2014 produced a lot of amazing films, and many of them have been recognized by Academy Award nominations. Unfortunately, a few films and actors deserving of an Oscar nomination were snubbed, leaving many wondering about a few of the choices made. Some are claiming the reasons may be more politically driven than they appear.
It is no secret the Oscars are notorious for handing out nominations many would claim unworthy of the treasured award. This year proved no different. When nominees were announced, many took to social media to express how they felt. No women were nominated for Best Director or Screenwriter, and many allege the Oscar committee is sexist. In addition, it has been said there was little diversity this year; when “Selma” director Ava DuVernay and leading man David Oyelowo appeared to have been snubbed, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, became a trending topic on Twitter. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact if DuVernay had been nominated, she would have been the first African-American woman to be recognized for Best Director. Alex Pelham from The Daily Texan stated the lack of diversity “marks a stark distinction from last year’s ceremony, in which ‘12 Years a Slave’ was named Best Picture and won for Best Supporting Actress.”
The public is very unhappy with the first all-white roster since 1998. But the Academy claims to be working on its diversity. The Academy inducted 400 new members and appointed Cheryl Boone Isaac as the first African-American President. And although many are upset about the “Selma” snubs, it still has a chance to win for Best Picture and Best Original Song “Glory.”
I believe the Academy really needs to change the way it selects its nominees. If you’ve heard the term “Oscar bait,” it means a film is made a certain way specifically for the purpose of winning an award so the Academy will nominate it.Because a phrase like that exists, I think it proves there is something wrong with the way the Academy picks the nominee. Politics play a heavy hand in deciding which movies get picked. If the Academy likes who was involved — and if the movie meets its often ridiculous standards — that film is more likely to win.
All around, the snubs this year were very strange. Most of the leading men were nominated alongside their movies, with the exception of David Oyelowo in “Selma” and Steve Carell’s performance in “Foxcatcher.” These omissions are strange indeed, since the Academy only nominated eight films out of the category’s ten available spots. Other controversial snubs were Jake Gyllenhaal in “Nightcrawler” for Best Actor and “The Lego Movie” for Best Animated Picture; both deserved a nomination.
There were many deserving nominees this year the Academy, for whatever reason, chose not to select. An Oscar nomination is a great thing to achieve, but it is not an exclusive indicator of a movie’s success and recognition. Nomination is based solely on the opinions of an Academy that has come to be valued less and less throughout the years.
Whether you agree with the choices or not, Neil Patrick Harris will host, and there are tight races in many categories, so it’s sure to be interesting to see the outcomes for this year.
