- Photo:
- Barbie
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Barbie might have dominated the box office, but at the Oscars, she was a bit flat-footed: Both the star and the director missed out on nominations. But those weren't the only snubs and surprises at this year's Academy Award nominations.
While Oppenheimer led the pack with 13 nominations followed by Poor Things with 11, quite a few folks were missing from the nominations list, and a few were surprises.
Please vote up the snubs and surprises that shocked you the most.
The 96th Oscars will air Sunday, March 10, 2024, on ABC.
- 1
Poor Things received 11 nominations, but none for its mad scientist Dr. Godwin "God" Baxter, a mutilated man whose own tragic history with his father molds him into a genius with questionable morals. He creates Bella Baxter and sets her free, allowing her to become her own person. Willem Dafoe brought a cocky reserve to his performance, which was one of the few overlooked in the highly favored film.
- 2
Despite becoming the first woman with a sole directing credit on a $1 billion-grossing film, and crafting a blockbuster that had a message about the state of modern society wrapped up in a pretty pink bow, director Greta Gerwig was ignored by the Academy this year.
- 3
Margot Robbie brought more than $1 billion to theaters as the golden girl of the toy aisle come to life, but she wasn't as golden for Oscar. Her Stereotypical Barbie in the midst of an existential crisis was both heartbreaking and hilarious to audiences everywhere, but apparently not to Academy voters, who snubbed her performance in the blockbuster.
- 4
As Gloria, America Ferrera was not only the reason Barbie had her existential crisis and had to leave Barbie Land, but her impassioned speech about the hardships of being a woman in today's world awakened the enslaved Barbies from the sway of the Kens. And while the Golden Globes might not have appreciated her discourse, the Academy sure did.
- 5
Based on David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, Martin Scorsese's true crime epic was considered a landmark cinematic achievement, and is one of the most nominated films of the year. But the Academy skipped the adapted screenplay category for the film's writers, Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese.
- 6
SNUB: Barry Keoghan
Best Actor - 'Saltburn'In a truly inspired yet dark and devious performance, Barry Keoghan proved he deserves to part of the A-list with his turn as Oliver Quick, a modern-day Tom Ripley with a bathwater fetish. The whole of Saltburn hinged on his unhinged performance, and his work made it one of the most talked-about films of the year, but apparently, that wasn't good enough for Oscar folks.
- 7
As Lady Elspeth Catton in Saltburn, Rosamund Pike parodies the ruling class with style, grace, and an emotional disconnect that adds the perfect amount of comedy needed to lighten the mood. Her nonchalant attitude toward tragedy and life in general, along with her “fake it till you make it” school of thought, helped shift the psychosexual thriller into dark comedy territory, but the Academy failed to honor Pike for her efforts.
- 8
Competing against film achievement behemoths Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon, The Holdovers receiving the best editing nomination seems odd as best. But given its throwback style to '70s-era filmmaking techniques, complete with artificial grainy effects and faux scratches, a lot of work went into The Holdovers to make it look like it was of the era.
- 9
As Clifford "Cliff" Ellison in the comedy American Fiction, Sterling K. Brown plays Monk Ellison's estranged brother, who falls into a deep pit of despair due to substance abuse, but discovers a bond with his sibling after Monk finds himself deep in an existential crisis. Brown shines as a surprising source of comfort for Monk despite being a bit of a mess.
- 10
As Ernest Burkhart, Leonardo DiCaprio had to carefully walk the line between gullible villain who was being used for sinister means and dutiful husband who appeared to love both his wife and family. Though he gave a complex and nuanced performance, his efforts were not recognized this year by the Academy.
- 11
The story of gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin certainly caught the attention of critics this year, but was barely part of the Oscar conversations considering the high stakes of the race. Colman Domingo, however, edged out a few Hollywood heavyweights thanks to his earnest depiction of the man who organized the March on Washington in 1963.
- 12
Best known to the masses as the “Hot Priest” from Fleabag, Andrew Scott put in a haunting performance as Adam, a man who must come to terms with the ghosts of his past and the new relationships in his life, in the dark fantasy drama All of Us Strangers. It was a surprising and deeply moving turn that many felt was one of the best performances of the year, but apparently, not the Academy.
- 13
One of the most talked-about films of the year with a few of the most riveting performances of the year went completely unacknowledged when it came to Oscar nominations. The dark, pseudosexual thriller was a hot topic when it came to Oscar conversations, but not when it came to nominations.
- 14
Though he was honored for his work in front of the camera, Bradley Cooper wasn't given flowers for his work as a director on the biopic Maestro. This is not the first time the actor-turned-director has been shut out of the director's race. In 2018, he was similarly ignored for his efforts in A Star Is Born.
- 15
The Oscar-winner was nominated for a Golden Globe, but when it came to Oscar noms, Nicolas Cage's turn as Paul Matthews -- the professor who inadvertently invades the dreams of strangers – his work was performance went unnoticed.
- 16
In May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth, a prime-time TV actress looking to break free of the small screen with a dramatic role about the illicit love affair between a married woman and a preteen. Elizabeth invades the lives of Gracie and Joe, shedding light on the destructive nature of their relationship with her own chaos. Portman's turn as the self-obsessed actress looking to further her career was a master class in acting, but didn't warrant an Oscar nom this time around.
- 17
The biographical drama about the relationship between musical mastermind Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre failed to win any noms for director Bradley Cooper, but Cooper and scribe Josh Singer were honored for their work behind the computer keyboard.
- 18
As Gracie in May December, Julianne Moore plays a woman who destroyed her marriage and her family to be with a young boy. Two decades later, she continues to manipulate her childlike husband, unable to face the destruction she's caused and forever playing the victim. It is a shaded, villainous performance that adds to the sublime nature of May December, but a feat overlooked by the Academy.
- 19
Annette Bening earned her fifth Academy Award nomination for her work as open water swimmer Diana Nyad in Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi‘s biopic. Though she received a Golden Globe nomination, the actress wasn't considered a favorite in the category, but her outstanding work caught the eye of the Academy.
- 20
SNUB: Charles Melton
Best Supporting Actor - 'May December'Former Riverdale actor Charles Melton proved he was more than just a comic book villain in a provocative, multilayered performance playing Joe Yoo in May December. As an emotionally stunted adult who marries his abuser, Melton creates a family man who is unable to evolve beyond his preteen years on a developmental level. But the Academy remained unmoved by his touching, childlike performance.
- 21
Hollywood loves a good comeback story, and Fantasia Barrino's return to the spotlight has earned her high praise and accolades. The American Idol winner turned her stage performance into a silver-screen triumph with her turn as Celie in The Color Purple, but the Academy just wasn't in tune.
- 22
Writing and directing Saltburn, one of the most talked-about movies of the year, yet receiving nary a head nod from the Academy from it, must sting, especially because Emerald Fennell's previous effort, Promising Young Woman, brought her home Oscar gold for best original script. Perhaps the dark nature of the story was a bit too much for Academy folks to handle.
- 23
SURPRISE: 'The Fire Inside' By Becky G
Best Song - 'Flamin' Hot'The Flamin' Hot Cheeto movie Flamin' Hot can now be acknowledged as an Oscar-nominated film thanks to its nod for best song. Performed by Latin Grammy-nominated singer Becky G and written by Diane Warren, the tune was a surprise nomination among heavy favorites.
- 24
The star of the French courtroom thriller finds herself among good company as she competes against Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone, and Carey Mulligan in this year's best actress race. In Anatomy of a Fall, Sandra Hüller plays Sandra Voyter, a woman who is accused of murdering her husband when he is found dead after a seemingly suspicious fall in their home.
- 25
SNUB: Cailee Spaeny
Best Actress - 'Priscilla'Cailee Spaeny's performance as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla was considered a high point in the biopic for many critics, earning the actress a handful of awards from several critics' associations and film groups. Unfortunately, when it came time for the Academy Awards, Spaeny didn't make the final cut.
