More Oscar-worthy movies are making their way to theatres. But with all of the attention on FORD V FERRARI, A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WAVES, UNCUT GEMS and other anticipated films that are opening in November and December, we want to remind the Academy of a fantastic performance from earlier this year.
Taron Egerton deserves Oscar consideration for his outstanding portrayal of Sir Elton John in the fantastical musical biopic ROCKETMAN. And the fact that the movie came out in May shouldn’t count against him.
Egerton was the ideal candidate to step into Elton John’s shoes (and assorted costumes) for Dexter Fletcher’s imaginative film. The movie covered the career of the "Candle in the Wind" composer, but relied on the fact that its subject was an unreliable narrator… so the details could be fuzzy and fun.
ROCKETMAN touched on the highs and lows of John’s exciting career. It beautifully handled his collaborations with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and didn’t shy away from the substance abuse that plagued John throughout his life. The singer-songwriter said in the press that he didn’t live a PG-13 life, and the R-rated ROCKETMAN doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything.
It's been a prolific period for music-driven movies, with BLINDED BY THE LIGHT and YESTERDAY competing alongside ROCKETMAN. But Egerton earns bonus points for actually singing all of Elton John’s tunes in the movie (a fact that should give him a leg up on last year’s Best Actor winner, Rami Malek).
Paramount, to its credit, has been pushing Taron Egerton as of late. He’s been making the rounds on the awards circuit, reminding key voters of his exquisite performance in ROCKETMAN. Will it be enough? Yes, the actor is competing against the simple fact that his movie came out months ago. But this year’s Best Actor field is also unusually crowded, with names like Joaquin Phoenix (JOKER), Leonardo DiCaprio (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD) and Adam Sandler (UNCUT GEMS) already commanding attention.
We’ll see if the Academy remembers and recognizes Taron Egerton and ROCKETMAN when the nominations are announced early next year.
Have you seen ROCKETMAN yet? If not, make sure to head on over to AMC Theatres On Demand, which allows you to watch the movie right now!
