and Octavia Spencer for “Hidden Figures.” Ali and Spencer are odds-on favorites to win.

What do they have in common? They’re not white.

Does that really matter?

It does. Now more than ever, it’s important to see the diversity on-screen (and in life). To pretend, as in years past, that no performances by people of color were worthy is to turn a blind eye to reality, or at least to the multiplex.

At the same time, don’t think of this as just a make-up move by the Academy, a political stunt. Each of these performances were worthy of a nomination, and it’s terrific that voters noticed them — and chose them. Films should represent everyone.

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On that front, four of the nine best-picture nominees were led by non-white casts — “Fences,” “Hidden Figures,” “Lion” and “Moonlight.” Barry Jenkins was nominated for directing “Moonlight,” the fourth African-American director to score a nomination.

Does this solve the nation’s problems? No, but it certainly doesn’t contribute to them. It’s a step forward, and we need to recognize those wherever we can.

RELATED:  Letter: Who speaks for whites at the Oscars?

Where does that leave Gibson? Shunned for years in Hollywood for his drunken, racist rants and other behavior, he got a nomination for directing “Hacksaw Ridge,” which also got a best-picture nomination (Andrew Garfield got a best-actor nomination for the film). By all accounts Gibson’s been on his best behavior, and the guy knows how to make a movie, certainly on the technical front. America is all about a second chance, right? If you don’t buy that, look at it this way: His inclusion is a reminder that acceptance is a work in progress, and that the work can be rewarded.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.

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