Chosen people chosen for nominations in 2017 Academy Awards
Jewish stars - and characters - are among those nominated for major awards.
By JTANatalie Portman at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, US, January 8, 2017(photo credit: REUTERS)
The musical film La La Land received 14 Academy Award nominations, including best picture, director, actor and actress.The nominations were announced on Tuesday morning. With its 14 nominations, La La Land ties the record set by Titanic and All About Eve.The songs in the film are written by Jewish composer Justin Hurwitz, who was roommates with director Damien Chazelle at Harvard. The lyrics are written by Benj Pasek, who is Jewish, and Justin Paul. Chazelle’s parents are Catholic, but they enrolled him in Hebrew school for four years when they became dissatisfied with their church Sunday school.The film won seven Golden Globes — including Best Original Song for "City of Stars" — earlier this month.Some Jewish actors also received recognition in the Oscar nominations. Natalie Portman received a best actress nomination for her portrayal of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the film Jackie, and Andrew Garfield was nominated for Best Lead Actor for his performance in the World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge.The first spin-off from the Harry Potter film series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which features two Jewish characters, received nominations in costume design and production design.Mel Gibson, who is remembered in the Jewish community for his anti-Semitic tirade during a 2006 traffic stop, was nominated for best director for his film Hacksaw Ridge.The Israeli film Sand Storm failed to make the cut last month to the nine semifinalists out of 85 in the best foreign language film category.The 2017 Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Feb. 26 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.