The only Oscar ‘Little Women’ won was for costume design
“Little Women†had little luck at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Despite widespread critical acclaim and six nominations, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel collected just one Oscar, for costume design, at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday.
Two-time Oscar-winning designer Jacqueline Durran took the stage to accept the award and thank Gerwig, who was already snubbed ahead of the ceremony for a directing nomination. Once again, no female directors received recognition from the film academy this year.
Before the movie’s Christmastime premiere, Durran spoke with the Los Angeles Times about her vision for the March sisters, which was a balancing act between a free sartorial spirit and traditional Victorian stiffness.
“I tried to make things period-accurate — so that the clothing exists properly within a period — but I let the girls wear it how they wanted to wear it,†she told The Times. “There wasn’t a stiffness and perfectness to the costumes; we eased up. I let the actors live and be in their clothes the way they wanted to live in the clothes, and also how Greta wanted them to live and be in the clothes. I hope I pulled it off.â€
Suffice it to say she succeeded.
Durran’s previous Oscar win was in 2013 for “Anna Karenina.â€
Among this year’s other costume design contenders were “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,†“The Irishman,†“Jojo Rabbit†and “Joker.â€
Heading into Sunday evening, “Little Women,†garnered additional nods for original score and adapted screenplay, as well as a supporting actress nomination for Florence Pugh and a lead actress nomination for Saoirse Ronan.
The film, a critical and commercial success, was also nominated for best picture, along with “Joker,†“Parasite,†“Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,†“1917,†“Jojo Rabbit,†“Ford v Ferrari,†“The Irishman†and “Marriage Story.â€
Three previous screen versions of “Little Women†had been nominated for Oscars. The 1933 version by George Cukor was a best picture and director nominee but claimed its only win in the adapted screenplay category.
The 1942 version earned just two nominations and won for art direction.
The beloved 1994 version starring Winona Ryder earned three Oscar nominations, including costume design. It went home empty-handed.
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