Oscar the Grouch Snubs Everyone

Every Oscar season there’s always the diligent whining over which small gems were overlooked, the griping about quirky indie flicks (coughJunocough) or crowd-pleasing blockbusters (coughTitanticcough) getting too much attention, and all-too-accurate complaining about the lack of substantive roles for women in Hollywood.  But this year, seriously, Oscar, what were you thinking?

So Oscar, here’s my list – by a partial, prejudiced, and partially ignorant film critic – on who was nominated and who should have been:


Best Picture:

Actual Nominees:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Who should’ve gotten the nod:

The Dark Knight – Some pictures aren’t forgotten.  There seems to be an unwritten rule at the Oscars – ever since the Titanic backlash – that successful box-office flicks must not be worthy of any more gold than that which they raked in at the theaters.  Well, in the words of Liz Lemon, suck it. The Dark Knight’s darkness, grit, and humanity showed that audiences can take a lot of depth in the right package.  The ensemble cast was perfection (and I’m not just talking Ledger) and it redefined a genre.  Plus, I’m sure to remember it long after I’ve forgotten Milk.  If that’s not Oscar worthy, I don’t know what is.

Revolutionary Road – Talk about a snub.  This picture had Oscar written all over it, from the cast, to the director, to the cult novel it was based off. (Just look at all that white space on the poster waiting for the accolades.) This was right up Oscar’s moody, brooding, anti-suburbia alley.  And yet, it’s practically absent from the nominations.  I wasn’t in love with this movie, but it did spark quite the animated psychological debate between me and the guy I took to see it.  It was troubling and thought-provoking, as well as the only picture that really explored the female perspective on life (take a good look at the other nominees, folks).  Forgetting this one was a big, big miss.

Frost/Nixon – Okay, the Academy of Motion Pictures did get this one right.  The better of the two play adaptations this year (Doubt being the other), it worked with its “stage” and not against it, giving the verbal fist fight between deposed president Tricky Dick and young journalist Frost a documentary-like feel.  The ensemble was perfect and the subject was all engrossing when it could have easily been a historical bore.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Yeah, the Academy got this one right too.  I’ve heard a lot of squabbling over it already – no it wasn’t as emotionally charged as it could have been.  Yeah, it’s a lot like Forrest Gump.  But for all you film snobs that seemed to have forgotten Forrest Gump won.  It’s also a beautiful story with lush, gorgeous cinematography that certainly takes you to another place.  It’s delicious escapist fare and exactly the kind of movie that should be nominated for an Oscar.  That said, it definitely shouldn’t win.

Slumdog Millionaire - This one should.  It shouldn’t win because it’s the little indie pic that could – unless by “indie” you mean filmed in India – because it’s got Danny Boyle at the helm so it’s not exactly some out-of-nowhere surprise.  It should win because it’s the best picture I’ve seen this year.  I’ve yet to find a single person who didn’t love it and wasn’t moved by it.  It’s uplifting and joyful – and since when do all Oscar winning pics have to be dour, guilty, sad-state-of-humanity dramas (I’m talking to you, The Reader)?  I’ll take the jubilation of Slumdog any day – Bollywood dance numbers and all.

Honorable Mention: Wall-E.  If it weren’t for the relatively new best animated feature category, I’d be saying Wall-E for best pic of the year – which it still might very well be.  At least it’s guaranteed to take home Oscar gold in its own category.

Best Director

Nominated:

(See Directors of nominated Best Pictures above)

Should’ve been nominated:

Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)

Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)

Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)

David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Why?  Haven’t you been reading?

Best Actor

Nominated:

Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)

Sean Penn (Milk)

Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Who should’ve been:

I’m giving it to Frank, Sean, and Mickey, and though I didn’t drink The Wrestler Kool-Aid like all the other film critics obviously did, I’m still giving it to Mickey Rourke for the win.  Come on, don’t you want to see him thank his cats this time?

Leonardo DiCaprio – Just when I thought the Academy had warmed to him, they snub him completely.  His performance in Revolutionary Road was certainly better than Brad’s really difficult job of looking pretty in Benjamin Button.  Leo’s performance in political thriller Body of Lies was also more nod-worthy than Brad’s Benjamin, where Leo easily outshined Russell Crowe, went through a grueling torture scene, and even uglied himself up with that hideous beard.  But it seems the Academy will only nominate Leo for something when they’re worried about upsetting the wrath of Scorsese.  Well, at least it’s looking good for Leo next year then.

Clint Eastwood – Seriously, you forgot the Clint?  Was it because he’s a Republican, Hollywood?  Because he already lost that race.  Snubbing him for his performance in Gran Torino is like rubbing salt in an old man’s wounds.  Let’s hope he doesn’t show up and shoot finger pistols at anyone.

Honorable Mention: Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen for Appaloosa.  I know the Academy doesn’t give out Oscars for best Duo Performance.  But these two together gave the best male performances I’ve seen all year, hands and pistols down.

Best Actress

Nominated:

Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)

Angelina Jolie (The Changeling)

Melissa Leo (Frozen River)

Meryl Streep (Doubt)

Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Who Should’ve Been:

Meryl Streep – Because it’s not really the Oscars if Meryl’s not nominated for something.

Melissa Leo – I’ll admit, I haven’t seen Frozen River, but I’m willing to give Melissa the benefit of the doubt here.  Unlike Angelina, whose mere performance in The Changeling’s trailers was enough to turn me off.  Please, Angie, pout some more.

Michelle Williams – I know this year is all about the Ledger love, and I love him too, but his former love deserves a little attention too.  She entirely carried rarely-seen indie gem Wendy and Lucy and should be recognized for her tender, transformative performance.  But I guess the Academy only had room for 3 female-dominated, indie flick roles this year.

Anne Hathaway – In this category, I’m not contending too much.  Anne gave a career-altering performance in Rachel Getting Married, and the nod is very much deserved.  She may also very well steal the little golden man out of the next Oscar vet’s hands.

Kate Winslet – But not for The Reader.  Yeah, I know she was a Nazi with guilt and dirty secrets and she’s naked all over the place.  But come on, Kate Winslet is always naked.  The girl is comfortable in her skin, and good for her, but her performance in Revolutionary Road (for which I’m becoming a diligent advocate) was far superior.  It was all subtly, angst, and anger.  Every lip twitch was perfect.  Plus, she’s going to win this year – because the prescient Ricky Gervais knows how funny the real world is – and I’d much rather she win for the hard-earned Road than a forgettable Nazi snoozer.

Honorable Mentions: For memorable performances in flicks from across the pond, Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long) and Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky).  Unlike previous years, there were lots of meaty female performances this year, and I wish they all could’ve gotten a little Oscar love.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominated:

Josh Brolin (Milk)

Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder)

Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)

Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

Should’ve Been Nominated:

Does it matter?  This is Heath Ledger’s award.  No one is going to take it from him – and if someone does, I wouldn’t want to be that guy.  That said, I’m going to jump off the Revolutionary Road bandwagon I’ve been on and say that James Franco should’ve gotten the nod for Milk instead of Michael Shannon.  Though tip of the hat to the Academy for the Robert Downey, Jr. Tropic Thunder nomination.

Honorable Mention: Dev Patel for a phenomenal debut in Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominated:

Amy Adams (Doubt)

Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Viola Davis (Doubt)

Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Who Should’ve Been:

Rosemary DeWitt – Anne Hathaway got her due props with a nomination for Rachel Getting Married, but the girl playing Rachel got nothing.  DeWitt was superb in Rachel and helped make Anne’s performance all the stronger.  She too deserves a nod.

Marisa Tomei – She gets a nomination simply for meeting the Oscars’ nudity in an indie picture quota.

Amy Adams – This wasn’t Adams’ best performance, but in the long tradition of the Academy Awards, I’m giving her this nod as an apology for being snubbed las year.  She completely rocked Enchanted.  She sang, she danced, and she even ran just like a Disney princess.  She’s a talent, for sure, and I can’t wait for next month’s Sunshine Cleaning when she returns to her charming, quirky indie roots.

Viola Davis – Her performance as the conflicted mother in Doubt surpassed Adams’ mousy nun.  It’s a well-deserved nod for an actress we probably won’t see much of again.

Taraji P. Henson – She was a clear, bright light in Benjamin Button’s hazed over world.  While most of the characters in Button felt detached from the audience and too shiny and plastic to be real, Henson’s faithful, loud, and endearing Queenie stole the spotlight from her A-list co-stars.  She should win, but Penelope Cruz will win – though if it were up to me, her obnoxious role in an obnoxious movie would not have been nominated in the first place.

Honorable Mention: The entire supporting female cast of Synecdoche, New York for being indie-fabulous.

Let’s face it, this year’s Oscars are making me grouchy.  Many of my favorites were flat left out, and some rather undeserving performances have gotten nods on star power alone. (Yes, you Brangelina.) But you know it’s a sad year for Oscar when the Charlie Kauffman script doesn’t get a nod for best original screenplay, and Bruce Springsteen’s original song for The Wrestler is completely forgotten.  Seriously, Oscar, you dissed the Boss?

That’s it Oscar, get back in the trash.

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Photographs courtesy of IMDbPro and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences