This Year’s Biggest Oscar Snubs

There was a lot of buzz this year about all the films and performances which were snubbed in this year’s Academy Award nominations.  While films like the critically panned Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the boring/confusing The Tree of Life, and the overrated (in my opinion) Bridesmaids received Academy attention, a lot of films which were nominated (and in some cases won) at the Golden Globes were completely forgotten about in the Oscar nomination list.  Below are a few of the snubs which personally shocked and disappointed me.  I’d like to give each of them their own honorary Pop and Ceremony Oscar.  I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to hear it.

Beginners (Mike Mills) for Best Original Screenplay

My biggest movie enemy (and the enemy of countless original, witty screenplays) this year is Bridesmaids, written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo.  The comedy took a coveted spot in the Best Original Screenplay category, a spot which could have been filled by any one of countless undoubtedly more deserving screenplays (50/50, Young Adult, The Future, Win Win).  But perhaps none of these screenplays is more deserving of that spot than Mike Mills’s Beginners, a clever and touching story with an equally clever and touching script.

Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes for Best Supporting Actor

This should have happened eight years ago when Serkis brought Gollum to life in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.  Serkis has become a star motion-capture actor, playing King Kong in Jackson’s remake, as well as Caesar the ape in 2011’s Planet of the Apes prequel.  Serkis brought life and emotion to the character, and he’s no doubt worthy of some awards attention.  He’s set to reprise his role as Gollum in this year’s The Hobbit: There and Back Again, so maybe the Academy will show him some love when next year’s nominations are announced.

Kate Winslet or Jodie Foster in Carnage for Best Supporting Actress

Why nominate Melissa McCarthy over either of these incredible actresses, both known for their dramatic roles, who showed their comedic sides as two increasingly frustrated (and inebriated) mothers in Roman Polanski’s Carnage.  While the ensemble cast was superb, the women stole the show.

Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar for Best Actor

I’m going to be honest.  I have not seen J. Edgar, and I kind of don’t plan on seeing it any time soon.  But I know that Leonardo DiCaprio needs to win an Oscar.  It’s been long overdue, and the Academy failed to give him another shot this year.  I have no doubt DiCaprio brought another powerhouse performance to the film, just like he did in The Aviator, for which he was cruelly robbed.  Please give this man an Oscar.  He’s doomed to become the acting equivalent of his oft-worked-with director Martin Scorsese, who finally got his Oscar for The Departed.  How long does DiCaprio have to wait to strike Oscar gold?

The Future for SOMETHING

I know The Future wasn’t a perfect film.  I know it was a small independent project with a quirky plot from an artsy female performance artist.  But I thought it was one of the most original, interesting films of the year, with a great performance from Hamish Linklater.  Couldn’t it get a Best Original Screenplay nod?  Or Best Cinematography?  I know Best Supporting Actor might be far fetched, but I hate to see such a refreshing film so ignored.

Uggie in The Artist for Best Supporting Actor

Can’t we start nominating animals?  Uggie gave one of the best performances of the year, and I say that with zero irony.  That’s one talented pooch.  He brought energy, emotion, and spot-on comedic timing to his role in The Artist.  Show the dog some Oscar love.

A host of original songs for Best Original Song

What happened to the other three nominees?  Here‘s an explanation.  Still, how the nominees turned out to be what they are, without including songs from either Madonna or Elton John, who battled it out at the Golden Globes, is beyond me.  I smell yet another change in voting rules coming next year.

Oscar Nominations Full of Surprises and Snubs

They’re finally out there!  The Oscar nominations were announced at 5:30 Pacific time this morning, and they were full of surprises.  I watched a live stream of the announcement, which was made by Academy president Tom Sherak and last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner Mo’Nique, and I was so thrown off guard by a few of the nominees that I lost focus during the subsequent categories.  Let’s look at a few of the surprises and snubs.  For a full list of the nominees, check out the Academy’s website.

First of all, Best Actor.  Javier Bardem for Biutiful?  While I haven’t seen the film and certainly believe that Bardem gives a great performance, this really came out of left field.  The only other major award for which Bardem has been nominated this year is a BAFTA.  No Golden Globe nomination, no SAG nomination.  Many will likely complain that the spot should be filled by Blue Valentine‘s Ryan Gosling, whose costar Michelle Williams received a nod for Best Actress.  Many would also argue that veteran actor Robert Duvall deserved a nomination for Get Low.  While Bardem may have created a big upset in the nominations, there’s no chance he’ll beat the splendid Colin Firth for The King’s Speech.  Oh, and don’t forget that Best Actor nominee James Franco (127 Hours) will also be hosting the show with Anne Hathaway.  Should make things interesting…

Now, onto the Supporting Actor/Actress nominations.  If you ask me, Andrew Garfield was snubbed for his heartfelt and sympathetic performance in The Social Network.  Instead, the Academy nominated Christian Bale (lock for the win), Geoffrey Rush, Jeremy Renner, John Hawkes, and Mark Ruffalo.  As much as I admire Mark Ruffalo’s talent, his performance in The Kids Are All Right was not Oscar-worthy to me.  He was upstaged by both Annette Bening and Julianne Moore.  If Ruffalo’s Oscar-worthy, where’s Moore’s nod in the Best Supporting Actress category?  Speaking of this category, where’s Mila Kunis for Black Swan?  Fourteen-year-old Hailee Steinfeld garnered a nomination for her first feature film role in True Grit.  Some have argued that her role should have been considered for Best Actress instead.  And Jacki Weaver has a nomination for Animal Kingdom, a small Australian film.

How about Christopher Nolan’s snub for directing Inception?  While the film might not be the front runner for Best Picture, surely Nolan’s stunning direction deserved a nod.  Will he be the new Martin Scorsese, waiting decades for an Oscar?

Best Picture is pretty predictable.  Winter’s Bone and 127 Hours could be considered the only two (minor) surprises.  I don’t think anybody can beat out The Social Network.  The King’s Speech, the most nominated film, could surprise everyone with a win, but it’s not likely, in my opinion.

Other surprises include Waiting for Superman‘s snub in the Documentary category, the entire Make-Up category, and How to Train Your Dragon in the Best Original Score category.

I was definitely wrong in a number of my predictions, but I was right on the money about Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Animated Feature.  You gotta give me some credit!

Don’t forget to watch the 83rd annual Academy Awards February 27 on ABC!