OPINION: Oscar Snubs – Films The Academy Forgot

by uInterviewJanuary 16, 2014, 12:00 am >

With the Oscar nominations announced, winners have been congratulated and snubs have been analyzed, and now the forgotten films of 2013 will be mentioned.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler is widely recognized as a big snub by both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, receiving absolutely no nominations in either award show, but, should The Butler have been nominated, it would simply add to the predictable list of nominees. I’m sure no one would have been surprised if the Lee Daniels-directed, Forest Whitaker-staring film about the Civil Rights movement had been nominated for any of the top categories, including Best Picture.

Indie Snubs

It would have been a welcome change of pace if Fruitvale Station had received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and/or Best Actor. In contrast to other snubs being tossed around (Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks, Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips), the creators of Fruitvale Station are not exactly Hollywood heavyweights. Instead, Fruitvale Station was written and directed by a young first time filmmaker, Ryan Coogler, and stared first-time leading man, Michael B. Jordan. Both Coogler and Jordan won Breathrough Awards, for directing and acting respectively, at the Gotham Awards, and the film won both the audience award and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year.

When Fruitvale Station was released in July, it was immediately regarded as a major award season contender. Unfortunately, the film ran out of steam sometime in the winter and was eclipsed by big budget films such as Captain Phillips and The Wolf of Wall Street. Though Fruitvale Station does boast one Oscar-winner among its cast – Octavia Spencer – any nominations would have been a breath of fresh air for the Academy, who hasn’t strayed too far outside Hollywood boarders this year, essentially recycling the Golden Globe nominations.

Other welcome surprises could have come from films about younger characters. For example, The Spectacular Now, staring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, both of whom earned acting prizes when the film premiered at Sundance in 2013, could have picked up a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, or nominations for both its lead actors. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's debut film Don Jon was also completely overlooked this award season, despite being a critical hit upon its release.

Overdue Nominees

That said, for every snub there is a well overdue nominee. This year’s surprising first-time nominees include 12 Years A Slave nominee for Best Supporting Actor Michael Fassbender, who was snubbed in 2012 for his lead role in Shame. Also snubbed that same year was Shame director and co-writer, Steve McQueen, who has finally earned a nomination for Best Director with 12 Years a Slave.

"I am exhilarated, ecstatic. Getting all those nominations, I'm so very happy," said McQueen, reacting to his film's nine nominations.

Other first timers include June Squibb, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her turn in Nebraska, Sally Hawkins (Best Supporting Actress Blue Jasmine) and presumptive winners Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey, nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor respectively.

The 2014 Academy Awards hosted by Ellen DeGeneres will air Sunday, March 2, 2014 live on ABC at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.