The Academy continues its snubs

With the Academy Awards less than a week away, it is time to assess the damage — the nomination lists.

Every year it gets more disappointing how certain films and actors are either present or missing.

Though I know my personal opinions differ wildly from that of the Academy and many other people, I believe we can all agree that certain victors and nominations of the past few years have been dull, predictable and sometimes unjustified.

I was hopeful this year’s list would bode a new, more eclectic and refreshing selection of films, actors and actresses.

I was saddened yet completely unsurprised to find that the same edgy, twisty, dark and dramatic bunch that consumed the last several Oscars earned the spots for Best Picture and an extremely repetitive list of men and women for Best Actor and Actress.
In fact, of the nominees for Best Actress, only Amy Adams hasn’t previously won an Oscar. Still, she has been nominated six times .

I don’t know what happened to the old Academy Award nominations that made the show so entertaining.

The best part about the awards show used to be the genre variety of the nominated films and the balance of novice and experience that made up the Best Actor and Actress nominations.

It seems like the criteria for a nomination now requires a specific mold that very few films and actors fit, making the nominations and awards more predictable, boring and disappointing when certain fantastic films and people are left with no acknowledgement.

For example, “Saving Mr. Banks” could have been an Academy Award-winning film 20 years ago.

The film was compelling, had an original storyline, starred an impressive
collaboration of first-rate actors and was unlike anything else that has graced the silver screen this year.

Yet, due to an obvious lack of edge, the film was regrettably left with only a nomination for Best Musical Score.

Just another bullet point on the list of disappointing academy decisions.

The irony of it all is that when “Mary Poppins” first was released, it was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and walked away with five Oscars.
Walt Disney himself still holds the record for most Academy Awards won.

Fifty years later, a movie that honors both Academy Award successes was all but ignored.

This isn’t just another set of woes from me, the Disney fangirl.
Snubs including Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful,” Lee Daniels and Paul Greengrass’ direction in “The Butler” and “Captain Phillips” and Jennifer Garner’s supporting role in “Dallas Buyers Club” all prove my point.

This year is a lost cause.Hopefully such deserving contenders won’t be so blatantly lacking from next year’s lists.

So this Thursday, let us all cross our fingers that the Academy’s mistakes solely came in nominations, that the deserving contenders of each category do in fact come out with the win and that next year’s nominations will boast more of a well-rounded variety.

Also, let Leo finally take an Oscar home.

­cnmcelwa@indiana.edu
@clairemc_IDS