'Rogue One' at the Saturn Awards for Star Wars Day

Happy Star Wars Day!  To begin my celebration of 40 years of "Star Wars," I'm sharing the eleven nominations "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" received at the Saturn Awards along with the film's competition in each category -- that is, after the official announcement video: The 43rd Annual Saturn Award Film Nominations.

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As both Slashfilm and the Saturn Awards website note, the eleven nominations "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" received were the most of any film recognized.  Starting from the top, they are Best Science Fiction Film Release, Best Actress in a Film for Felicity Jones, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Diego Luna, Best Film Direction for Gareth Edwards, Best Film Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Film Production Design, Best Film Music, Best Film Costume Designer, Best Film Make-Up, and Best Film Special / Visual Effects.  Follow over the jump for all the nominees in each of these categories, along with my opinions of them and a link to become a member in order to vote.

First, the full slate of nominees for Best Science Fiction Film Release.

Arrival
Independence Day: Resurgence
Midnight Special
Passengers
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Trek Beyond

I fully expect "Rogue One" to win, just as "The Force Awakens" won this category last year.  However, like last year, it won't be the movie I would vote for.  Last year, that was "The Martian."  This year, it's "Arrival."

Best Actress in a Film

Amy Adams (Arrival)
Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train)
Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures)
Jennifer Lawrence (Passengers)
Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Narges Rashidi (Under the Shadow)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane)

This is an extremely good field with two Academy Award winning actresses, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, one of whom has won an Oscar, Lawrence.  I watched both "Arrival" and "Passengers" and my vote easily goes to Adams. That written, I wouldn't be surprised if the award went to Felicity Jones with this electorate and I wouldn't be displeased if Emily Blunt won.  As I wrote, this is an extremely good field.

Best Supporting Actor in a Film

Chadwick Boseman (Captain America: Civil War)
Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Zachary Quinto (Star Trek Beyond)
Christopher Walken (The Jungle Book)

This is a good field, but not as excellent as for Leading Actress above.  Out of this field, I would flip a coin between John Goodman, who made a great villain, and Dan Fogler, who made a great sidekick.  Goodman is the better actor overall, but I liked Fogler's performance better.  Who wants to call heads or tails for me?

That's it for the films and actors, which were mentioned in the video above the jump.  "Rogue One" did even better in the behind-the-camera categories, where it earned nominations in every category.  Directors and writers were mentioned in the video above the jump, but the rest weren't.  Here they are from Slashfilm.

Best Film Direction

Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange)
Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book)
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo (Captain America: Civil War)
Bryan Singer (X-Men: Apocalypse)
Steven Spielberg (The BFG)
Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

Spielberg is the biggest name and this electorate is predisposed to give awards to "Star Wars" films, so Edwards has a good shot, but my vote will go to Villeneuve for "Arrival," who was the only one of the bunch nominated for an Academy Award.

Best Film Screenplay

Melissa Mathison (The BFG)
Eric Heisserer (Arrival)
Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick (Deadpool)
Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill (Doctor Strange)
Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)
Chris Weitz, Tony Gilroy (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Both "Arrival" and "Hell or High Water" were nominated for Oscars, but my vote goes to "Arrival."  I wouldn't be upset if "Deadpool" snuck past either of them.

Best Film Editing

Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt (Captain America: Civil War)
John Gilroy, Colin Goudie, Jabez Olssen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Stefan Grube (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Michael Kahn (The BFG)
Mark Livolsi (The Jungle Book)
Joe Walker (Arrival)

"Hacksaw Ridge," which won the Academy Award in this category, was eligible, but wasn't even nominated here.  Welcome to the Saturn Awards electorate.  On the other hand, "Arrival" was nominated for an editing Oscar and received a nomination here.  Since it is the only Oscar nominee in this field, I'm voting for it.

Best Film Production Design

Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg (The BFG)
Doug Chiang, Neil Lamont (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Stuart Craig (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Guy Hendrix Dyas (Passengers)
Owen Paterson (Captain America: Civil War)
Charles Wood (Doctor Strange)

Like "Hacksaw Ridge," "La La Land" won this category at the Oscars but wasn't renominated here.  "Arrival" was also nominated for an Academy Award, but wasn't renominated here.  On the other hand, both "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Passengers" were nominated in this category both here and at the Oscars.  I'll go with the BAFTA winner, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Best Film Music

Michael Giacchino (Doctor Strange)
Michael Giacchino (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
James Newton Howard (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
Thomas Newman (Passengers)
John Williams (The BFG)

Beginning with this category, the Academy Award winner is in contention with the rest of the nominees, including "Rogue One."  Here, it's "La La Land," which I noted had been eligible all along as an Independent Film.  I would be surprised if it won, not because it's not worthy, but because this is not a friendly electorate for it.  After all, these awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, and "La La Land," other than the magical realism inherent in musicals, isn't any of those.  Out of the above, only "La La Land" and "Passengers" got Oscar nods.  I'm not voting for either.  Instead, I'm casting my ballot for Giacchino for his work in "Rogue One."  After all, it is  Star Wars Day, and the movie has to get some love from me today.

Best Film Costume Designer

Colleen Atwood (Alice Through the Looking Glass)
Colleen Atwood (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Alexandra Byrne (Doctor Strange)
David Crossman, Glyn Dilloin (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Sang-gyeong Jo (The Handmaiden)
Joanna Johnston (The BFG)

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" got the Oscar and so it gets my vote.  Here, I agree with the experts.

Best Film Make-Up

Jeremy Woodhead (Doctor Strange)
Nicky Knowles (Fanatastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Amy Byrne (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Monica Huppert, Joel Harlow (Star Trek Beyond)
Allan Apone, Jo-Ann MacNeil, Marta Roggero (Suicide Squad)
Charles Carter, Rita Ciccozzi, Rosalina Da Silva (X-Men: Apocalypse)

"Suicide Squad" won the Academy Award for Hair and Make-up, but I expressed my doubts in 'Suicide Squad' vs. 'Deadpool' at the Razzies and Oscars, when I wrote "I'm sure it deserved its nomination for Makeup and Hairstyling, although I think "Star Trek Beyond" was better at it."  I'm still not convinced, although I'm more inclined to vote for "Suicide Squad" now than before the Academy Awards.  In addition, "Doctor Strange" was nominated in the comparable category at the BAFTA Awards, so that's another possibility.

Best Film Special / Visual Effects

Louis Morin, Ryal Cosgrove (Arrival)
Joe Letteri, Joel Whist (The BFG)
Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, Paul Corbould (Doctor Strange)
Tim Burke, Christian Manz, David Watkins (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, Dan Lemmon (The Jungle Book)
John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

"The Jungle Book" swept this category at all the other awards shows and I have no good reason to vote otherwise, although it wouldn't surprise me to see one of the other movies win with this electorate.

Speaking of "this electorate," my readers and I have a chance to change its composition.  Click here to apply for an affiliate membership.  At $25, one can vote for the best films and television shows.  At $40, one can vote for all categories.  I'm paying $40.  I hope my readers do, too.

Since a Star Wars Day post of mine would not be complete without music and since I planning on voting for Michael Giacchino in the Best Film Music category, I present the selection from "Rogue One" that I feel best depicts the Light Side of the Force, Your Father Would Be Proud.*

Music video by Michael Giacchino performing Your Father Would Be Proud.

May the Fourth be with you!

*I already have a selection representing the Dark Side for the Revenge of the Sixth.  Stay tuned.