As you all know, the 2015 Oscar nominations were released today. Many people (myself included) are already pointing out the obvious snubs. You can read all about them by clicking that link you see above.
But the nominations are just the beginning. The awards still have to be handed out, and you can bet that there will be some major upsets. It happens every single year, but some years the snubs are a little more obvious and suspicious.
Check out the list down below to see the five Best Picture snubs we still can’t get over.
No. 5 – Psycho (1960)
Most of the films on this list were at least nominated for Best Picture, but Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller masterpiece didn’t even get nominated. Hitchcock did land a nomination for the Best Director, but he didn’t take home the award. You can’t deny the impact this film had. The shower scene is one of the most iconic horror scenes of all time, and Bernard Herrmann’s classic score was just icing on the Bosco chocolate syrup cake.
No. 4 – Goodfellas (1990)
You can blame Kevin Costner for this. Goodfellas was nominated for Best Picture, and many fans believed it was going to take home the award, but insiders knew nothing could stop Mr. Costner. He directed, produced and starred in the Best Picture winner, Dances with Wolves. I think we can all agree that Goodfellas was clearly the better movie. It’s in the conversation for one of the best films of all time.
In total, it was nominated for six Academy Awards, but it went just 1 for 6 on the big night. Joe Pesci took home the award for Best Supporting Actor.
No. 3 – Saving Private Ryan (1998)
In a more competitive year, Saving Private Ryan probably wouldn’t have been the frontrunner. The first 30 minutes aside, the film would not be considered Best Picture material in most years. But in the year it was nominated? It deserved to win. Everyone was shocked when it was announced that Shakespeare in Love would be taking home the biggest award of the night.
Just take a moment to watch the first 60 seconds of this clip. Look at Harrison Ford’s face when he announces the winner. You see him look back down at the piece of paper, clearly thinking, “What the hell is going on here?”
No. 2 – Brokeback Mountain (2005)
After losing to Crash for Best Picture, Brokeback Mountain writer Larry McMurtry suggested that homophobia played a major role in the snub. Looking back at it now, it’s pretty obvious something fishy was going on. Michael Jensen noted that before the Oscars, Brokeback Mountain became “the most honored movie in cinematic history.” Prior to Brokeback Mountain, no other film that had won the Director’s Guild, Writer’s Guild, and Producer’s guild failed to win the Best Picture Oscar.
It’s difficult to explain. All signs back then pointed to Brokeback Mountain being the Best Picture, and 10 years later, the signs are still up.
Bonus: Listen to the crowd reaction when Jack Nicholson makes the announcement.
No. 1 – The Color Purple (1985)
Tying the record set by The Turning Point, Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple failed to take home any awards after being nominated an incredible 11 times. It scored nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (x2), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song.
It didn’t win any of those! Not even Best Original Song. Are you kidding me?
