Oscar nominations bring out the need for a soapbox more than most events in the entertainment world, second only to the actual ceremony. Released Tuesday morning, this year was no different.
Thankfully, soapboxes aren’t the only rant-friendly arena these days. The ensuing Twitter feeds, Facebook posts and industry blogs quickly filled with scrutiny and praise of the recipients. Staying true to its hard to please form, no one was completely content.
Like every other voting body in Hollywood, the Academy often forgets young actors can be good too. While this year infused some young blood with Hailee Steinfield in “True Grit,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone” and Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network,” others were sadly missing, including Mila Kunis and Andrew Garfield, both of whom drew Golden Globe nominations for “Black Swan” and “The Social Network,” respectively.
Sure, snubs happen, and in the case of the actors, none missing were total surprises because of who the replacements were (like Javier Bardem for Ryan Gosling). But one glaring omission in the Best Director category was upsetting, though for him, it wasn’t the first time.
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN. Yes, his absence deserves nothing less than all-caps. I’m almost inclined to write this paragraph Kanye West style – all-caps with limited punctuation. While “Inception” is by no means the greatest of the year, his innovative and original storytelling warrants more recognition than Best Picture and Original Screenplay, neither of which it will win.
As the great Bret Michaels once said, “every rose has its thorns,” so these snubs lead the way for welcomed inclusions. Christian Bale finally earned a nomination after many transcendent performances. While nowhere near a surprise, seeing “Toy Story 3” is heartwarming.
The one category the world seems to agree on is Best Picture. Most of this is due to the ten nominations, instead of five, which leaves less space for exclusions. BBC News even correctly predicted the category three months ago, which would be nearly impossible for any other group.
Of course, grieving, analyzing and complaining about nominations are relatively moot points. The end vote is out of our control, and hopefully, the right winners are announced. If not, at least James Franco is hosting the show.
Until then, I’m going to return to my Internet soapbox and rage about Christopher Nolan some more.
