The Messy Behind the Scenes Drama of Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez, Netflix, Oscar controversy, Jacques Audiard, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, transgender representation, film drama, Cannes Film Festival, Golden Globes, movie controversy, social media drama, cinema, film criticism, awards season, Best Picture, Mexican cinema, musical drama, LGBTQ representation, watchMojo, watch mojo, mojo, top 10, list, Film, Movies, Musical, best movies,
The Messy Behind-the-Scenes Drama of Emilia Pérez
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re unpacking the messy behind-the-scenes drama of “Emilia Pérez.”
“Shakespeare in Love,” “Green Book,” “Crash”... these are just a few Oscar-winning films that’ve demonstrated a disconnect between the Academy and self-proclaimed cinephiles. The films mentioned above might as well be “Saving Private Ryan,” “Black Panther,” and “Brokeback Mountain” compared to “Emilia Pérez,” possibly the most contentious Best Picture contender ever. When Jacques Audiard’s operatic crime drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, it received a nine-minute standing ovation and the Jury Prize. Best Actress was split between stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz[a], and Karla Sofía Gascón, the latter of whom plays the titular transgender character. With positive buzz circulating, Netflix spent $8 million on the North American and U.K. distribution rights for this surefire Oscar player.
Once “Emilia Pérez” made its Netflix debut on November 13, the audience response was anything but consistent. Some loved that the film took such a huge swing. For others, it was a swing and a miss, arguing that the gritty crime aesthetic didn’t mesh with the over-the-top musical numbers. Fans countered that the movie is about a woman transitioning, trapped between her violent old life and the more hopeful one she’s trying to build. It makes sense that the film would blend polar opposite genres with music completing a story right out of a telenovela. Even if you were on board with the premise, the execution proved divisive. The response to Camille’s original songs ranged from catchy, to forgettable, to “seriously?”
While songs like “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” achieved numerous accolades, Film Twitter targeted “La Vaginoplastia.” In this infamous number, Saldaña’s Rita visits a hospital where multiple gender-affirming surgeries take place… at the same time… in one room. The scene is meant to be comedic, but for social media users watching out of context, it proved hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Even in context, many who watched the film from start to finish couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Whether the scene made you laugh, cringe, or both, “La Vaginoplastia” isn’t the most authentic portrayal of gender-affirming surgery. For all the praise “Emilia Pérez” received for championing representation, it’s been debated if the film gets representation right.
Despite all the accolades, GLAAD is one organization that didn’t nominate “Emilia Pérez” for any awards, calling it a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.” Detractors also took issue with the fact that outside of Adriana Paz, most of the main cast isn’t Mexican, although the plot primarily occurs in Mexico. Eugenio Derbez, among numerous others, heavily criticized Selena Gomez’s Spanish. To be fair, her character was raised in the U.S. Likewise, Gomez was born in Texas. Although she grew up knowing Spanish, English became her first language by age seven. To play trophy wife Jessi, Gomez spent six months brushing up on her Spanish. Nevertheless, the film faced further backlash for using AI to elevate Gascón’s singing voice.
Writer/director Jacques Audiard is notably a French cisgender man. Intentions aside, it was argued that Audiard lacked the perspective to tell this story. He even admitted to not studying much about Mexico in preparation. Where some saw Emilia Pérez herself as a complex soul with human flaws, others felt she indulged in negative stereotypes that paint Mexicans as criminals and trans women as liars. However you interpret the film’s themes, a musical this bonkers wasn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The European Film Academy vibed with it, though, granting “Emilia Pérez” five awards, including Best Picture. It performed even better at the Golden Globes, receiving 10 nominations. With just one more, “Emilia Pérez” could’ve tied Robert Altman’s “Nashville” for the all-time record.
“Emilia Pérez” won four Globes, including Best Picture – Non-English Language and Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. Around this time, “Emilia Pérez” went from being disliked in certain cinema circles to being hated. Throughout November and December, its Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score fell between 70% and 80%. After beating films like “Wicked,” “The Substance,” and “Anora” at the Globes, the Audience Score continued to plummet, currently sitting at less than 20%. On Letterboxd, it has a lower score than every other Best Picture nominee ever, beating “The Broadway Melody,” “Cimarron,” and “Cavalcade.” This could be attributed to review bombing, some of which might’ve been motivated by transphobia. Yet, it’s safe to say that countless moviegoers online just don’t like “Emilia Pérez.” The Oscars are another story.
On January 23, 2025, “Emilia Pérez” led the Best Picture nominees with 13 bids overall. Had Gomez gotten into Best Supporting Actress with Saldaña as some predicted, it would’ve tied “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land” as the most-nominated film in Oscar history. “Emilia Pérez” did surpass “Roma” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” as the most-nominated non-English-language film ever. Most notably, Gascón became the first openly transgender person nominated in an acting category. Although Gascón’s nomination is a milestone, it sadly hasn’t been without controversy. While it was always likely that her nomination would ignite an uproar from far-right outlets, nobody was prepared for Gascón’s social media history to become the messiest chapter in this exhausting awards season.
Gascón was already under fire for comments she made about fellow Best Picture nominee “I’m Still Here” and Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres. In an interview, Gascón implied that people were “working” with Torres to tear her and “‘Emilia Pérez” down. Gascón later praised Torres, apologizing for suggesting she was connected to any online toxicity. While you could argue that Gascón misspoke, it’s harder to look past her posts on social media. Following the Oscar nominations, journalist Sarah Hagi and various others shared screenshots of Gascón’s old posts, which were deemed offensive to multiple races, religions, and communities. People were especially appalled by her insensitive comments about George Floyd after his murder. Gascón deleted these tweets and deactivated her X account, but the damage was done.
When asked about her co-star’s comments, Saldaña didn’t denounce Gascón, but said the whole situation “makes me really sad.” In addition to apologizing in a statement via Netflix, Gascón participated in a CNN Español interview. Gascón claims that some viral tweets were fabricated, including one where she allegedly called Gomez a “rich rat.” Yet, Gascón owned up to others concerning Hitler, Muslims, and Black slaves. At the same time, Gascón asserted that she was “not racist,” feeling she’d been “crucified and stoned without a trial.” Gascón added she wouldn’t step down from her Oscar nomination, saying, “I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone.” The Academy seems unlikely to rescind Gascón’s nomination, although this controversy may hurt the film’s Oscar chances.
Gascón finds it suspicious that these tweets resurfaced as Academy members are marking their ballots. While the scandal could prevent members from voting for Gascón, it might not affect the film’s Oscar Night overall. With 13 nominations, some voters likely love the film enough to ignore the discourse online, assuming they’re paying attention at all. If a recent election proved anything, it’s that sometimes the most controversial nominee wins in a landslide, much to the shock of progressives. Speaking of which, transgender rights remain in jeopardy and mass deportations are being kicked into overdrive. The Academy may give “Emilia Pérez” Best Picture to send a message to the White House. Given the behind-the-scenes drama, though, it might not send the message they intended.
In a way, Gascón’s awards campaign mirrors Emilia Pérez’s story. Emilia attempts to give back to the community, emerging as an inspirational figure. In the end, though, Emilia’s past and worst tendencies come back to blow up in her face. Like Emilia, Gascón isn’t perfect. As much as some would like to celebrate her landmark nomination, the controversy has cast a shadow over it. That’s not to say Gascón’s achievement should be disregarded, but neither should her comments. Time will only tell what awaits Gascón. For now, this turn of events has solidified “Emilia Pérez” as this year’s “Oscar villain.” As such, it might be better for the film’s legacy if it doesn’t win Best Picture.
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re unpacking the messy behind-the-scenes drama of “Emilia Pérez.”
“Shakespeare in Love,” “Green Book,” “Crash”... these are just a few Oscar-winning films that’ve demonstrated a disconnect between the Academy and self-proclaimed cinephiles. The films mentioned above might as well be “Saving Private Ryan,” “Black Panther,” and “Brokeback Mountain” compared to “Emilia Pérez,” possibly the most contentious Best Picture contender ever. When Jacques Audiard’s operatic crime drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, it received a nine-minute standing ovation and the Jury Prize. Best Actress was split between stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz[a], and Karla Sofía Gascón, the latter of whom plays the titular transgender character. With positive buzz circulating, Netflix spent $8 million on the North American and U.K. distribution rights for this surefire Oscar player.
Once “Emilia Pérez” made its Netflix debut on November 13, the audience response was anything but consistent. Some loved that the film took such a huge swing. For others, it was a swing and a miss, arguing that the gritty crime aesthetic didn’t mesh with the over-the-top musical numbers. Fans countered that the movie is about a woman transitioning, trapped between her violent old life and the more hopeful one she’s trying to build. It makes sense that the film would blend polar opposite genres with music completing a story right out of a telenovela. Even if you were on board with the premise, the execution proved divisive. The response to Camille’s original songs ranged from catchy, to forgettable, to “seriously?”
While songs like “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” achieved numerous accolades, Film Twitter targeted “La Vaginoplastia.” In this infamous number, Saldaña’s Rita visits a hospital where multiple gender-affirming surgeries take place… at the same time… in one room. The scene is meant to be comedic, but for social media users watching out of context, it proved hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Even in context, many who watched the film from start to finish couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Whether the scene made you laugh, cringe, or both, “La Vaginoplastia” isn’t the most authentic portrayal of gender-affirming surgery. For all the praise “Emilia Pérez” received for championing representation, it’s been debated if the film gets representation right.
Despite all the accolades, GLAAD is one organization that didn’t nominate “Emilia Pérez” for any awards, calling it a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.” Detractors also took issue with the fact that outside of Adriana Paz, most of the main cast isn’t Mexican, although the plot primarily occurs in Mexico. Eugenio Derbez, among numerous others, heavily criticized Selena Gomez’s Spanish. To be fair, her character was raised in the U.S. Likewise, Gomez was born in Texas. Although she grew up knowing Spanish, English became her first language by age seven. To play trophy wife Jessi, Gomez spent six months brushing up on her Spanish. Nevertheless, the film faced further backlash for using AI to elevate Gascón’s singing voice.
Writer/director Jacques Audiard is notably a French cisgender man. Intentions aside, it was argued that Audiard lacked the perspective to tell this story. He even admitted to not studying much about Mexico in preparation. Where some saw Emilia Pérez herself as a complex soul with human flaws, others felt she indulged in negative stereotypes that paint Mexicans as criminals and trans women as liars. However you interpret the film’s themes, a musical this bonkers wasn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The European Film Academy vibed with it, though, granting “Emilia Pérez” five awards, including Best Picture. It performed even better at the Golden Globes, receiving 10 nominations. With just one more, “Emilia Pérez” could’ve tied Robert Altman’s “Nashville” for the all-time record.
“Emilia Pérez” won four Globes, including Best Picture – Non-English Language and Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. Around this time, “Emilia Pérez” went from being disliked in certain cinema circles to being hated. Throughout November and December, its Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score fell between 70% and 80%. After beating films like “Wicked,” “The Substance,” and “Anora” at the Globes, the Audience Score continued to plummet, currently sitting at less than 20%. On Letterboxd, it has a lower score than every other Best Picture nominee ever, beating “The Broadway Melody,” “Cimarron,” and “Cavalcade.” This could be attributed to review bombing, some of which might’ve been motivated by transphobia. Yet, it’s safe to say that countless moviegoers online just don’t like “Emilia Pérez.” The Oscars are another story.
On January 23, 2025, “Emilia Pérez” led the Best Picture nominees with 13 bids overall. Had Gomez gotten into Best Supporting Actress with Saldaña as some predicted, it would’ve tied “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land” as the most-nominated film in Oscar history. “Emilia Pérez” did surpass “Roma” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” as the most-nominated non-English-language film ever. Most notably, Gascón became the first openly transgender person nominated in an acting category. Although Gascón’s nomination is a milestone, it sadly hasn’t been without controversy. While it was always likely that her nomination would ignite an uproar from far-right outlets, nobody was prepared for Gascón’s social media history to become the messiest chapter in this exhausting awards season.
Gascón was already under fire for comments she made about fellow Best Picture nominee “I’m Still Here” and Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres. In an interview, Gascón implied that people were “working” with Torres to tear her and “‘Emilia Pérez” down. Gascón later praised Torres, apologizing for suggesting she was connected to any online toxicity. While you could argue that Gascón misspoke, it’s harder to look past her posts on social media. Following the Oscar nominations, journalist Sarah Hagi and various others shared screenshots of Gascón’s old posts, which were deemed offensive to multiple races, religions, and communities. People were especially appalled by her insensitive comments about George Floyd after his murder. Gascón deleted these tweets and deactivated her X account, but the damage was done.
When asked about her co-star’s comments, Saldaña didn’t denounce Gascón, but said the whole situation “makes me really sad.” In addition to apologizing in a statement via Netflix, Gascón participated in a CNN Español interview. Gascón claims that some viral tweets were fabricated, including one where she allegedly called Gomez a “rich rat.” Yet, Gascón owned up to others concerning Hitler, Muslims, and Black slaves. At the same time, Gascón asserted that she was “not racist,” feeling she’d been “crucified and stoned without a trial.” Gascón added she wouldn’t step down from her Oscar nomination, saying, “I have not committed any crime, nor have I harmed anyone.” The Academy seems unlikely to rescind Gascón’s nomination, although this controversy may hurt the film’s Oscar chances.
Gascón finds it suspicious that these tweets resurfaced as Academy members are marking their ballots. While the scandal could prevent members from voting for Gascón, it might not affect the film’s Oscar Night overall. With 13 nominations, some voters likely love the film enough to ignore the discourse online, assuming they’re paying attention at all. If a recent election proved anything, it’s that sometimes the most controversial nominee wins in a landslide, much to the shock of progressives. Speaking of which, transgender rights remain in jeopardy and mass deportations are being kicked into overdrive. The Academy may give “Emilia Pérez” Best Picture to send a message to the White House. Given the behind-the-scenes drama, though, it might not send the message they intended.
In a way, Gascón’s awards campaign mirrors Emilia Pérez’s story. Emilia attempts to give back to the community, emerging as an inspirational figure. In the end, though, Emilia’s past and worst tendencies come back to blow up in her face. Like Emilia, Gascón isn’t perfect. As much as some would like to celebrate her landmark nomination, the controversy has cast a shadow over it. That’s not to say Gascón’s achievement should be disregarded, but neither should her comments. Time will only tell what awaits Gascón. For now, this turn of events has solidified “Emilia Pérez” as this year’s “Oscar villain.” As such, it might be better for the film’s legacy if it doesn’t win Best Picture.
What are your thoughts on “Emilia Pérez” and its behind-the-scenes drama? Share your thoughts in the comments, but let’s keep it civil.
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