Oscars to Hamilton: You Don't Have the Vote

Scene from Hamilton

If you're anyone who is anyone this past weekend, there's a good chance that you watched Hamilton on Disney+. How could you not? As one of the most revolutionary shows to hit Broadway this century, it is a show that has been shrouded in curiosity since its 2015 launch, and it has formed a deserved cult with its endless memorable song numbers. Though the one thing that has been asked since it was announced as if the live performance would stand any chance of getting a shot at Oscar glory. Well, there's been a bit of a delay. The prognostication may be put to rest as news came out that Hamilton is in fact disqualified from Oscar nominations. 

I will fully admit that I was one of those prognosticating for months now if Hamilton stood any chance at an Oscar shot. After all, this is the first (and probably only) year that The Oscars will recognize streaming titles for their big categories. To have Disney+ present one of the biggest titles of the year would reason that Hamilton was going to pull an unprecedented achievement. It would become the first live recording of a show since Give 'Em Hell Harry in 1975 to get any Oscar traction. That is how most people rationalized it, and I will admit that in some hindsight I'm a damn fool for not looking a little bit closer as to why the James Whitmore vehicle has been such an odd man out in all of this.

There is an obscure (aren't they all?) rule that was added in 1997 to the documentary category that suggested that stage performances and promotional videos would be disqualified from nominations. As you can guess, this means that time is running out for Hamilton. It likely doesn't stand a chance now. Though don't feel too bad. The show has taken in millions in profits as well as won 11 Tony Awards and a few Grammy Awards and Pulitzer Prizes. The show is likely to be fine.

While there aren't any official rulings yet, it does seem like this is the end of the road for Lin-Manuel Mirada's big hit. There may be a loophole that gives it a chance, but for now, the board is back open for every major category for next year's Oscars. Would the film have stood any shot had it played in theaters next Fall, itself looking like a thinly veiled Oscar push? Maybe, but something tells me that there will be an official announcement sometime soon about this that will confirm yay or nay. For now, it's a sad state of affairs. With that said, it doesn't mean that you can't just press replay on Disney+. I know that I'm about to. That feels like a good compensation.