Oscars: The ‘To Leslie’ campaign controversy is heating up, but is it all much ado about nothing?

This is where Oscar season gets ugly.

As I wrote earlier today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement saying they were “reviewing the campaign process surrounding this year’s nominees,” but they didn’t name a specific film or campaign that prompted them to deliver it rather vaguely release. Here’s the weather:

It is the Academy’s aim to ensure that the award competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner and we are committed to an inclusive award process. We are reviewing campaign procedures around this year’s nominees to ensure no policies have been violated and to let us know if policy changes may be necessary in a new age of social media and digital communications. We trust the integrity of our nomination and voting processes and support genuine grassroots campaigns for excellence.

I chose not to put words in the mouth of the Academy in our headline (Academy “Part of Campaign Procedure Review” days after Oscar Noms reveal), but any other transaction will do. Maybe that’s why they got more hits. Unfortunately, some people just read the headlines and then jump to conclusions.

Here is an example: The Academy is investigating the Oscars campaign process surrounding Andrea Riseborough’s nomination for To Leslie.

OR Academy reviews after Andrea Riseborough’s surprise Oscar nomination

OR Film Academy reviews amid questions over Andrea Riseborough’s campaign

OR AMPAS reviews Oscar campaign procedures after surprise nomination for ‘To Leslie’

While the academy didn’t say they did it for this reason, the clickbait headlines tell us what they do real related to. And that may well be what they meant, except you didn’t say it, but probably decided to put out a release to spread the word about the situation, try it and tell the world they’ll be looking at their social media campaign guidelines, while also showing their support for ‘ base’ show campaigns confirmed’”. In other words, the academy doesn’t want a wildfire to get out of control.

You have to wonder if Riseborough – after basking in the glory of a truly “miracle” micro-indie best actress nomination this week To Lesley which grossed more than $27,000 and was rarely seen outside of the academy’s digital viewing portal – whether it was really worth investing their own money to make the film and the show stand out in the first place.

Rumors have been circulating since the nomination was announced on Tuesday should There were some irregularities for this campaign to succeed, while others spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and end up being marginalized. Show business can be tough, but so are the breaks.

After watching this slow-burning controversy gain traction among some columnists and draw whispers from some involved in other campaigns, I can confidently report that there may not There There. At least earlier today, highly reliable sources who know these things said that there are currently no formal complaints filed with the Academy about the campaign for this film.

Several very reliable sources told me this To Lesley The team also followed AMPAS rules for shows and/or receptions, which they “reviewed.” So if that is the case, this “review” is unlikely to find any wrongdoing in the one area that some believe Riseborough’s campaign overstepped. I’ve heard from at least one rival campaign that “two governors” plan to raise the issue at Tuesday’s previously scheduled board meeting. I have also heard that the Academy has been “receiving calls from members” since the release of AMPAS.

The word-of-mouth aspect of the campaign, with many A-list actors posting effusive praise on social media, some multiple times, some a little too enthusiastically (Kate Winslet: “Greatest female performance I’ve ever seen have”) is what’s really here for review. There are no clear rules about this in the AMPAS campaign guidelines. But can you tell Jennifer Aniston that she doesn’t need five friends from the academy to come to her house to see the film and then maybe tell others about it? This is an area that is not really regulated in the Academy’s rules, which are much more specific about how to handle screenings, receptions, etc., rules that everyone must follow. And from what I’ve heard, the To Lesley Team did, although admittedly they were unable to oversee what others in the acting industry did or did not do from AMPAS. A source told me they never said anything like “vote for Andrea Riseborough”. The goal was just to get the film saw, against all expectations.

Some columnists are openly wondering where the money is coming from, how a small film like this with a distributor called Momentum Pictures that hasn’t put aside the money can afford to stick around? Or what influence might Riseborough’s manager Jason Weinberg (who is not a member of the Academy) have played?

I find it strangely sad that behind a campaign that, with the best of intentions, just wanted to see a very good performance, there is now a scandal that brings everything to nothing, even speculation that the nomination might be withdrawn.

When I was at LA TIMEs, I brought the story out Locker violated Producer Nicolas Chartier emailed voters asking them not to vote for it avatar. It was a no-no, and got him banned from appearing on the Oscar show (a few weeks later he won his Oscar from then-AMPAS president Tom Sherak). 2014 onwards here meetingI also shared another story about the composer and last Academy Governor, Bruce Broughton, who had access to the e-mails and phone numbers of the music department members, contacted his colleagues and instructed them on how to prepare for his song of voting the obscure movie alone, but not alone at the same time. It worked and the song was nominated. But it was short-lived, and after that meeting story appeared, it wasn’t long before the Academy withdrew the nomination, leaving only four nominees in the category and leaving the fifth spot vacant. Having carefully observed and reported on these cases, I can at least state the case as far as I know To Lesley is a completely different situation that will likely change some rules for social media campaigns in the future. But I wouldn’t suspect much more. Maybe we should calm down and let the review run its course.

Like I said, this is where Oscar season begins ugly.