So, the long-awaited list is finally out, and it reads more like a luck-of-the-draw hand this year, particularly for some. Some very notable and highly conspicuous misses this year, that shouldn’t have been misses at all, and not in a way folks might be ruing over lost chances with the recent Powerball jackpot. Quite predictably, the reactions keep pouring in, sound and fury and all.
Here’s our top 5 upsets this Oscar season, and that’s even before Leo gets the snub all over again (we hope not, though!)
1. Ridley-me-that!
The Martian did pick up nominations for a number of categories including Best Picture and Actor in a Leading Role, but somehow failed to make the cut for the Best Director nomination! That’s one really hard-to-explain glitch in the system, coming on the back of the fact that Scott has also never won despite the critical and popular success of his films. Ridley Scott has only been nominated thrice at the Oscars for Gladiator, Thelma and Louise and Black Hawk Down.
2. Not enough love for The Hateful Eight
Tarantino’s winter-world Western failed to earn him a nomination for either Best Director or Screenplay (or Best Picture, for that matter). The logic’s a bit fuzzy on that one – Tarantino, unlike Scott, does get regularly nominated and has had 2 wins in the past for Best Screenplay (Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained), though he’s yet to pick one up for Best Director.
3. Beasts of no Nomination
Leading this year’s #OscarsSoWhite heated discussion is the notable exclusion of Idris Elba from the Best Supporting Actor list. Elba’s powerful portrayal as a ruthless West African Commandant of an army of child soldiers was almost a no-brainer for a nomination; however, this hard-hitting, gritty Netflix production was ignored altogether in the race to the Oscars.
4. Uncomfortable Creed
Another rather blatant #OscarsSoWhite snub was the curious case of Stallone being nominated for Best Supporting Actor, while Michael B. Jordan, who packed in quite the punch in his turn as the titular Creed, was overlooked for a Best Actor nomination. Director Ryan Coogler was similarly overlooked, despite receiving a whole lotta love from audiences and critics alike.
5. Worth Peanuts?
Everyone and their grandparents are probably upset about the obvious misses, what’s less talked about is how one of this year’s most loved animated flicks, The Peanuts Movie, did not even get the nod for a nomination in the Best Animated Feature Film category that however, did let Shaun the Sheep in. Without getting into an apples-and-oranges comparison, the omission alone is enough to make us echo one of Charlie Brown’s heartfelt and absolutely perplexed “Good Grief!”s.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being in the right place, at the right time, in the right graces. Of course, the race has just begun, and we can definitely bet on D-Day (Feb 28) to spring some more shockers!
