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    Awards Season

    CultureMap film critic’s guide to the 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees of 2024

    Alex Bentley
    Jan 23, 2024 | 8:55 am
    Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

    Oppenheimer leads the way for 2024 Academy Awards nominations.

    Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

    The nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards have been announced, with 10 films vying for Best Picture. Leading the way is Oppenheimer with 13 nominations, followed by Poor Things with 11 and Killers of the Flower Moon with 10.

    As a refresher, we're sharing what we had to say about each of the nominees in our reviews, published when the films were originally released.

    This year's Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 10.

    If you missed catching any of these films, Cinemark will host its annual Oscar Movie Week festival from Monday, March 4 through Sunday, March 10, when they'll screen nominees for Best Picture, Live Action, and Animated Short Film.

    Here's the list, in alphabetical order:

    American Fiction
    Based on a book called Erasure by Percival Everett, an English professor at the University of Southern California, American Fiction offers up a variety of over-the-top satirical moments while also telling a heartfelt family story. Writer/director Cord Jefferson (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay) is able to combine the disparate parts together by giving each their own proper showcase. Star Jeffrey Wright (nominated for Best Actor) is the perfect actor to portray the lead character of Monk, as he’s well-known enough to be a great leading man, but not so much of a star for his fame to override the nuances of the role.

    Anatomy of a Fall
    The film lives fully up its title, fully examining the circumstances leading up to the death of a father, as well as the somewhat turbulent life his family of three led. But at no point in the film’s 152-minute running time does writer/director Justine Triet (nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay) tip the scales in favor of one point of view over another. Anatomy of a Fall is not so much a whodunit, but a deep dive into how and why such a thing ever happened in the first place. While speculation is rampant in the film, it’s the lack of clarity that keeps the viewer engaged.

    Barbie
    As with Barbie herself, Barbie is several things at once: A self-referential ode to the many types of Barbies, Kens, and other dolls; a fun romp with double entendre jokes and song-and-dance sequences; and an examination of outdated gender politics. Writer/director Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay), while definitely straying far from early collaborations like Frances Ha, still make the story their own, delivering commentary that wouldn’t come from many other filmmakers. Star Margot Robbie is, of course, perfect casting as Barbie, a fact that is referenced on several different occasions in the film itself.

    The Holdovers
    The second collaboration between director Alexander Payne (nominated for Best Original Screenplay) and star Paul Giamatti (nominated for Best Actor), The Holdovers has an enormous number of small pleasures and heartbreaks. Payne and writer Hemingson are just as interested in touching your heart as they are in making you laugh. While echoing some of Payne's earlier films, it becomes its own thing thanks to its unique central trio of characters, the setting in the cloistered environment of a boarding school, and its slowly-evolving story that reveals a ton of heart. Giamatti and Payne seem to share a certain sensibility that leads to a great performance.

    Killers of a Flower Moon
    Given his long and award-laden career, it’s tempting to give writer/director Martin Scorsese (nominated for Best Director) and co-writer Eric Roth the benefit of the doubt, that they have the best of intentions in telling this particular story about white people trying to steal oil rights from the Osage tribe. But it’s difficult to get around the idea that the film puts the bad guys front and center instead of the Osage. When the victims of the crimes are omnipresent and not afforded the background scenes that make them into fully fleshed-out characters, it removes almost all emotion and cheapens the story.

    Maestro (not reviewed)
    Writer/director/star Bradley Cooper's biopic about composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), had a surprisingly strong showing in the Oscar nominations, nabbing nods for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, along with three others in technical categories. Still, it is considered a longshot to win any of those awards, as other films have dominated those categories at other award shows.

    Oppenheimer
    The first biopic for writer/director Christopher Nolan (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) is still true to his inimitable style, flitting around to the different eras of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life often and quickly. In another filmmaker’s hands, the story might come off as dry and stodgy, but the pace with which the film is edited, as well as the propulsive - and now, Oscar-nominated - score from Ludwig Göransson, gives it the feel of a thriller for much of its running time. Cillian Murphy (nominated for Best Actor) commands every second he’s on screen, employing a unique not-quite monotone and straightforward delivery that keeps him riveting throughout. The implications of the story are dire, but the filmgoing experience watching it transpire is anything but.

    Past Lives
    Writer/director Celine Song (nominated for Best Original Screenplay) does her level best to imbue the conversations between lead characters Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) with a lot of meaning, but those chats are often disjointed and stilted. Any good romance, even one that never really was, needs to impart those feelings to the audience, and their scenes together never reach that necessary level. The style of filmmaking and the generally good acting keeps Past Lives watchable even as its central story doesn’t have the intended impact.

    Poor Things
    The latest from writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay) is one of the strangest stories about giving a woman agency (sexual and otherwise) that’s ever been put on screen. There is little in the film that is not unsettling, and because it’s a constant parade of oddities, it also becomes one of the funniest movies of the year in the process. The film puts the audience on their heels through its audio and visuals, including steampunk/futuristic elements, a dissonant soundtrack, and more. Star Emma Stone (nominated for Best Actress) puts it all out there, literally and figuratively, with her performance, accomplishing a feat of which few others are capable..

    The Zone of Interest
    Written and directed by Jonathan Glazer (nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay), the film almost perfectly encapsulates the banal form that evil can take. Villains, and especially Nazis, are typically portrayed as over-the-top or obviously depraved, but here the malevolence reveals itself in how normally it’s treated by those perpetrating it. Where the film gets its power is in what it doesn’t show or shows with no one commenting upon it. Glazer has made a World War II film that doesn't feel like a retread, showing Nazis and Nazism in a new light while still demonstrating how appalling their influence can be.

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    Weekend Event Planner

    These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas on Christmas weekend

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 24, 2025 | 4:01 pm
    City Rink, Santa skating, holiday ice skating
    Photo by Ashley Gongora
    The CultureMap City Rink is one of many continuing holiday events taking place during Christmas weekend and beyond.

    When Christmas bumps up against a weekend, as it does this year, it's usually just the ongoing holiday events that are featured. But there will be more than a few new events sprinkled in this year, leaving you with plenty of choices in holiday-themed happenings, theater, comedy, music, and more.

    Below are the best ways to spend your free time this Christmas weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events. For a big list of the best Christmas lights, go here.

    Continuing holiday events

    If you haven't already had a chance, many different holiday events will remain open at least through this weekend, and some through New Year's weekend. Choices include Snowday and Santaland at Galleria Dallas, Holiday at the Arboretum at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, CultureMap City Rink at Main Street Garden Park, The Trains at NorthPark, Coca Cola's Classic Christmas at Dallas Midtown, The Light Park in Little Elm, Frisco, or Arlington, and Prairie Lights at Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, among others.

    Theater

    Broadway Dallas presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast
    Disney’s 30th Anniversary production of Beauty and the Beast is in the middle of an extended stay in Dallas, taking place at the Music Hall at Fair Park through January 4. The enchanting and timeless tale boasts the Oscar-winning and Tony Award-nominated score, including the classic songs “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

    Pegasus Theatre presents MacMurder!
    How about a little murder for Christmas? Pegasus Theatre brings back Harry Hunsacker and his paid-by-the-hour assistant, Nigel Grouse, to try to find a mysterious murderer who might have their sets sights on Harry himself. MacMurder! is produced in Pegasus' Living Black & White style, which recreate the look and feel of classic black-and-white films through a unique combination of makeup, costumes, lighting, and set design. The production runs through January 4 at Addison Performing Arts Centre.

    Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol
    Seeing A Christmas Carol is a tradition for many, and no Dallas theater company has done it as much or as well as Dallas Theater Center. Audiences will embark on a magical Christmas Eve adventure with Ebenezer Scrooge as three otherworldly spirits whisk him away on a breathtaking journey of hope and redemption. From the nostalgic warmth of Christmases past to the stark truths of the present and the ominous shadows of the future, Scrooge’s journey is a spectacle of wonder. There will be showings through December 27 at Wyly Theatre.

    Broadway at the Center presents Mrs. Doubtfire
    What's this? A new production on Christmas weekend? Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny comes to Dallas in Mrs. Doubtfire. The musical, based on the beloved 1993 film starring Robin Williams, tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. There will be five performances, December 26-28, at Winspear Opera House.

    Comedy

    Hyena's presents Ron Pearson
    Not only does Ron Pearson juggle in his act, he also juggles his Hollywood career. As a stand-up comedian, Pearson has made hundreds of TV appearances doing stand-up on shows like The Late Late Show, Chelsea Lately, The Dennis Miller Show, Nickmom Night Out, and on Comedy Central. He'll perform four times on December 26 and 27 at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub.

    Improv Addison presents Mark Curry
    Mark Curry is an American actor, comedian, and host best known as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo. He'll perform five times, December 26-28, at Improv Addison.

    Improv Arlington presents Aries Spears
    Ever since Chicago native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene throughout America. His quick wit, charisma, and ferociously aggressive style of comedy have earned him critical acclaim, high accolades, and above all, a busy schedule. He has been a regular on Fox’s Mad TV, starring in feature films, appeared on a number of national talk shows, and continually toured the country with his stand-up act. He'll perform six times, December 26-28, at Improv Arlington.

    Dallas Comedy Club presents Dean Stanfield
    Dean Stanfield is a comedian, actor, writer and race car driver from Austin. He has been showcased three years on Moontower Comedy Festival and won second place in Helium’s "Funniest Person in Austin" competition. He has featured for Mark Normand and Ian Fidance on the road and was recently named a 2025 Just For Laughs New Face in the stand-up category. He'll perform four times on December 26 and 27 at Dallas Comedy Club.

    Music

    Old 97's in concert with Joshua Ray Walker and Rhett Miller
    The Old 97's are a Dallas original, forming in 1992 and becoming pioneers of the alt-country movement. Even though they never made it huge nationally, they continue to be a big deal locally and still put out new music, most recently American Primitive in 2024. This special post-Christmas show, taking place on December 27 at Longhorn Ballroom, will feature a set by both the band and a solo set by lead singer Rhett Miller, as well as a performance by Joshua Ray Walker.

    Other holiday shows

    Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland
    The first of a trio of one-off holiday events this weekend is Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, which features a thrilling blend of world-class circus artistry and favorite holiday music, is a spectacular production that transports audiences to a winter wonderland of awe and enchantment. The performance takes place on December 26 at Comerica Center in Frisco.

    Eisemann Center presents Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico
    Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico, presented by Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar and Ballet Folklorico del Rio Grande, is named after the beloved Andalusian Christmas carol. The show journeys through the joyous rhythms of "Bells Upon Bells" and the vibrant spectacle of Mexican dance, capturing the heartwarming story of Mary and Joseph's journey. The event takes place on December 27 at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.

    Mocky Horror Picture Show presents Jack Frost
    People love to revisit classic holiday movies, but what about ones that are infamously bad? In this special show, Mocky Horror stars comedians Liz Barksdale, Danny Gallagher, and Albie Robles will riff on Jack Frost, starring Michael Keaton as a dad who dies on Christmas Day and comes back to life as a snowman. In addition, the group will perform brand new comedy sketches, new riffs of holiday shorts, offer a chance to win presents from Collected Comics, and welcome a special visit from Santa Claus himself. The event takes place on December 28 at Texas Theatre.

    City Rink, Santa skating, holiday ice skating

    Photo by Ashley Gongora

    The CultureMap City Rink is one of many continuing holiday events taking place during Christmas weekend and beyond.

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