I’ve already written about the “To Leslie” movement here and here, but I can’t stop and won’t stop talking about what is turning into an absolutely fascinating narrative.
In the last few hours more A-listers have come out in support of Andrea Riseborough’s brilliant performance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen public campaigning this precisely coordinated. It almost feels like a cult has been summoned to spread the word.
Yes, this Riseborough situation is very rare and unusual, but I’m all for the blitzkrieg campaigning. Time to shake things up and give the middle finger to pundits and critics alike — who says they should dictate what’s in contention and what isn’t?
So far, these are the biggest names that have been part of this Riseborough social media push:
Charlize Theron, Kate Winslet, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Patricia Arquette, Edward Norton, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson, Jane Fonda, Demi Moore, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Catherine Keener, Jennifer Garner, Greg Kinnear, Patricia Clarkson, Mia Farrow, Sarah Paulson, Helen Hunt, Kim Basinger, Marisa Tomei, Melaine Griffith, Sally Field, Amy Ryan, Mary Louise Parker, Debra Winger, Geena Davis, Brookie Shields, Juliette Lewis, Minnie Driver, Mira Sorvino, Courtney Cox, Richard E. Grant, Rosana Arquette, Anne Archer, Frances Fisher, Demián Bichir
All of them are Oscar voters. All have the far-reaching influence to convince others to join the cause. The grassroots campaigning is really unprecedented and, if successful, could very well change everything we thought we knew about what being an Oscar “contender” actually means.
Word is that Riseborough is largely using her own money to bring attention to her small indie. “To Leslie” had a worldwide gross of $27,322 since its October release via Momentum Pictures. Almost nobody has seen it. Not even critics.
Oscar statisticians claim that, to get nominated, your name needs to appear in around 218 ballots, but that’s only if ALL 1,302 members of the acting branch vote. And we know, not 100% of them will vote. So, let’s estimate that Riseborough needs around 150 votes. In this article alone, I’ve named around 50 actors and actresses, that we know of, who will definitely be marking her in their ballot.
There’s no other way to say it, but Andrea Riseborough is now officially a Best Actress contender.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.