Movies Update: Should there be an Oscar for stunts?

Plus, how they served the tennis scenes in "Challengers."

View in browser|nytimes.com May 3, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Should there be an Oscar for stunts? There's a joke in "The Fall Guy," the new action-rom-com starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt man, about the lack of awards for the action pros who double for stars. But the filmmakers behind the movie are actually campaigning for just such an addition to the Academy Awards. As my colleague Nicole Sperling writes, "The push for an Oscar category is not the subtle subtext of 'The Fall Guy'; it is the text." The Screen Actors Guild gives prizes for stunts, so why shouldn't they be eligible for Hollywood's highest honor? Jack Gill, a stuntman turned second-unit director, has been pushing the academy to make the leap since he joined the organization in 1991. But he's newly optimistic. Between "The Fall Guy" (which he didn't work on) and the announcement of a new Oscar for casting directors, he said, "I think we've got a good shot at it." (As someone who regularly rewatches stunts like bus fights, I'm all in favor of the addition.) Speaking of action, have you seen the tennis movie "Challengers"? There are some fascinating gameplay shots from the ball's point of view, for instance, or the court's. My colleague Melena Ryzik spoke with the director Luca Guadagnino and his team about the logistics and what she found surprised me. For instance, in match scenes, there are points where the actors are holding racket handles, not full rackets, and, as Ryzik put it, "whooshing the air with professional intensity. The rest was computer generated." "Challengers" and "The Fall Guy" are among the new or recent releases that have perked up moviegoing for me. I'm also looking forward to "I Saw the TV Glow," which is a Critic's Pick, as is, surprisingly, "Unfrosted," Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart movie. Whatever you decide to watch, enjoy the movies! Universal Pictures 'The Fall Guy' Review: Ryan Gosling Goes Pow! Splat! Ouch! 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