Will Billy Crystal Get His First Oscar Nomination This Year?

Billy Crystal has been in some great movies, including The Princess Bride, Throw Momma from the Train, When Harry Met Sally..., City Slickers, Deconstructing Harry, and Analyze This. However, he has never been nominated for an Academy Award. He has hosted the Academy Awards. Nine times. But no nominations. Some people are saying that could change this year.

According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Billy Crystal is getting some Oscar buzz for his performance in Standing Up, Falling Down, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 and has been streaming since February 2020. It's a bittersweet comedy about a 34-year-old down-on-his-luck comedian, played by Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), who has to move back in with his parents. Once home, he befriends an alcoholic, pot-smoking dermatologist, played by Crystal. The two try to help each other deal with their failures and regrets.

The on-screen chemistry between Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz is what makes Standing Up, Falling Down worth seeing. As you'd expect, Crystal is very funny in the movie, but this is a somewhat edgier role for him. We're used to seeing Crystal in more family-friendly fare. And while this movie is not for younger kids, it is a family film of sorts. Sometimes being in a family means failing, asking for help, and getting another chance.

If Billy Crystal does finally get a nod from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, we'll find out about it on March 15th.