A Small Film with a Giant Heart: The Oscars Push on a Little Budget? An Analysis of Riseborough’s Campaign for To Leslie

Until recently, most Americans hadn’t heard of “To Leslie.” Premiering at South by South West in March, the film made just $27,000 at the box office during its limited release.

Last week, The Academy launched a “review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees,” and though Riseborough and the film were not named as cause for the review, the celebrity-backed grassroots campaign that earned the actress a surprise nomination was thought to be at least partially cause for the examination.

The film has been screened and supported in a number of ways by Kate Winslet, EdwardNorton, and Charlize Theron.

Other actors have also posted similar statements supporting the film, which is called a small film with a giant heart. Some people say that it is a copy-and-paste job.

But this isn’t the first time an actor has publicly attempted an Oscars push on their own. A decade ago, actress Melissa Leo staged her own photoshoot and took out her own “For Your Consideration” advertisements. The actor was nominated for a best supporting actress award for his role in The Fighter.

Industry-watchers have noted that soliciting votes is often done to level a playing field – in this case, bring attention to a small-budget, little-known film. Social media now makes push public, rather than one done behind closed doors.

And yet, not every actor has the kind of connections Riseborough does. Critics of the nominations have pointed out that Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), two Black actresses who were considered frontrunners, were not nominated for the award. (Both films also drew larger audiences to the box office.)

The Academy’s diversity problem has long been discussed and dissected. Riseborough is not at fault for the snubs, but there’s a reason she has famous White friends.

Christina Ricci, star of the Emmy-nominated show “Yellowjackets,” called the Academy’s decision to review the procedures “very backward,” in a now-deleted Instagram post.

Whether Riseborough’s nomination will actually be overturned is hard to say. There is precedent – in 2014, composer Bruce Broughton received an Oscar nomination for the title song from “Alone Yet Not Alone” and was later disqualified over his campaign.

Riseborough is joined in the category by Michelle Williams (“The Fablemans”), Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) and Cate Blanchett (“Tár”).

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday that it will give her another Oscar nomination for best lead actress for her role in the movie “To Leslie”.

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Social media and outreach campaigning tactics caused concern according to the statement. “These tactics are being addressed with the responsible parties directly.”

The Academy didn’t specify which rules might or might not have been broken during the campaign for the film.

The Academy strives to create an environment in which the votes are based solely on the artistic and technical merits of eligible films and achievements.