The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and while The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road have enough to celebrate with double digit nods, there were quite a few snubs and shockers that could keep us talking for days.
The first of our post-nominations reveal Oscar Watch columns today takes a look at who missed the cut for Hollywood’s highest honor. Oh, where to start…
No Ridley Scott
After scoring Best Director at the Golden Globes and giving one hell of a speech, many thought that The Martian helmer Ridley Scott would be a shoe-in to score a nod for Best Director at the Academy Awards. Think again. Even though his film and lead actor scored nominations in their respective categories, the man who we thought would finally get his hand on an Oscar would not even hear his name called for a nomination. Anyone else believe that The Martian was going to be like Martin Scorsese’s The Departed victory? Long overdue (Scott should have won for Gladiator), but worth the wait! It’s not to be.
No Carol Best Picture
Carol was one of the most lush, romantic and powerful films of the year (and on our top 15 of 2015). But, clearly the Academy did not agree. The film scored nods for Best Cinematography, Best Actress (for Cate Blanchett), Best Supporting Actress (for Rooney Mara), Best Costume Design and Adapted Screenplay, but not Best Picture and Best Director for Todd Haynes? Really?!
No Furious 7 Song
The best song of the year from a motion picture was Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s ode to the late Paul Walker, See You Again. Anyone who hears it is moved to tears and when it’s played in the film… forget about it. Yet, the Academy failed to feel the love for the track from Furious 7 and a moment to remember from their broadcast was lost. Imagine the duo performing the track on the Dolby Theatre stage. Not. A. Dry. Eye. In. The. House. Bad, Oscar, Bad!
Wrong Fifty Shades Track
Speaking of the Best Song category, the Academy nominated Earned It by The Weeknd instead of Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding. Wrong, just so, so wrong. Even though the film was among the worst of the year, there were few tracks from motion pictures this year that truly captured the spirit and feel of its movie like Goulding’s sonic succulence.
No Idris Elba
Idris Elba has been considered a lock for a Best Supporting Actor nod since his Beasts of No Nation debuted. But… no surprise here, the Oscar nods were alarmingly white, yet again. Also absent from nominations that were deserved: Ryan Coogler, director of Creed, his star Michael B. Jordan and anyone of color from Straight Outta Compton. That film failed to get a Best Picture nod or a Best Director nod for F. Gary Grey. But, its all-white screenplay team… they were nominated.
No Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin, another who just won a Golden Globe, failed to hear his name called when Oscar nods were revealed this morning. Upon leaving the theater, not only did The Movie Mensch believe that Steve Jobs was one of the best films of the year, but we believed that Sorkin was looking at his second straight Oscar (after winning for The Social Network). To not even be nominated… you gotta be kidding me? There are works of art, and there is the screenplay for Steve Jobs. Do you think Academy Award nominees Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet made up their exquisite lines in a vacuum?
No Tarantino
Another screenplay omission arrives with the absence of Quentin Tarantino for Best Original Screenplay. This is the first time in eons that the auteur is not present in this category. And what a whip-smart and powerful screenplay he turned in for The Hateful Eight.
No Room for Jacob Tremblay
Room scored a nomination for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress but had no love for the film’s true star, Jacob Tremblay? This omission, above all others in many ways, makes no sense to us. Tremblay didn’t steal the movie, he owned it. Without his heartbreaking and astounding performance, Room is nothing but an empty shell.
No Steve Carell
Sure, we’re thrilled for Tom Hardy and his much-deserved nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant. But, we think he stole the spot of Steve Carell from The Big Short. His angry and revealing turn in Adam McKay’s financial meltdown epic was nothing short of brilliance captured.
No Star Wars The Force Awakens for Best Picture
Nominating the biggest film of all time in U.S. history would have certainly scored some bigger ratings for the Oscar broadcast. It was one of the best pictures of the year, in our humble opinion. Also, wasn’t the reason the Academy widened its Best Picture race to 10 films to include blockbuster films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens?