2015 Oscar nominations: Who got snubbed?
The release of the 2014 Oscar nominations – and more importantly, the snubs – reveals that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is clearly: racist, sexist, LEGOist or Clint Eastwoodist.
While actors and directors took the high road (so far), many fans on Twitter took the low road in their reactions to those films that didn't make the Oscar cut. No Best Director nomination for "Selma" or "American Sniper" or "Unbroken"? What about Best Actress for Jennifer Aniston in "Cake?"
And perhaps the biggest miscue of all: No Oscar love for the "The LEGO Movie"?
A favorite headline and fan quip following the Best Animated Film nominations appears to be “Everything’s not awesome…” a play on the LEGO Movie theme song “Everything is Awesome.”
In its place were "Big Hero 6," "How to Train Your Dragon 2," "Song of the Sea, "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," and "The Boxtrolls."
However, "LEGO Movie" director Phil Lord stuck to the high road with a clever tweet, in which he did what any LEGO Master Builder would do: created his own award.
Also, the film did gross over $250 million, so there may be some solace in that.
"Would it have been wonderful to be nominated?” Robert Redford said of his being passed over for his role in "All Is Lost" in a Buzzfeed interview. “Of course. But I’m not upset by it, disturbed by it, because it is a business, and we couldn't conform to that.”
This year Oscar is also taking it on the chin for failing to nominate "American Sniper" director Clint Eastwood. That didn't stop the "American Sniper" Twitter team from keeping it positive. Mr. Eastwood himself is not a tweeter, as is evidenced by his account, which has 51k fans and zero tweets.
While Alejandro G. Iñárritu's "Birdman" and Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" tied with nine nominations each, "Selma" was nominated only for Best Picture and Best Song.
Despite heaped praise, David Oyelowo did not get nominated for his role as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and director Ava DuVernay was also passed over for Best Director.
While a darling of critics, "Selma" was criticized over its depiction of former President Lyndon Johnson, said to have been inaccurate.
Directing nods went instead to:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Bennett Miller, "Foxcatcher"
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"
This year Oscar is also accused of sexism for snubbing actress Jennifer Aniston for her role in "Cake," director Angelina Jolie for "Unbroken," and Ms. DuVernay for "Selma."
None of the Sturm und Drang is new in Hollywood, where Oscar has been much maligned annually by fans. In 1971, the controversial decision was to snub "Clockwork Orange" in favor of "The French Connection." In 1994, the Academy picked "Forest Gump" rather than seek "Shawshank Redemption."
Oscar was once thought to be an anti-Fiennesist, too. In 1993, "Schindler's List" took home Oscars, but Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of psychotic Nazi Amon Goeth was snubbed in favor of Tommy Lee Jones, who won for "The Fugitive."
But then, in 1996, Ralph Fiennes got an Oscar for his leading role in "The English Patient."
Today, the British actor is smiling for the nominations given to Grand Budapest Hotel – if not for himself as the lead in the film.
