The United States vs. Billie Holiday - 1 nomination

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Andra Day 

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees"

Music and Lyrics by Abel Meeropol, recorded by Billie Holiday, 1939

Everything that I've read about the real story of Billie Holiday suggests that this film is not so much a true story, but very much inspired by one.  The premise is that the government went after the singer ruthlessly because of the song Strange Fruit, which seemed to be sparking a revolution.  The CIA plants an operative in Holiday's inner circle, and he betrays her again and again.  Her very serious drug addiction make the performance particularly heartbreaking.

There is a through line in this film in which Holiday is prevented from singing the most important song of her career, Strange Fruit, and that what finally breaks her is seeing an actual black man hanging from a tree.  I found this moderately offensive.  Billie Holiday never needed to be motivated by seeing a man lynched - she knew what was happening in the world, she was horrified by it, and she talked and sang about it.  It's absurd to suggest that the only thing that could get her to be brave enough to sing the song on stage is seeing it herself while on tour.  Other than this small quibble, the story is compelling.

But let's talk about Andra Day and her chances at winning the Oscar.  

First, let's look at some Oscars history with actresses taking on the roles of real historical singers and bringing them alive.
Sissy Spacek duplicates Loretta Lynn and wins the Oscar.  
Renee Zellweger duplicates Judy Garland and wins the Oscar.
Reese Witherspoon duplicates June Carter Cash and wins the Oscar.

Second, there are the performances of actresses looking directly in the camera and singing the heartbreaking song with so much emotion that they win the Oscar right there and then.

Anne Hathaway sings "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and wins the Oscar.

Jennifer Hudson sings "You're Gonna Love Me" from Dreamgirls and wins the Oscar.

Andra Day's performance as Billie Holiday can't be denied.  Yes, she has that signature scratchy voice (even a little bit prematurely in the film) and she sounds exactly like the original.  Then, she looks that camera directly in the eye - it's relentless - and she sings the song with anger and sadness oozing from her eyelashes... 

I've made my case.  Andra Day should absolutely win the Oscar.  The film is worth seeing not for its historical accuracy, but for the unparalleled performance delivered by Day.  It was astonishing.

See the trailer here.