There are no Holocaust-related films up for awards at this year’s televised Oscars awards, but CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, which features the romantic story of two young Jewish men in Italy, has been nominated for multiple awards.

The lead in this film, Timothee Chalamet, was honored Saturday afternoon at the 2018 SPIRIT AWARDS in Santa Monica with an award for the best male lead for his role as Elio.

The actor, who identifies as Jewish, wore an all white tuxedo by Berluti to the Oscars on Sunday (but with black shoes).

In CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, Elio, 17, must share his family’s Italian villa for the summer with Oliver, his father’s older graduate student — also Jewish. Elio notices Oliver’s Star of David necklace. Oliver is an “out” Jew; Elio’s family are “Jews of discretion.” Elio also starts to wear a magen david, and slowly, depending on the color of Oliver’s shorts (shades of green, yellow, or red), the erotic desires of the two young men grow. The film features a Hanukkah scene that was not found in Andre Aciman’s novel, the book on which the film is heavily based.

Elio dons a Jewish star

At the Oscars, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME was nominated for BEST PICTURE, ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE, MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG), and WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY).

The film ended up receiving an award for WRITING (James Ivory, 89).

Listen to author, Proust specialist and distinguished professor Andre Aciman discuss his lack of Jewish affinity, his inclusion of Jewish characters, and his disdain of labels in an interview on KCRW, HERE

THE SHAPE OF WATER, a fable about a mute single woman in Baltimore, military researchers, civil rights, spies, and a sea creature during the Cold War is also a nominated film. Jewish? Well… observers will notice the movie marquee in the film highlights a screening of the BOOK OF RUTH. The story has references to Ruth and Naomi, acceptance, and the bonding of souls. It received the award for (((Best))) Film.

THE POST, a Spielberg film about “The Pentagon Papers” as told from the POV of The Washington Post (instead of The New York Times) features a lot of overhead shots and emotional drama, as well as references to President Nixon, his enemies, and the many Jewish-affiliated editors and publisher of The New York Times.

Israel’s entry to the Oscar’s, FOXTROT, did not receive a nomination. The winning film for the FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM category was “A FANTASTIC WOMAN” from Chile.

Speaking of Israeli… actress Gal Gadot was a presenter. She wore a Givenchy gown and a Tiffany necklace.

For those Jewilicious readers who get a thrill at wondering who among the nominees are of Jewish heritage…. see SOME of them below (not including the songwriters, not the producers for Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, The Post, etc)…

Up for ADAPTED SCREENPLAY are the writers of THE DISASTER ARTIST. Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter are of Jewish heritage. They are more famous for writing “500 Days of Summer.” Also the primary credited writers for MOLLY’S GAME and LOGAN are Jewish. Both films are nominated for ADAPTED SCREENPLAY.

Jill Balcon, the mother of actor Daniel Day-Lewis identified as Jewish. The late actress was the daughter of Sir Michael Balson and Aileen Freda Leatherman of England. Day-Lewis is nominated for ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE for his role in PHANTOM THREAD.

USC Grad Lee Unkrich helped to produce and direct the ANIMATED nominee, COCO. It won. Unkrich grew up in a Jewish household in Ohio. He is best known for his direction of TOY STORY 3

BRYAN FOGEL, famous for his work – JEWTOPIA – is nominated for his DOCUMENTARY – FEATURE LENGTH, ICARUS, about Russian doping in sports, and the truth. ICARUS won for DOCUMENTARY.

JORDAN PEELE (GET OUT) attended with his wife Chelsea Peretti. They wore Calvin Klein. They recently gave birth to their first child, Beaumont Gino Peele. PEELE won for GET OUT. He also won SPIRIT AWARD on Saturday.

CLICK HERE FOR A BALLOT HERE FOR A BALLOT for your home based party.

About the author

larry

2 Comments

  • En una de sus primeras apariciones, Oliver discute con el padre de Elio acerca de la etimología de la palabra albaricoque, después de una larga disertación, concluye diciendo que el significado de albaricoque es precoz, un adjetivo que define a Elio, a su cultura, a sus sentimientos y a la emergencia de su sexualidad. No es baladí que más tarde, Oliver reclame un vaso de zumo de albaricoque detrás del otro, como metáfora de su deseo, o  que aparezcan escenas en las que se recogen albaricoques directamente del árbol, como metáfora del despertar sexual de Elio.