Middle Children Snubbed at 2024 Oscars!

          All the statuettes have been handed out and the Red Carpet has been rolled up. Now it’s time to talk about who got the Middle Child treatment this year from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For months now, all everyone’s been talking about are the two big snubs: “Barbie” Director Greta Gerwig was overlooked for Best Director  and no Best Actress nomination for Middle Child Margot Robbie. Of course, Margot should be used to this. After all, when it comes to being snubbed, who knows better than a Middle Child? And this year, Hollywood’s biggest night did not disappoint.

          The 96th Academy Awards were truly a Middle Child Snub-fest. Not a single winner in the four acting categories was a Middle Child. I guess that shouldn’t come as a big surprise when you consider out of the 20 nominees in those categories, only three were Middle Children: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”),  Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”), and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”). That’s a measly 15%! Talk about being overlooked and underappreciated.

          The truth is, on Oscar night you don’t have to be a Middle Child to get a taste of what it feels like to be a Middle Child. Take Martin Scorsese, for example. His “Killers of the Flower Moon”

had 10 nominations and zero wins. And that’s not the first time Marty went 0-10 on Oscar night, either. It’s actually the third time. Yikes. “Gangs of New York” came up short 10 times in 2002, and “The Irishman” did the same in 2019. Oh, and “The Wolf of Wall Street” went 0-5 in 2013. And what about Bradley Cooper? His second film as a director, “Maestro,” went 0-7 this year while his directorial debut, “A Star is Born,” didn't fare much better at 1-8. Bradley has also come home empty handed each of the 12 times he was personally nominated. Ooof.

          So I suppose if misery loves company, at least we’re in pretty good company. 

 

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Middle Child Smacks First Born, and Gets Rewarded!

          In a world where Middle Children don’t get away with anything and usually get blamed for everything, history was made at the 94th Academy Awards.  Maybe you haven’t heard yet, but actor Will Smith (2nd of 4 children) slapped comedian Chris Rock (oldest of 7 children) across the face during the live Oscars telecast -- and actually didn’t get in any trouble! WTF!? I mean, that never happens to a Middle Child. In fact, minutes after smacking Rock, Smith not only received an award, he got a standing ovation! Getting showered with attention after exhibiting some truly outrageous behavior? It’s a Middle Child dream come true!

          Boy, those big shot Hollywood Mid Kids must have it pretty good. According to recent reports, Smith wasn’t even actually asked to leave the theater after assaulting Rock. It was more like a suggestion. So now the Academy is conducting a formal review as they “consider disciplinary actions.” Jeeesh! When I kicked my older brother in the balls for humiliating me in front of friends during a game of basketball, I got grounded for a week. Right on the spot!

           Look, maybe cracking a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia (an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles causing patchy bald spots) could be considered… insensitive. Sure, it was hardly a knee slapper. But it certainly wasn’t a face slapper.

          It just goes to show, you never know what’s gonna make a Middle Child snap. I’ve spent years trying to clean up our image, and no sooner than you can say, “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth,” all of my hard work goes down the drain -- with like, the whole world watching! With the flip of a wrist, the “Fresh Prince” instantly becomes an inductee into the “Middle Child Hall of Shame.”

          I swear, sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. 

 

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The Best Overlooked & Underappreciated Movies of 2019

Academy Awards Special: the Middle Child Movie Guide

     Hollywood’s big night is here, and as usual, the Best Picture nominees are the stars of the evening. The center of attention. Of course, the critics have questions. Did the Academy get it right?  Did they really nominate the best Best Pictures? Who got snubbed? And is the Academy being selective enough? Are there too many Best Picture nominees?
     This year, there are nine. Nine! That does seem like a lot. But when you consider there were 786 movies released in the U.S. and Canada in 2019 according to Statista, maybe it’s not so many? Of course, that also means there are hundreds of other movies that won’t get to bask in the Oscar limelight. Far from Hollywood favorites, we hardly even know their names. But they’re out there. The Middle Children of the movie industry, yearning for your attention.
     While the lucky nine spend the evening basking in the glow of their nominations and exchanging accolades with their film families, I'd like to shine a little limelight on those less loved films. There are lots of websites where you’ll find lists of these lesser known movies. I looked at lists from Looper, Indie Wire, Screen Rant, Parade, Thrillist, and The Daily Beast. There are 123 different titles on these six lists. That's a lot of overlooking, not to mention a lot of... looking. If you saw just two a week, it would take over a year to see them all. I really love popcorn, but I still don’t think I could do it. So I combined the lists, narrowing it down to those titles that were on more than one -- the crème de la passed over movie crème. I figure the more lists you appear on, the less “most overlooked” you are, right? I mean, ideally, if you were genuinely overlooked, you wouldn’t be on any of these lists.
     I was able to trim the list down to 29 movies. I gave each a star to indicate how many lists they’re on and linked them to their trailer. Look at all the hours of work I'm saving you! Maybe now you might have some time to actually see some of these.
     To be honest, out of all 123 movies, I’ve only seen five  -- and only a pathetic one from the “short list.” In fact, I only saw four of the Best Picture nominees, so why listen to me? Clearly, those aren’t the kind of credentials that make me what you’d call a movie buff, even though did I mention that I really love popcorn? But while I may know diddly squat about cinema, when it comes to being overlooked and underappreciated, unfortunately I am somewhat of an expert.

****

  Her Smell
***

                            Blinded by the Light           Fast Color                High Flying Bird

 

                                      Little Woods                   Luce                        Monos

                                             The Last Black Man              Wild Rose

                                                in San Francisco

**

                                     Apollo 11                   The Art of                   Brittany Runs
                                                                     Self Defense                 a Marathon

                                         Crawl                  Dark Waters                Fighting with

                                                                                                          My Family

                                    High Life                  Give Me Liberty             The Kid Who

                                                                                                         Would Be King

                                  Knives & Skin            The Mustang               The Nightingale

                               The Peanut Butter           Plus One                      The Report

                                       Falcon 

                                 The Souvenir              Sword of Trust        Under the Silver Lake

                                                  Wild Nights with              The Wind   

                                                           Emily

The Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made: 2019

I have my un-acceptance speech ready. And the Oscar doesn't go to...

CLICK HERE  to see “The Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made: 2014”

CLICK HERE to see “The Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made: 2018”

15 Memorable Middle Child Movie Moments: Part 2

Academy Awards Special Feature!

   And just when you thought it couldn’t be possible to top “15 Memorable Middle Child Movie Moments: Part 1.” Here's the rest of the best. If you know of any that should be included on the list, comment below or e-mail to: midkidmusings@gmail.com

            DAWN WEINER
played by Heather Matarazzo in “Welcome to the Dollhouse” (1995)

Older brother: Mark/Younger sister: Missy

     E! News says, “No other character better portrays #middlechildproblems quite like Heather Matarazzo's in the '90s classic, Welcome to the Doll House.” Her older brother is smarter and her younger brother is prettier. Mom always takes Missy’s side in disputes with Dawn, and Dad always takes her mother’s side in arguments with Dawn. Nobody is ever on her side! The quintessential Middle Child moment occurs when Dawn won’t tear down her playhouse so her parents can have a 20th Anniversary party in the backyard. Mom has Mark and Missy take it down -- and gives them Dawn’s share of cake!!

DASHIELL 'DASH' PARR
voiced by Spencer Fox in “The Incredibles” (2004)

Older sister: Violet/Younger brother: Jack-Jack

     What Middle Child doesn’t want to feel special? So you’d think having a super power would satisfy Dash. But living in a world where “Supers” aren’t accepted, his mom encourages him to hide his powers and be like everyone else. “But Dad always said our powers were nothing to be ashamed of, our powers made us special,” Dash tells his mom. “Everyone’s special, Dash,” she replies. “Which is another way of saying no one is,” Dash mutters. That is one serious case of Super Middle Child Syndrome.

                      IVY WESTON
played by Julianne Nicholson in “August: Osage County” (2013)

Older sister: Barbara/Younger sister: Karen

     Ivy has felt trapped her whole life. She’s single and the only one of her sisters who never left home, so she bears the brunt of caring for her parents. The only person she can relate to is her cousin Charles. And boy, can she relate. She’s been having a secret affair with her cousin and wants to marry him. But Ivy’s Mom has an even bigger secret: Ivy’s father had a long ago affair with Ivy’s Aunt, Charles’ mom. So Charles is really her brother. Oy. On the plus side, it finally gets Ivy to leave home. Some Middle Children can’t catch a break.

              HOLLY

         played by Dianne Wiest in “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986)

        Older sister: Hannah/Younger sister: Lee

     Just by looking at the poster, you know which sister is Holly. Yeah, not the one in the middle, but the one off to the side looking detached from the other two. Hannah is a successful actress. Meanwhile, Holly’s acting career is in the dumps, so she’s super jealous of Hannah. Sounds about right. Yet she has formed an unhealthy dependency on her big sis, borrowing money from her and dating Hannah’s hypochondriac ex-husband. To make matters worse, much of the movie occurs over three successive Thanksgiving dinners. And everyone knows the Middle Child Syndrome Advisory alert is at the highest level possible when there are large family gatherings.

(AWARD ANNOTATION: Wiest won Best Supporting Actress for her Middle Child portrayal.)

     So far, the list has been limited to characters who were the only movie Middle Child in the family, but these co-star/co-middlers are certainly worth mentioning.

 JOSEPHINE “JO” & ELIZABETH “BETH” MARCH in “Little Women”

Oldest sister: Margaret “Meg”/Youngest sister: Amy

     The March sisters sure know how to get around. Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel has made it to the big screen five times! Strong willed Jo is the main character, exhibiting many of the same characteristics as Alcott, many say. Beth steps in to keep the peace when the sisters argue. Their Middle Sister bond is so strong, when Beth gets scarlet fever, Jo never leaves her side. Here’s the breakdown of actresses who’ve played the Middle March’s.

KATHERINE HEPBURN as Jo/JEAN PARKER as Beth in “Little Women” (1933)

Winner: Best Adapted Screenplay; Nominated: Best Picture.

JUNE ALLYSON as Jo/MARGARET O’BRIEN as Beth in “Little Women” (1949)

Winner: Best Art Direction; Nominated: Best Cinematography.

     O’Brien was presented with an Academy Juvenile Award (who knew this was even a thing?) for “Outstanding Child Actress of 1944.”  This happened before even filming “Little Women,” but she was a little woman at the time, if that counts for something.

(READ ABOUT how O'Brien's Oscar was stolen and found over 50 years later.)

 WINONA RYDER as Jo/CLAIRE DANES as Beth in “Little Women” (1994)

Nominated: Best Actress (Winona Ryder); Best Costume Design; Best Original Score.

SARAH DAVENPORT as Jo/ALLIE JENNINGS as Beth in “Little Women” (2018)

     This present-day update disappointed at the box office and with critics. EW.com wouldn’t even consider it in their ranking of Little Women adaptations.

SAOIRSE RONAN as Jo/ELIZA SCANLEN as Beth in “Little Women” (2019)

     The march of the March’s continues! Scheduled for Christmas 2019 release.

CHARLES, PERCY, GEORGE, FRED & RONALD WEASLEY: 

played by Alex Crockford, Chris Rankin, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps & Rupert Grint

in the Harry Potter film series.

Oldest brother: William/Youngest sister: Ginevra “Ginny”

     So many Weasley’s, so little time. Let’s start with Ron. He’s Harry’s best friend, and clearly the most widely known Weasley. He’s appeared in all eight film adaptations, logging just over 3½ hours of screen time. Moving on to the lesser Weasley’s, troublemaking twins George and Fred also appear in all eight films. They may be identical, but not when it comes to screen time: George gets just slightly over 20 minutes, while Fred gets slightly under. Percy is the measly Weasley, only speaking in three films with a little over three minutes on screen. And then comes Charlie, the forgotten Weasley. He’s only seen, and his only scene, is in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” when there’s a glimpse of him in a Weasley family photo album. He’s not even credited. Ouch.

FREDO & MICHAEL CORLEONE played by John Cazale & Al Pacino

in “The Godfather” (1973)/“The Godfather: Part II” (1975)

Oldest brother: Sonny/Younger sister: Connie

     While Fredo was the middle Corleone son (see this previous “Profiles in Middledom” post), younger brother Michael was a Mid Kid too.  Even though he “never wanted this” for his baby boy, when Don Corleone retires he still chooses Michael to lead the family. That's how little confidence he had in the feeble Fredo.
(AWARD ANNOTATION: Pacino received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “The Godfather,” and a Best Actor nomination for “The Godfather II.”)


     In total, the actors actresses on this list have been nominated by the Academy 26 times for Best Actor/Actress or Best Supporting Actor/Actress, and have won nine times. Just four of those nominations were for movies on this list however, and of those only one walked away with an Oscar: Dianne Wiest. The rest were runners-up, which somehow seems fitting.

COMING SUNDAY: More “Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made.”

15 Memorable Middle Child Movie Moments: Part 1

    Academy Awards Special Feature!

     Hollywood’s big night is almost here! What better time to pay tribute to the greatest Middle Child movies of all time? Oh right, there are none. Okay... what better time to pay tribute to films where a Middle Child is the protagonist, or at least plays a pivotal part? Yeah, that could work.

SAMANTHA “SAM” BAKER
played by Molly Ringwald in “Sixteen Candles” (1984)

Older sister: Ginny/Younger brother: Mike

     The premise of John Hughes’ teen angst classic is so Middle Child-ish, it has to top the list. It’s Sam’s 16th birthday, but her family is so consumed with her older sister’s wedding the next day, everyone has completely forgotten her birthday! It doesn’t get any more Middle Child than that.

                                              DONNIE DARKO

played by Jake Gyllenhaal in “Donnie Darko” (2001)

Older sister: Elizabeth/Younger sister: Samantha

     It’s not often a Middle Child gets top billing, so this film makes the list. After a near death experience, Donnie sees visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who convinces him to commit crimes. When a plane his younger sister is on explodes, one of the jet engines falls into Donnie’s bedroom, crushing him to death. Talk about your troubled Middle Child.

(SIBLING SIDENOTE: Jake’s older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Donnie’s older sister.)

                                          SODAPOP CURTIS

played by Rob Lowe in “The Outsiders” (1983)

Older brother: Darrel/Younger brother: Ponyboy

     Like many Middle Children, Sodapop is the peacemaker. According to Shmoop.com, “He takes his role as middle brother seriously, and is constantly the in-between for Pony and Darry, acting as a buffer against their constant clashes.” That doesn’t mean he enjoys being a sibling mediator. “I can't stand to hear y'all fight,” he says. “Sometimes I have to get out or… it's like a middleman in a tug o' war and I'm being split in half…” You’re preaching to the choir, Soda.

                                  MAXINE JOSEPH

             played by Vivica A. Fox in “Soul Food” (1997)

Older sister: Teri/Younger sister: Robin “Bird”

     Maxine doesn’t have such a great relationship with her older sister. Oh, maybe that’s because she stole her sister’s boyfriend and married him. Okay, so maybe Middle Children aren’t always the peacemaker in the family.

EDITH GRU
voiced by Dana Gaier in “Despicable Me” (2010)

Older sister: Margo/Younger sister: Agnes

     According to the Despicable Me Wiki page, “Edith is currently the least explored of the three sisters, which is understandable considering she's the Middle Child, the likes of which are stereotypically neglected by their parents.” That is truly despicable.

ELLIOTT TAYLOR

played by Henry Thomas in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)

Older brother: Michael/Younger sister: Gertie

     A lonely ten year old longing for friendship forms a psychic connection with a big eyed, long necked, Reese’s Pieces loving alien. Of course the kid’s a Middle Child! While not the title character, maybe Elliot can lay claim to top billing since his initials are also E.T? Can’t blame a MidKid for trying.

TRISTAN LUDLOW
played by Brad Pitt in “Legends of the Fall” (1994)

Older brother: Alfred/Younger brother Samuel

     Three brothers live in remote Montana -- isn't that redundant? -- with their father in the early 20th century, but there’s an outrageous twist: the Middle Child is actually his father’s favorite son! Unheard of!! This movie must be pure fiction. Brad Pitt wins a Middie Award for “Best Looking Movie Middle Child Ever.” He also wins a Middie for “Best Middle Child Line in a Non-Middle Child Movie” for this classic scene as Tyler Durden in “Fight Club.”

(SIBLING SIDENOTE: Henry Thomas appears in his second movie on the list,
this time as Pitt’s little brother Samuel.)

RYAN BINGHAM
played by George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (2009)

Older sister: Kara/Younger sister: Julie

     Mega-frequent flier Ryan Bingham spends most of his life travelling for business. His goal is to become the seventh and youngest person to earn ten million AAdvantage miles. In a true act of Middle Child selflessness, Ryan transfers 1,000,000 miles to his sister and brother-in-law so they can fly around the world for their honeymoon. Clooney was also Middie nominated for “Best Looking Movie Middle Child Ever,” losing to real-life pal Pitt.

(AWARD ANNOTATION: Clooney was a Best Supporting Actor nominee 
for his Middle Child portrayal.)

COMING FRIDAY: 15 Memorable Middle Child Movie Moments: Part 2

The Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made: 90th Academy Awards Edition

         2017 was a banner year for Middle Child cinema. So it’s with great pleasure we present for your consideration, this year’s Best Middle Child Picture nominees:

Pay no attention to that Middle billboard!

What every Middle Child hopes for.

Every Middle Child knows the feeling.

(To see more “Greatest Middle Child Movies NEVER Made, click HERE.)

The Tony Awards: the Forgotten Middle Child of Awards Shows.

     The 69^th annual Tony Awards are Sunday night!!!!  I know, I know... does anybody really care?  I certainly don’t, and based on TV viewership, apparently I’m not alone.
     When I sat down to write this post, I knew the Tony’s wouldn’t be the most popular awards show. But I figured they’d have to be up there. I mean, they've been around for almost 70 years. I knew the Oscars would top the list. It’s like the Super Bowl of awards shows. And I wasn’t surprised that the Grammy's, Golden Globes and Emmy’s are each more popular. I figured the Tony’s might round out the top 5, though. But they’re not even in the Top 10! There’s a host of other awards shows people pay more attention to -- some I’ve never even heard of and others I’ve never seen. Here's a list from 2014, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Even the People’s Choice Awards -- an awards show with no surprises because the winners are notified in advance -- eats Tony’s lunch.

Did You See Last Year's Opening!?:
Me neither.

     Look, it’s not exactly like these are glory days for any awards show.  The 2015 Academy Awards dropped 18% from the year before, hitting a 6 year low of 36.6 million viewers. ( CLICK HERE to review my exclusive Middle Child coverage.) The Grammy’s also hit a 6 year low of 25.3 million. The Golden Globes were down 11% to 19.6 million. But even though major awards shows are tanking left and right, they’re all still kicking little Tony’s ass!!  Poor Tony draws barely over 7 million viewers. Low woman on the awards show totem poll, for sure. So that’s why Tony has earned it's Middle Child status: nobody really cares about it, but it just won’t go away.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: And speaking of awards shows nobody cares about... this year’s annual “Middie Awards,” honoring the best in attention-seeking, Middle Child-like behavior, will be announced on August 12 -- Middle Child’s Day! Check your local listings to find out when they will not be aired in your area.

87th Academy Awards Preview: Are Middle Children Better Actors?

     At first glance, it would appear this won't be a very good year for Middle Children at the Academy Awards. I’m no math whiz, but I did a little statistical breakdown, and the numbers are dismal. Each of the four acting categories has five nominees, which means there are a total of 20 acting nominees. First the bad news: only four out of 20 nominees are Middle Children. That’s just 20%! In the “Best Actor” category, Eddie Redmayne is the only Middle Child nominee -- a mere 1/5 of the category. It’s the same story in the “Best Supporting Actress” category -- Patricia Arquette is the sole Middle Child representative. The “Best Supporting Actor” category offers the best chances for a Middle Child to walk away with an Oscar: 40% of the nominees are Mid Kids - Robert Duvall and J.K. Simmons. (Sadly, only one can win.) And I can safely say that there is no chance a Middle Child will win “Best Actress, as none of the nominees are MidKids. Not great numbers, right? By comparison, last year there were seven Middle Child acting nominees. But while numbers don’t lie, they don’t always tell the truth, either.

I want to make a Golden
Globes joke SO badly!

     While only four MidKids are nominated, here's the good news: I say 75% of Middle Children nominees will win! Let me state that even more impressively: Middle Children will win all of the categories they are nominated in. 100%. That’s right, a Middle Child sweep. Eddie Redmayne in “Theory of Everything”, Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood” and J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash.” (Sorry, Mr. Duvall, but as a Middle Child, you should be used to not being the favorite.) And the chances that any of these MidKids will thank their older or younger siblings during their acceptance speeches? 0%!!
Enjoy the show...

Find out everything you never needed to know about all the Middle Child nominees!

Follow @MidKidMusings on Sunday Night for the SmackDabLIVE! Academy Awards Tweetcast.

Use this handy chart to impress friends and family with your
worthless knowledge of Academy Award nominee birth order!

Academy Awards Recap: Mid Kids Steal the Show!

     It was a very good night for Middle Children at the 86th Academy Awards. In total, seven were nominated in the four acting categories: Bruce Dern for Best Actor, Cate Blanchett and Amy Adams for Best Actress, Jared Leto and Barhad Abdi for Best Supporting Actor, and Luptia Nyong'o and Julia Roberts for Best Supporting Actress. By the end of the evening, Middle Children were winners of all but the Best Actor Oscar. Not a bad night at all. (Click HERE for a recap of our LIVE Tweetcast.) Of course, it wasn't all good news. Ellen DeGeneres broke records -- and Twitter -- with her star studded selfie, but her Middle Child Acting Nominee pic barely got a mention. Can a Middle Child get a retweet? And then of course there was John Travolta (see clip) giving Adele Dazeem (a.k.a. Idina Menzel) a little taste of what it feels like being a Middle Child. Oh well...

The Middle Children had a lot to smile about at the Academy Awards,
even if it was just for one night.