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IN MEMORIAM: NOTABLE OSCAR® SNUBS OF 2007

Despite strong buzz, Into the Wild failed to receive a Best Picture nomination...

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By Myles Hughes

Last Tuesday, after months of anticipation, the Oscar nominees for 2007 were announced. It was a joyous day for some, and there were very strong showings for No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, and Michael Clayton in particular. But there were some films holding out for a mention from the Academy that were overlooked, underappreciated, or for any number of reasons, “snubbed”. This was an excellent year for film, and while it’s impossible to nominate all that great work in a single ceremony, we will all remember the fallen contenders in our hearts. So now, out of respect to the great unrecognized films of 2007, I present this tribute article: In memory, forever rest the dearly departed awards contenders.

(in alphabetical order)

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS
BEST FOREIGN FILM

Aware as I am that this beloved Romanian import didn’t reach the final round of voting, it is still one of the most emotionally complex and powerful films of the year and deserves to be recognized. It had previously won the Palm d’Or at Cannes, the CFCA Award, the European Film Award, the LAFCA Award, and was nominated for the Golden Globe, Satellite Award, and Independent Spirit Award. A.O. Scott of the New York Times named it the best film of the year. This is a snub that will no doubt grow infamous over the years in regards to the Academy’s Foreign Film Committee.

AMERICAN GANGSTER
BEST PICTURE
BEST ORIGINAL SONG – Anthony Hamilton
BEST DIRECTOR – Ridley Scott
BEST ACTOR – Denzel Washington
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Steve Zallian

One of the earliest predicted awards contenders, the buzz for Gangster has gone up and down with the frequency of a hacky sack. The film didn’t quite make the final cut, although it did manage to score nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Ruby Dee) and Best Art Direction. Though it was one of the most commercially successful “serious” films of the year, the critical consensus that it was merely very good, not great, seem to have had an effect in the long run. It had previously received nominations for the Critic’s Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and the SAG Awards, and is currently up for six BAFTA Awards.

ATONEMENT
BEST ACTRESS – Keira Knightley
BEST ACTOR – James McAvoy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Vanessa Redgrave
BEST DIRECTOR – Joe Wright

Atonement started the year as the sure-fire frontrunner, and love for it has been strong if not unanimous. Following its “surprise” Golden Globe win (not to me), it reaches the Oscars with seven nominations in tow, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan). There has been a general consensus from the start that only one of the three Brionys would get nominated, which explains Vanessa Redgrave’s snub. The biggest surprise is Joe Wright being overlooked for Best Director. Despite these losses, the film still fared far better than expected, following a nonexistent showing at all four major guilds, and it leads the BAFTA Awards with fourteen nominations. Aside from the Golden Globe, Atonement also received nominations from the Critic’s Choice Awards and the London Critics Circle.

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
BEST PICTURE

Evidently all the guild support didn’t quite translate into the desired Best Picture nomination that this film was almost poised for. Fortunately the film still received key nominations for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. After Persepolis was selected as France’s official submission for Best Foreign Film (which it incidentally failed to grab, though it managed to score a Best Animated Film nod), Diving Bell managed to gain enough buzz and support that it became entirely plausible for it to receive a regular Best Picture nomination. The film previously won Best Foreign Film honors from the less selective committees at the Golden Globes, the Critic’s Choice Awards, the BFSC Awards, the DFWFCA Awards, the FFCC Awards, the PFCS Awards, the SFFCC Awards, the WAFCA Awards, and the National Board of Review. The PGA, the WGA, the DGA, and the BAFTA Awards currently nominate it for their respective prizes.

ENCHANTED
BEST ACTRESS – Amy Adams

Ms. Adams became notorious this year for generating an impressive amount of Oscar buzz for a role largely considered less than Oscar-worthy. As it turns out, this first impression was correct, although it didn’t stop her from scoring nominations for the Golden Globe, the Critic’s Choice Award, and the Satellite Award. Though she failed to make it to the shortlist, Adams should still be satisfied that Enchanted managed to score three nominations for Best Original Song, and that this role will likely have given her the extensive exposure needed to break out into new, challenging, and potentially Oscar-worthy roles in the future: next up is Sunshine Cleaning, which is making its premiere at Sundance; and Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, alongside Frances McDormand.

INTO THE WILD
BEST PICTURE
BEST ACTOR – Emile Hirsch
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Catherine Keener
BEST DIRECTOR – Sean Penn
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Sean Penn
BEST ORIGINAL SONG – Eddie Vedder

Perhaps the most noteworthy snub of the morning, Into The Wild was considered by many to be a shoo-in for a Best Picture nomination, myself and several of my colleagues at the Igloo included. The film received great support from SAG, DGA, and WGA, and looked poised for the big nod. Several pundits even had it as the film that could knock out frontrunner No Country For Old Men. Obviously, that’s no longer a possibility. Perhaps even more perplexing than the snubs for all except Best Supporting Actor nominee Hal Holbrook is the complete absence of potential Best Original Song nominee Eddie Vedder in favor of no less than three songs from Enchanted and one from the critically panned August Rush. The film’s awards journey has been one of the most unpredictable, between PGA and Golden Globe snubs, and nominations from the Critic’s Choice Awards, the CFCA Awards, and a Best Film win from the Gotham Awards. In addition to plenty of breakthrough performance love for Emile Hirsch.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
BEST ACTOR – Ryan Gosling

Though his film received a nod for Best Original Screenplay, Mr. Gosling did not receive his second nomination in this category. It’s possible that he was overlooked because his last nomination was so recent, or more likely, that surprise nominee Tommy Lee Jones took a slot that could have gone to him or fellow young star Emile Hirsch, showing support for veterans over emerging talent (which could possibly be telling as Julie Christie and Ellen Page square off in the Best Actress race). His nominations from the Golden Globes, the SAG, the Critic’s Choice Awards, the CFCA Awards, and his Satellite Award win show that there is still plenty of respect for him, which will stay with him in upcoming roles.

A MIGHTY HEART
BEST ACTRESS – Angelina Jolie

In the summer she seemed like a sure thing. In the fall her buzz had faded. By the winter, with nominations from the Golden Globes, the SAG, the Critic’s Choice Awards, the Satellite Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the CFCA Awards, she jumped back to the shortlists and seemed like a very strong prospect. Evidently, the Academy didn’t agree, and she came up empty-handed. Though touted as her most mature and complex work to date, her over-publicized image may have proven a turn-off all the same. A previous winner and huge celebrity, Ms. Jolie still has upcoming projects to keep an eye on, including Wanted, a thriller with fellow snubbed star James McAvoy and fellow winner Morgan Freeman, and The Changeling, from director Clint Eastwood.

SWEENEY TODD
BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR – Tim Burton
BEST ACTRESS – Helena Bonham Carter

Tim Burton fails to register at the Academy yet again, even for his most acclaimed and accomplished work in years. Netting only the bare minimum nods for Best Actor (Johnny Depp), Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design, the film even lost out on Best Makeup in favor of Norbit (a film that, in other recent news, is leading the Golden Raspberry nominations). Prospects have appeared dwindling for some time now, and even a surprise victory at the Golden Globes can’t save the Demon Barber now. Sweeney Todd was also recently snubbed for top awards at the BAFTA Awards. Aside from the Golden Globe win, it won Best Director at the National Board of Review, and was nominated by the Critic’s Choice Awards.

OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS

Listed below are films that had less than decent prospects at the Oscars, but were still all but absent from the list of nominees. They are all perfectly deserving of recognition, but for various reasons didn’t make the cut. In alphabetical order:

3:10 TO YUMA
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
CONTROL
EASTERN PROMISES
GONE BABY GONE
GRACE IS GONE
THE GREAT DEBATERS
HAIRSPRAY
I’M NOT THERE (R.I.P. Heath Ledger)
THE KITE RUNNER
KNOCKED UP
THE LOOKOUT
LUST, CAUTION
THE ORPHANAGE
RESCUE DAWN
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
TALK TO ME
WAITRESS
ZODIAC

RIP – Heath Ledger (1979 – 2008)

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