The 82nd annual Academy Awards took place in March of 2010 and honored films released in the previous year, 2009. That year gave movie-goers a lot of great films including; The Proposal, My Sister's Keeper, Funny People, and The Time Traveler's Wife. None of those films received award nominations from the Academy that year.
The films who received the biggest nomination of the season for Best Picture were: The Hurt Locker, Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, Inglorious Basterds, Precious, Up, A Serious Man, and Up in the Air. This was the first time since 1944 that more than five films were nominated in this category, but even still, it seems the Academy left a few films out that may have deserved the nomination over some that did receive it.
Should Have Been: The Princess And The Frog
This was the first Disney animated feature film to have a Black princess leading the film. There was a lot of anticipation surrounding this film's release and it did not disappoint.
The film not only looks amazing and tells a fun, entertaining, and important story, but the music is some of Disney's best out of all the princess films. It's a shame that this film didn't receive more praise during award season the year it was eligible.
Should Have Been: Where The Wild Things Are
This is another family friendly feature that seemed to get snubbed during 2010's award season. The film, based on the classic children's book by the same name, brought to life a story most audiences already know, in a way that was new and exciting and beautiful to look at.
Filmmakers initially feared that the film may be too dark for younger audiences, but were relieved when it got such a positive response and then confused when it received little praise from award season voters.
Nominated: An Education
This British independent coming-of-age drama premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and a handful of other recognizable festivals, before being released to audiences worldwide. The film produced decent numbers at the box office, but wasn't something many movie-goers were flocking to theaters to see.
The film was widely well-received by critics, which most likely led to its three Academy Award nominations, despite not being a favorite for most audiences the year it was released.
Should Have Been: Whip It
This sports drama was the directorial debut for actress and filmmaker Drew Barrymore. The sports comedy stars Ellen Page and tells the story of a female roller derby team.
The film was not considered a financial success, but was a favorite with critics. The film holds an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and both Page and Barrymore were praised for their work. The Academy isn't known for nominating female filmmakers in major categories, so it's not a surprise this one was snubbed from the award show.
Nominated: District 9
This science fiction thriller was a surprise hit in 2009. The director, Neill Blomkamp, made his debut with this film, which was produced by Peter Jackson and stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James. The film did incredibly well at the box office and was praised by critics for its performances and visual effects.
The film certainly deserved nominations in Best Visual Effects and Best Film Editing categories, but a Best Picture nomination seemed like a bit of a stretch.
Should Have Been: 500 Days Of Summer
This independent romantic comedy-drama was a favorite with movie-goers the summer it was released. The film, starring Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and directed by first-time director Marc Webb, is a classic boy-meets-girl love story, but told through a new lens that hooked audiences from the very beginning.
The film received two Golden Globe nominations, which seemed promising, but received no nominations from the Academy.
Nominated: A Serious Man
The Academy loves the Coen Brothers' films, as is evident in the amount of times the filmmakers have been nominated in major categories throughout the years.
A lot of the Coen Brothers' films are undeniably successful and well-deserving of the nominations and awards, but this dark comedy starring Michael Stuhlbarg as a man questioning his faith after his entire life crumbles around him, may be the exception to the bar the Coen Brothers' have set during award season.
Should Have Been: Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia was Nora Ephron's last film before her death in 2012 and deserved a lot more praise than it received during award season in 2010. The film tells two stories, one of the famous chef Julia Child and the other of her biggest, present-day fan and blogger, Julie.
Meryl Streep was nominated for her work in this film portraying the iconic character, but that was the only award nomination this film received from Academy voters in the year it was eligible.
Nominated: Up In The Air
This feature film was co-written and directed by Jason Reitman and is based on the novel with the same name. The film stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Danny McBride and tells the story of a corporate man and his travels.
Both Clooney and Kendrick give great performances in the film and recieved well-deserved nominations for their work, but honoring this film in the biggest category of the night seemed like a cliche choice for Academy voters.
Should Have Been: Crazy Heart
This dramatic feature film was written and directed by Scott Cooper, making his directorial debut. The film stars Jeff Bridges who was nominated for and won the Best Actor Academy Award for his work in this film as an old country singer in the middle of a rough patch, who turns his life around when he meets and falls in love with a journalist.
Not only are the performances in this film great, but the story itself is a classic that movie-goers and critics love. It seemed like a shoe-in for a Best Picture nomination, but was snubbed in the category.