Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
JesuiticalFebruary 07, 2020
In this Feb. 21, 2015 file photo, an Oscar statue appears outside the Dolby Theatre for the 87th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)

With two dramatized popes up for Best Actor (Jonathan Pryce) and Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Hopkins), are this year’s Oscars the most Catholic yet? To find out, we spoke with America’s film critic, John Anderson, about the nominees for the 2020 Academy Awards, airing Sunday, Feb. 9.

We talk with John about the films with the most obviously Catholic themes in 2019 (“The Two Popes,” “The Irishman,” “A Hidden Life”). Then we make the case for our own favorites for Best Picture—with Zac and Ashley reaching rare consensus over their love for “Little Women.” Plus, we dig into the state of filmmaking and watching in the Age of Netflix and ask: Why should we pay attention to the Oscars?

Zac was out sick this week, so no Signs of the Times or Consolations & Desolations. But if you enjoy the show and want more, make sure to go back and listen to our conversation with Jonathan Pryce about what it’s like to play Pope Francis (and the High Sparrow).

Then, tell us about your favorite films of the year on our Facebook group. If you’d like to support the show, check out our Patreon page or rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

More: Films

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback. You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on Twitter or Facebook, or in one of our Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

City and state/province, or if outside Canada or the U.S., city and country. 
When you click submit, this article page will reload. You should see a message at the top of the reloaded page confirming that your feedback has been received.
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Delegates hold "Mass deportation now!" signs on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee July 17, 2024. (OSV News photo/Brian Snyder, Reuters)
Around the affluent world, new hostility, resentment and anxiety has been directed at immigrant populations that are emerging as preferred scapegoats for all manner of political and socio-economic shortcomings.
Kevin ClarkeNovember 21, 2024
“Each day is becoming more difficult, but we do not surrender,” Father Igor Boyko, 48, the rector of the Greek Catholic seminary in Lviv, told Gerard O’Connell. “To surrender means we are finished.”
Gerard O’ConnellNovember 21, 2024
Many have questioned how so many Latinos could support a candidate like DonaldTrump, who promised restrictive immigration policies. “And the answer is that, of course, Latinos are complicated people.”
J.D. Long GarcíaNovember 21, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech for the 2024 presidential election on Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Catholic voters were a crucial part of Donald J. Trump’s re-election as president. But did misogyny and a resistance to women in power cause Catholic voters to disregard the common good?
Kathleen BonnetteNovember 21, 2024