Adam Sandler dressed up

If anyone can get Adam Sandler to dress like an adult on a red carpet, it’s George Clooney. The Jay Kelly press tour continues apace, stopping in Los Angeles and AFI Fest, where Adam Sandler donned a suit. It probably helps that this is not a black-tie affair, neither Clooney nor Sandler wore ties, and Riley Keough showed up in a cocktail dress that required no thought. 

So far, 2025 is a competitive Oscar year, and Jay Kelly hasn’t garnered much momentum. Netflix has a habit of concentrating their trophy energy on one project, which, so far, has been Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which will garner multiple nominations out of the craft categories alone. You can feel Netflix’s other films, Train Dreams, The Ballad of a Small Player, Nouvelle Vague (one of two Richard Linklater films this year), and Jay Kelly getting left out in the cold. Maybe that will change in the coming weeks, as all of these films hit theaters and Netflix, giving them a chance to gain some momentum.

Right now, though, Jay Kelly is a bubble film for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, but I think Adam Sandler might have a real shot at a Best Supporting Actor nomination. The competition is stiff, with Jeremy Strong (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere), Miles Caton (Sinners), Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value), and Paul Mescal (Hamnet) in the mix. I don’t want to count out Andrew Scott’s subtle work in Blue Moon, either, nor should we forget about Jacob Elordi, who is surprisingly good in Frankenstein. And Josh O’Connor is a dark horse for Wake Up Dead Man, though honestly, he feels more like the lead in that film. And then there is Benecio del Toro, who could power his way to Oscar on “a few small beers”. 

The last time the Sandman was in serious Oscar contention was 2019’s Uncut Gems, and yeah, the Academy whiffed on that one. I don’t think they were prepared to take Sandler seriously then, but he’s done more dramatic work since then with films like Hustle and Spaceman, so this time around, I think he’ll get the benefit of the doubt. Will it be enough? If things stay this competitive, maybe not. But if some of these performances don’t generate enough momentum, then Sandler’s popularity with his peers and Jay Kelly’s mostly positive reviews will bolster him. Honestly, with the work he’s been doing over the last few years, Adam Sandler: Oscar Nominee is probably inevitable.