The diverse, must-see movies of the 2017 award season

While many could argue that 2016 was not great for a variety of social and political reasons, it’s no argument that it was a year in which movies flourished. This year particularly proved that diversity and equal representation in filmmaking was necessary for telling intricate stories from all walks of life. While there is still a lot of progress to be made, the movies that scored big in 2016 told perspectives from women, people of color and those within the LGBTQ+ community. In a world as big and diverse as ours, it’s important for everyone’s stories to be heard.

“Hidden Figures”:

“Hidden Figures” tells the heartwarming story of three inspirational African-American women at NASA who were the leading force behind one of the largest operations in history — sending astronaut John Glenn into space. The untold story of these three brilliant trailblazers, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), powerfully depicts the often undisclosed contributions women have made to the world. The movie, which recently had a private screening at the White House hosted by the Obamas, has been met with astounding reviews. The director, Theodore Melfi, intricately retells how these three women fought tooth and nail against both racism and sexism to merely exist and excel within a world that wanted to keep them hidden. Now 98 years old, the real-life Katherine Johnson is finally getting her well-deserved chance to tell her story.

“Moonlight”:

There’s a reason why “Moonlight” has been constantly hailed as the “Best Movie of the Year” by both The New York Times and Variety magazine. Director Barry Jenkins beautifully tells the story of a young African-American boy coming to terms with his sexuality in a way that is both poetic and breathtaking. The movie, which is told in three separate times in the man’s life, follows the character Chiron as he grapples with his identity and his drug-addicted mother, played by Naomie Harris. The film is based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, “In The Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” which was more of a personal essay by McCraney about his own lifetime acceptance of being a black gay man.

“La La Land”:

Let’s have a moment of silence for those who were playing drinking games during the 74th Golden Globe Awards last Sunday and had to take a shot every time “La La Land” won. I was one of those overzealous movie-fans, crawling into class while blasting the now Golden Globe winning song “City of Stars” from my iPhone earbuds. “La La Land” tells the story of a wishful actress, Mia (Emma Stone), and her romantic interest, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who is a struggling jazz musician attempting to make it big in Los Angeles. The movie, which is an original musical written by director Damien Chazelle, won a record total of seven Golden Globes, which is the most awards won by any film ever. What makes the film’s success so dazing is the fact that no one in Hollywood wanted to make it. Studios didn’t want to back a movie that seemed doomed from the start — it was a new musical with no pre-existing popular songs and, on top of that, a jazz musical. Chazelle, who also wrote the award-winning movie Whiplash, first wrote the movie back in 2010 when he was an unknown, making the success of the film even more difficult to predict.

“Fences”:

Denzel Washington showcases his impeccable talent as a director by creating a film that vigorously symbolizes a sense of defeat and yet wholesomeness within a broken family. Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, the movie tells the story of Troy Maxson (Washington), a working-class African-American father who tries to raise his family whilst battling with his own personal demons, which ultimately wreak havoc within his home. When Maxon’s wife Rose (Viola Davis) asks him to build a fence around their house, Washington brilliantly uses the fence to symbolize the constant emotional and physical barriers that his character puts up to block his family out. “Fences” was adapted for the big screen from its Pulitzer-winning play by August Wilson, which awarded both Davis and Washington their Tony’s during the 2010 Broadway revival. 2016 has been a breakthrough year for Davis, who has been killing it every Thursday night as law professor Annalise Keating on “How to Get Away with Murder,” won her well-deserved Golden Globe for Fences and is expected to win an Oscar for her role as well. If you have a box of tissues close by, watch Davis’ inspirational 2015 Emmy speech about the importance of diversity within Hollywood. After that, watch her movies — all of her movies — her speeches, interviews, her theatrical performances and then spend the rest of your night lying awake wondering about the implications of Davis’ perfection, and if someone could be, perhaps, too perfect.

“Moana”:

Everyone loves a good animated movie, and “Moana” is successful in bringing back that quality feel-good Disney nostalgia, whilst spinning a story that is as thought-provoking and intricate as the stunning visuals. Every minor detail (the waves crashing onto the shore, Moana’s hair, even the grains of sand) is striking. The movie is set on a mystic Polynesian island and follows a daring young adventurer, Moana, as she sails across the ocean in search of a legendary demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), in order to retrieve a pounamu stone that would bring hope to her ailing island. Auli’l Cavalho, who voices Moana, is a native-born Hawaiian actress, who was just 14 years old when she got the role. Disney purposely searched out an entire cast of actors of Polynesian descent in order to accurately portray the lives and stories of those they were telling. The film uses a combination of powerful Polynesian vocals, traditional hide-covered Tyka drums and belting lyrics created by Lin Manuel Miranda (yes, that Lin Manuel Miranda) to follow Moana in her journey.