Brian Truitt of '' USA Today '' wrote : " The finale is manipulative in every way , squeezing out the emotions of the audience . But Lion 's well-plotted narrative and thoughtful characters suck you in so much that the journey there is totally worth it " . Novelist and critic Salman Rushdie thought highly of the film stating that while he often lacked interest in films nominated for an Oscar , this year he rooted for '' Lion , '' believing that " I would like it to win in every category it 's nominated for and in most of the categories it is n't nominated for as well . " Noting that he wept " unstoppably " while viewing the film , Rushdie said that he is " frequently suspicious of Western films set in contemporary India , and so one of the things that most impressed me about Lion was the authenticity and truth and unsparing realism of its Indian first half . Every moment of the little boy 's journey rings true – not an instant of exoticism – and as a result his plight touches us all . Greig Fraser 's cinematography portrays the beauty of the country , both honestly and exquisitely ... Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman , in the film 's Australian second half , give wonderful performances too . " Some critics mentioned that parts of the film move along at a slow pace . For example , Anthony Lane of '' The New Yorker '' wrote : " ... based on a true story ; though wrenching , there is barely enough of it to fill the dramatic space , and the second half is a slow and muted affair after the Dickensian punch of the first . " '' Lion '' received six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Supporting Actor ( Patel ) , Best Supporting Actress ( Kidman ) and Best Adapted Screenplay , but did not win in any of the categories . It did win two BAFTA Awards , however , for Best Supporting Actor ( Patel ) and Best Adapted Screenplay . At Australia 's 7th AACTA Awards , it won twelve awards , in all of the categories it was nominated in
89th Academy Awards
89th Academy Awards
Lion (2016 film)