Snubs and Surprises from the 96th Academy Award Nominations

Somehow, yesterday morning’s Oscar nominations felt both familiar and shocking at the same time. I don’t know about you all, but nothing bowled me over. The snubs were snubs we more or less saw coming, while the surprises were possibilities all along. Still, every year we have ones that people seem taken aback by. So, today I figured I’d mention a few of those…

Below, you’ll see four snubs and four surprises from the Academy Award nominations. This is obviously not an exhaustive list, and you’ll hear about some others on the podcast tomorrow, but consider this a nice little starting point. There will be more nomination talk all week, so stay tuned there!

Here are some snubs and surprises from the Oscar nominations yesterday:

Snubs

Greta Gerwig in Best Director for Barbie – The buzz about this snub had been building for a bit, but I didn’t really buy it. Well, there was something to it, and Greta Gerwig was snubbed for directing Barbie. Now, she still got into Best Adapted Screenplay, so she could be an Academy Award winner before all is said and done. That being said, this does feel like an egregious omission by voters, even if the other nominees in Best Director are also excellent.

Margot Robbie in Best Actress for Barbie – On the Barbie snub train, Margot Robbie missing was just as disappointing. I don’t know that the Academy missed the point of the movie, but looking the other way from the forces who created it is, if nothing else, not a particularly great look.

Charles Melton in Best Supporting Actor for May December – I had warned folks about this one, seeing Charles Melton as potentially just a Critics Group player, but it still was a little surprising to ultimately see him miss. Especially when May December wasn’t shut out, his best in show turn not getting in turned some heads.

Killers of the Flower Moon in Best Adapted Screenplay – Now, Martin Scorsese got into Best Director, and he was unlikely to ultimately win Best Adapted Screenplay, but he and Eric Roth are Oscar powerhouses, so ignoring them here was almost a shock. Scorsese isn’t lacking for citations this year for Killers of the Flower Moon, but still, why this was the spot to pull back on the flick is a bit unusual.

Surprises

America Ferrera in Best Supporting Actress for Barbie – This was the surprise I had always wanted to predict but never had the confidence to pull the trigger on. America Ferrera seemed initially like a possible coattail nomination in Best Supporting Actress, sure. However, getting in despite Barbie missing in a few key categories? That definitely counts as a surprise.

Sterling K. Brown in Best Supporting Actor for American Fiction – Sterling K. Brown was the latest breaking contender this year, scoring his first nomination for American Fiction. What might have seemed like SAG going for a television star they love instead turned out to be foretelling about his impending nomination. Go figure.

Robot Dreams in Best Animated Feature – The fifth slot in Best Animated Feature had a ton of possibilities, few of which seemed to really thrill prognosticators or voters. So, it was actually a nice surprise to see Robot Dreams score here. If it wasn’t going to be an audience favorite like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, this bit of independent animation sure seems like a pleasing replacement.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Best Sound and Best Visual Effects – After the franchise wholly being snubbed throughout its existence, not only does Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One break that streak, it surprises with a pair of nominations. I’m not sure anyone actually saw this one coming.

What are you snubs and surprises from the Oscar nominations? Let us know!