Casey Affleck’s role in Manchester by the Sea showed audiences a gripping tale about a depressed alcoholic living with insurmountable guilt.
Ben Affleck’s brother made waves with his powerhouse performance, and it won him not just an Oscar nomination, but an in the flesh Oscar.
Manchester by the Sea Trailer
He was in disbelief, and so was the rest of the United States. According to a Time article, the actor was sued by two different women. “On Sunday night, many viewers were outraged, arguing that his Oscar trophy condoned his alleged misbehavior and sexism in Hollywood,” the article reads.
His win was a slap in the face to any survivor of sexual harassment and sexual assault. When Brie Larson, an actress who played a
survivor in her movie Room, handed him his trophy, men and women flinched from the sting.
Other aspirants accused of crimes, like The Birth of a Nation’s Nate Parker, were snubbed by the Academy Awards. Even though Parker was acquitted of his 1999 accusation, he and his cast suffered the consequences. Why was Affleck treated differently?
He gave a powerful performance, but his Oscar sent a message more powerful than his face time. According to The Huffington Post, Affleck’s award carried weight heavier than gold.
“It’s true that the allegations against Affleck are far from the scarring experience with which Larson became familiar. Although it’s customary for the year’s previous Best Actress winner to award the new Best Actor, the Academy chose to pair the two of them onstage instead of making an exception. In Hollywood, it seems, sexual harassment is not a serious matter,” the article relays.
If only Hollywood had the passion Affleck portrayed on-screen; abuse allegations should be taken seriously, not in light of a joke, which was how the 89th Academy Awards displayed the issue.
Who was the better actor: Affleck or the Academy Awards?
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