Is it time for the “Hawke” to swoop in and nab his Oscar prey?
After four Academy Award nominations spanning both acting and writing, Ethan Hawke may have found the role that finally earns him an Oscar. In Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon,” the actor delivers a searing performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of the legendary Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart.
The film premiered in February at the Berlin International Film Festival, where Hawke’s co-star Andrew Scott won the Silver Bear for best supporting performance. “Blue Moon” has since screened at the Telluride Film Festival, where Hawke received one of the festival’s Silver Medallions — a distinction that has proven to be an Oscar bellwether.
Recent Silver Medallion recipients include eventual nominees Cate Blanchett for “Tár” (2022) and Adam Driver for “Marriage Story” (2019), along with eventual winners Anthony Hopkins for “The Father” (2020), Renée Zellweger for “Judy” (2019) and Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016).
Set to be released by Sony Pictures Classics, the film takes place in early 1943 — the opening night of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” — and finds Hart in the depths of depression and alcoholism. Rather than celebrating his former partner’s new success, Hart retreats to Sardi’s restaurant in Manhattan, drowning his sorrows while reflecting on his tumultuous past.
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Hawke embodies Hart’s wit and vulnerability with remarkable precision, channeling the man behind classics like “Blue Moon,” “The Lady Is a Tramp” and “My Funny Valentine.” The performance captures brilliance colliding with despair, rendered with both humor and heartbreaking authenticity.
Despite decades of critical acclaim, Hawke has never won Hollywood’s top acting prize. His previous nominations include supporting actor for “Training Day” (2001) and “Boyhood” (2014), plus shared screenplay nominations for “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013) with Linklater and Julie Delpy. His enduring partnership with Linklater — “Blue Moon” marks their ninth collaboration — has consistently produced career-defining work.
The Academy has a proven track record of rewarding actors portraying real-life musicians and performers, from Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in “Ray” (2004) to Marion Cotillard as Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose” (2007). However, stories about lyricists and composers remain rare, potentially making Hawke’s portrayal stand out.
Hart represents a unique figure — someone indispensable to the American songbook yet deeply fragile in his private life. This duality offers the kind of complex, transformative role that Oscar voters traditionally embrace.
The best actor race looks to be exceptionally competitive this year. Venice Film Festival alone showcased several potential contenders: George Clooney in “Jay Kelly,” Oscar Isaac in “Frankenstein,” Dwayne Johnson in “The Smashing Machine” and Jesse Plemons in “Bugonia.” Other viable candidates include Michael B. Jordan in the box office smash “Sinners,” Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent” who won best actor at Cannes and Leonardo DiCaprio in the yet-to-be-released “One Battle After Another.”
At Telluride, Hawke also presented his music documentary “Highway 99: A Double Album,” about country legend Merle Haggard. While still seeking U.S. distribution, the project demonstrates Hawke’s versatility as both actor and filmmaker — a quality that often resonates with Academy voters.
In “Blue Moon,” Hawke delivers a turn that is both theatrical and intimate, showcasing an actor at the height of his craft. He renders Hart as a man hanging by a thread while compelling audiences to absorb every moment. In addition, if the Academy embraces Hawke’s worthy efforts, it could help right the wrong of Andrew Scott’s Oscar snub for “All of Us Strangers” (2023), which also premiered in Telluride. There are many instances of where a well-regarded leading turn in a biopic can help pull through an equally compelling supporting player, even if the film as whole isn’t garnering much traction (i.e., Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong from “The Apprentice” or Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon from “Invictus”).
With no clear frontrunner emerging in this year’s awards race, the combination of a beloved actor, a humanistic portrayal and a celebrated filmmaker like Linklater could prove irresistible to voters.
For Hawke, after years of near-misses, the stars could finally be aligning for Oscar gold.
“Blue Moon” also stars Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale and is scheduled to be released on Oct. 17.
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