You might stare in awe at the pomp and circumstance aroundthe Oscarsceremony that celebrates the film industry, butthe grandstanding nature can be excessive.Best Actor winnerAdrien Brodyyapped away at the mic, but the trio of winners for Best Sound got played off the stage. The “In Memoriam” segment not only had major omissions, likeMichelle Trachtenberg, but the baroque decision for the orchestra to play Mozart’s “Lacrimosa” upsurged the gloominess. Moments like these leave room to poke fun at the ceremony.For Your Considerationdid just that as a satire on Hollywood written byChristopher GuestandEugene Levy.The dry humorbegins with Catherine O’Hara’s faded actress, who suddenly thinks she might be getting her first Oscar nomination, and the downside of the awards buzz soon follows this sudden brush with fame.
What Is ‘For Your Consideration’ About?
Marilyn Hack (O’Hara) constantly reminds strangers of other famous actorsrather than being remembered for the parts she did play.Her newest role in the low-budget drama,Home for Purim, doesn’t look remarkable until a rumor circulates from leaked footage of the set that declares Marilyn’s performancecould be Oscar-worthy.The 1940s-set melodrama about a Jewish family with Marilyn as the dying matriarch seemingly becomes the role of a lifetime for the actress. Her two costars then hear they might be getting nominated too, and very soon, the cast, crew, agents, and producersget caught up in Oscar fever over an indie film that isn’t even completed yet.
For Your Considerationis not amockumentarylike what Guest and Levy first did with 1996’sWaiting for Guffman, then went on to do with their iconic, dog show-setBest in ShowandA Mighty Windwhich tackled folk music bands. That doesn’t make this comedy aboutthe Oscarsany less funny. The ensemble ofridiculous characterson and off the set ofHome for Purimis a reunion of returning actors from those previous comedies,who can be eccentric or vain as fame gets into their heads.
‘For Your Consideration’ Pokes Fun at Hollywood
Parker Poseyis Callie—Marilyn’s on-screen daughter who becomes distraught that her boyfriend/costar might be jealous when the Oscar rumors shift onto her.Jennifer Coolidgeis a producer who lacks the creative instincts to oversee a filmthat could become a prestigious awards darling.Fred WillardandJane Lynchare two hosts on an entertainment reality show that parodiesExtraand the duo only increase the excitement surroundingHome for Purim, even if they have very little to go on. These icons are just some that form the cast in a meta tale of Tinseltown that doesn’t try to make anyone look clean-cut.
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Vanity soon rises among Marilyn, Callie, and the other Oscar hopeful, Victor (Harry Shearer), who plays the family’s patriarch.They might say their craft is what they find more important than awards,or the famous go-to line, “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” but they aren’t that good of an actor. They know a win could bring new success to a disappointing career and the desperation seeps in. Althoughthis is an ensemble film, Marilyn is the closest to being the main character and O’Harasteals every scene.
Catherine O’Hara Has an Underrated Role in ‘For Your Consideration’
As her name implies,MarilynHackmight be Oscar-nominated, but it doesn’t make her a better performer.Still, O’Hara’s charisma makes you want to root for her, even when Marilyn overacts while shooting the indie drama or just barely hides the jealousy in her as her fellow cast members hear they might get a possible nomination too. Her smile at their happiness is a little too rigid. When she isn’t hamming it up on set,Catherine O’Haraportrays a more grounded character when the cameras stop rolling, distancing her from the larger-than-life ladies she has done inSchitt’s Creekor theBeetlejuicemovies. This is not a story about new beginnings or seeing talent finally getting the recognition that has been delayed; it’sa tragicomedy about mediocre actors flying too close to the sun.
But at leastFor Your Considerationdoesn’t get as vicious asthe Oscar showdown onFeudbetween two divas. It’s more aligned with the cringe moments that can occur at the awards show, with a 2025 spot going to the tone-deaf speech by the Best Original Song winners ofEmilia Pérez.Not even the celebratory vibe of the event can quash a sense of disappointment,such asThe Substance-themed irony ofDemi Moore losing to a younger actress.The show can be seen as out-of-touch and self-indulgent by some viewers too, and what hasn’t helped are the shaky attempts at diversity or the scandals that have chipped away at the star-powered veneer. In contrast to that,For Your Considerationdoesn’t take things so seriouslyas it looks at theless glamorous side of Oscar buzz.
For Your Consideration
