This year's Oscars nominations list left off a few noticeable names, inciting anger in critics and moviegoers.
1. Best Picture: "Uncut Gems," "Rocketman," and "Midsommar"
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"Uncut Gems" was a delightful surprise among this year's Oscar contenders, but it's a strong campaign and critical acclaim wasn't enough to land it the coveted nomination for best picture.
"Rocketman" was nominated for best picture musical or comedy at this year's Golden Globes, but completely shut out of this year's best picture race. Some claim that the film is too similar to last year's award darling "Bohemian Rhapsody" to gain the full attention of the academy.
The absence of "Midsommar" from multiple categories at this year's Oscars, including best picture, has put a spotlight on the academy's tendency to slight horror films. The film has reached cult-like (no pun intended) status among its fans and its star, Florence Pugh, has been thrust into the spotlight as a result.
2. Best Director: Greta Gerwig for "Little Women," Taika Waititi for "Jojo Rabbit", and Dexter Fletcher for "Rocketman"
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Greta Gerwig received critical acclaim for her direction of the newest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's famous novel, "Little Women." However, she, along with every other female director, was shut out of the "best director" category at this year's Oscars ceremony. This has been a running problem for prestigious awards shows, including the Golden Globes. The absence of women among the nominees was so startling, it prompted presenter Issa Rae to comment "congratulations to those men" after announcing the directors who received Oscars nods.
Dexter Fletcher's direction of the musical fantasy meets biopic "Rocketman" that details the life of Sir Elton John was just as over the top as the man himself. Yet, Fletcher did not receive a nomination for his work on the film. It's worth noting that Fletcher was also snubbed at last year's Oscars for his direction of Best Picture winner "Bohemian Rhapsody," a role he took over from Bryan Singer when the director became embroiled in controversy. Fletcher was never named as the director of the film because of the Director's Guild rules.
3. Best Actor in a Leading Role: Taron Egerton in "Rocketman," Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems," Eddie Murphy in "Dolemite Is My Name," and Robert De Niro in "The Irishman"
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Taron Egerton received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in A Musical or Comedy for his role as Elton John in "Rocketman." Egerton was shut out of the best actor category at this year's Oscars, eliciting uproar from fans of the film and movie critics alike. Egerton has been subject to repeated comparisons between his performance and that of last year's best actor, Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Adam Sandler surprised critics and movie-goers with his unexpectedly brilliant performance in the crime thriller "Uncut Gems." The film was a departure from Sandler's typical comedic roles which solidified his status as a versatile actor and Hollywood icon. However, his performance was not enough to gain the acclaim of the prestigious academy,
The triumphant return of Eddie Murphy to the big screen in "Dolemite Is My Name" had many thinking that Murphy might secure his first Oscar trophy. Egerton's win over Murphy at the Golden Globes shocked Hollywood, but fans of his performance held out hope that the Oscars would give Murphy's performance as the titular "Dolemite" its proper praise. It seems that Murphy might have to launch another comeback at some point to finally earn an academy award.
The three and a half-hour long mob epic "The Irishman" starring Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a high-ranking member of the infamous Teamsters and close associate of Jimmy Hoffa, both puzzled and delighted Netflix watchers. De Niro led a pack of iconic actors including Joe Pesci and Al Pacino under the direction of arguably the best director of all time, Martin Scorcese. His nomination seemed like it was all but written explicitly in his contract.
4. Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lopez for "Hustlers"
JLo has been the subject of Oscars buzz since the release of "Hustlers." Fans were shocked when Laura Dern received a Golden Globe over JLo earlier this month, but the academy has all-out snubbed her performance as veteran stripper Ramona.
5. Costume Design: Julian Day for "Rocketman"
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Elton John's wardrobe is anything but ordinary. Costume designer Julian Day brought all of John's most sensational looks to life, handcrafting dozens of replicas of John's most memorable on-stage and off-stage looks.