The Golden Raspberry is awarded annually on the eve of the Oscars as a counterpoint to the Hollywood night of nights.
For more than four decades, the “Razzies,” as they’re commonly known, have honored the industry’s worst films and performances to poke fun at the seriousness and competitiveness of awards season.
Organizers encourage nominees to “own their grief,” but it’s rare that people actually show up to claim their trophy, with Halle Berry being a famous exception for the time she completed her Razzie for Catwoman ( 2004), which she described in her acceptance speech as “a piece of shit, damn movie.”
Films honored with a Razzie nomination this year include the Netflix film Blonde, about Marilyn Monroe, Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake starring Tom Hanks, and of course Morbius.
But there’s one nomination that’s sparked backlash: that of 12-year-old actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was nominated for Worst Actress for her role in Firestarter.
This film, in which Armstrong starred alongside Zac Efron, is the second adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel of the same name, about a little girl with the power of pyrokinesis. In the 1984 film version, Armstrong’s role was played by Drew Barrymore.
The 2022 version was not a critical success. “No one here seems to know what they’re doing and, more importantly, why,” wrote the Guardian film critic.
Rolling Stone called it a “four alarm disaster,” but was nonetheless kind to the little child star (who was 11 at the time of filming), writing, “Armstrong is doing her best in a largely impossible role.”