Oscars: 5 reasons why ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ will win Best Live Action Short Film

Tariq Khan
·5 min read
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Since we’re talking about the short films, I’ll accordingly keep this brief. Here are five reasons why “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” will win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

1. It’s the clear standout in the category.
All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that the critics agree on its excellence. With everything in its favor, academy members will surely be sweet on “Sugar.”

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2. It’s a chance to honor writer-director Wes Anderson.
This marks the eighth nomination for the prolific filmmaker, whose films have reaped 16 nod=ms (including this one) and a total of four wins. Those statuettes all came for 2014’s acclaimed “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which also earned Anderson bids for Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay. His well-received screen adaptation of Dahl’s classic “Fantastic Mr. Fox” in 2009 put him in the hunt for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. The fantastic Mr. Anderson is long overdue for recognition from the academy. His wonderful story of Mr. “Sugar” is a way for the organization to rectify that.

3. The film features several academy-friendly faces.
And many are previous nominees and/or winners. Benedict Cumberbatch (two-time Best Actor nominee for 2014’s “The Imitation Game” and 2021’s “The Power of the Dog”). Sir Ben Kingsley (Best Actor for 1982’s “Gandhi,” Best Supporting Actor nominee for 1991’s “Bugsy” and 2001’s “Sexy Beast,” Best Actor nominee for 2003’s “House of Sand and Fog”). Dev Patel (Best Supporting Actor nominee for 2016’s “Lion”). And Anderson film regular Ralph Fiennes (Best Supporting Actor nominee for 1993’s “Schindler’s List” and Best Actor nominee for 1996’s “The English Patient”). That’s a lot of star power packed into a short film. And yet another reason why “Henry Sugar” is likely to shine the brightest.

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4. It’s probably the most widely seen film in the field.
It used to be that academy members had to attend special screenings in order to vote in the Oscar specialty categories (the short films as well as Documentary Feature and what was then called Foreign Language Film). But those days are long gone, and anyone in the academy can make a choice in each and every contest. While we’ve learned that most judicious voters abstain in those races where they haven’t screened the films, it’s still conceivable that many vote for the one that they have seen (assuming that it’s one that they like). “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” has been streaming on Netflix since September. So we have to assume that its accessibility gives it a significant advantage. If academy members enjoyed the taste of “Henry Sugar,” they’ll be inclined to order the Oscar for its “Wonderful Story.”

5. It’s a chance for the academy to pay homage to Dahl, who died in 1990.
How many members must have grown up reading his books? How many have introduced his literature to their own children? And how many have experienced (or even worked on) film adaptations of his works? There are so many of them. Everything from 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” 1990’s “The Witches” and 1996’s “James and the Giant Peach” to 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” 2016’s “The BFG”’and 2022’s “Matilda the Musical.” While “Henry Sugar” may not be one of Dahl’s best-known or most widely read writings, it actually stands as one his best. That make the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar for “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” the best way to honor the beloved Dahl. Like the character of Henry Sugar, he’s a man who has brought joy to children (and adults) across the globe.

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