The 88th annual Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning and just about everyone has an opinion. Although most of the nominations are what we expected, there were still some surprises and a few snubs that got the internet chatting. Here is a list of our ten biggest reactions to the 2016 Academy Award nominations.
Disney/Pixar’s summer smash hit was loved by critics and audiences everywhere, and not only seemed to be a lock for Best Animated Feature, but Best Picture as well. The film was rightfully nominated for Best Animated Feature, but some were surprised that it didn’t make the cut for Best Picture, especially when this year’s contender pool is supposedly on the weaker side. Pixar has been nominated for Best Picture before with both Up and Toy Story 3, but Inside Out didn’t receive enough love to make it this year. It did get a surprise nomination in Best Original Screenplay, however.
Heading into awards season, Spotlight was thought to be one of the frontrunners to dominate the Academy Awards. Even though it didn’t win any Golden Globes this year, the film received a lot of love from Academy voters. It garnered six nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Tom McCarthy), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams), Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Many believe Michael Keaton was snubbed out of a Best Actor nomination, but the film should be a major force in the Best Picture category.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs might have flopped at the box office, but the film was well received and was thought to be an awards contender. Even though Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet both received acting nominations, many believe Aaron Sorkin should have been nominated for his screenplay. That wasn’t the case as Nick Hornby’s adapted screenplay for Brooklyn took its place.
After winning Best Director and Best Picture at last year’s Academy Awards, many were eagerly awaiting Alejandro G. Inarritu’s next film, The Revenant. It might have had a hellish production, a ballooning budget and finished later than expected, but the folks at 20th Century Fox have to be pleased with all of the awards attention it has received. Along with the expected Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (can Leonardo DiCaprio finally win an Oscar?), it got a surprise nomination for Tom Hardy in the Best Supporting Actor category. It leads the pack with twelve nominations and in a wide open race, it could now be the film to beat.
The Best Actor race was thought to be one of the tightest races so it was inevitable that there were going to be a few snubs. The most notable snubs include Will Smith (Concussion), Johnny Depp (Black Mass), Michael Keaton (Spotlight) and Michael B. Jordan (Creed). The five nominated are certainly worthy, but many believe these four were certainly worthy as well.
A film that not many have seen and some thought might benefit from an award season bump is Todd Haynes’ Carol. Not only did Haynes get shutout of the Best Director category, the film did not enter the Best Picture race. It was seen as a slight underdog to win the award, but the shutout is a surprise to many. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara both received nominations, however, but seem unlikely to win without much love from other categories for the film overall.
Hollywood’s darling was nominated for the fourth time in five years for her portrayal of Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano in David O. Russel’s Joy. At just the age of twenty five, she now has the most Oscar nominations for an actor that young. Some saw her nomination as a surprise as the film received a lukewarm response, but with her Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Golden Globe win, there is reason to believe she has an outside shot of winning her second Oscar.
A summer sequel/reboot blockbuster is not supposed to get a lot of love from the Academy, but George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is not your typical summer sequel/reboot blockbuster. The film was nominated for a whopping ten awards including Best Picture and Best Director, although some believe that Charlize Theron was snubbed for her performance. That being said, it was certainly a lovely day for Mad Max: Fury Road.
With its positive critical and audience reception, along with smashing countless box office records, some thought that Star Wars: The Force Awakens had an outside shot of being nominated for Best Picture. The nomination would certainly guarantee a large rating for the telecast, but the Academy did not bite. The film still received a respectable five nominations in technical categories including Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Score.
The number one snub that everyone seems to be talking about is no Best Director nomination for Ridley Scott. The Martian received seven nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Matt Damon, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film won Best Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes (which many thought was ridiculous) this past Sunday, and was seen as a long shot to win Best Picture. Without a Best Director nomination, the film has almost no chance of winning unless there is big outcry from supporters, just like what happened when Ben Affleck was not nominated for Argo in 2013 and with the Academy Awards, you just never know.
Agree with us? What do you think of this year’s Oscar nominations?
Scott Davis
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