The nominations for the 90th Academy Awards have just been announced, and by extension, so have the snubs been revealed. Though the Oscars have long been considered to be out of touch with the times, the newer stack of voters is righting wrongs in the Academy's nearly century-old reputation. After #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo, the Academy appears to be doing its best to stay relevant, and it shows with this year's slate.That said, though, no matter how satisfying it might have been to see Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele snag nominations for Best Director and Logan get a nod for Adapted Screenplay, the lack of certain films can not go unnoticed. Despite their place amid awards season prior to the Oscars, as well as massive expectations, these films, filmmakers, and actors will be completely absent from the ceremony on March 4.Related: Oscar Bait May Finally Be DeadIn the past, the Oscars have proven to fall short on account of their snubs. Martin Scorsese was robbed of a directing nomination for Taxi Driver, Dennis Hopper was ignored for his performance in Blue Velvet, and just last year Annette Bening got the shaft in 20th Century Women. So, will this year go down as one of the more neglectful Academy Awards? Take a look at these snubs and decide for yourself.
Wonder Woman Is Ignored Entirely
When Wonder Woman was released this past summer critical acclaim, its success took award consideration by storm. Sure, it was about a mythical superhero, and sure, it was another pawn in the DCEU, but people had high hopes for this movie. After all it become the most successful US opening for a female director, putting director Patty Jenkins on the mainstream map and allowing her to successfully negotiated a pay raise on Wonder Woman 2, making her the highest-paid female director of all time. If nothing else, it was a shoe-in for technical awards (i.e. Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling), but alas, the Academy wasn't interested.
Call Me By Your Names Two Amazing Supporting Turns Ignored
Call Me By Your Name had been a serious awards contender ever since it came out of Sundance. Between the inclusion of Academy favorite James Ivory, visionary director Luca Guadagnino, and beloved source material, it had the makings of a strong contender. What really set it over the edge, however, was its cast; primarily three of its male stars: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Now, Chalamet ended up walking with a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination, but his costars saw no such love. Despite racking up nominations in several ceremonies within the past year, Hammer was ultimately snubbed, as was Stuhlbarg, who delivers what is easily one of the most gut-wrenching monologues of the past decade.
Bright Can't Match Up To Suicide Squad
While few will argue against the low Rotten Tomatoes score for Netflix's Bright, that's not to say the movie had nothing to show for itself. Plot-wise, sure, this wasn't the "fantasy cop thriller" anybody wanted, but what it lacked in telling a decent story, it made for in the visuals. The makeup in this movie is spot-on, helping lend at least some believability to the fantastical world in which this movie belongs. A nomination was doubly expected given the success of David Ayer's equally-reviled Sucide Squad at the Oscars last year. To quote recent Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige, the Academy would prefer to have "No More Drama."
Related: Bright: The Most Brutal Reviews Of David Ayer's Netflix Movie
Many Big Directors Left Wanting
In a director's race as packed as 2018's, nominee upsets were inevitable. That said, though, just a year ago, few would have bet against the likes of Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve getting director nods, especially considering their respective legacy and recent Academy acclaim. Of course, given their competition, their eliminations feel fair, but that's not to say they aren't upsetting. Both The Post and Blade Runner 2049 showcased both directors at the top of their game, but the Academy ultimately wasn't sold on what they were selling - at least not as much as they were with newcomers like Peele and Gerwig. Another major snub belongs to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri director Martin McDonagh; despite 7 nominations for the film, he ultimately didn't make the cut.
James Franco (And The Disaster Artist) Goes To The Room
Another major missing player this year was James Franco for his performance as The Room's Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist. Having recently won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Franco felt like a surefire bet. As of this morning, however, that's no longer the case. Franco is currently facing sexual harassment allegations, and considering that nominee voting ended on January 13, four days after the allegations were made, you can imagine that members might have felt swayed one way or the other once they heard the news. Franco is also missing from the Directing category, and The Disaster Artist itself ended up being ignored in the Best Picture category.
The Florida Project Is Mostly Forgotten
One of the smallest-scale films of 2017 turned out to be a colossal favorite among critics and audiences, elevating this simple tale of a mother and daughter living in poverty into the chaotic storm of awards consideration. After its release, The Florida Project was running strong, with many believing it to be a shoe-in for several categories come the announcement for Oscar noms. Unfortunately, that was hardly the case, with the film's only nomination going to Willem Dafoe for Supporting Actor. Co-stars Brooklyn Prince and Bria Vinaite, as well as writer/director Sean Baker, who made a new for himself with 2015's low-budget Tangerine, are newcomers, but still made a considerable enough impression to potentially earn themselves nominations.
Tom Hanks and Michelle Williams Fall Behind Their Co-Stars
Two major names in two major films this year were Tom Hanks and Michelle Williams in The Post and All the Money in the World, respectively. They were considered for nominations in Lead Actor categories, and their recent string of nominations in other ceremonies made their Oscar chances seem likely, but they, unfortunately, have to sit this year out. However, their co-stars were a little more lucky, with Meryl Streep and Christopher Plummer getting attention respectively, although neither is odds on to win their awards.
Related: Logan's Oscar Nomination Is A Superhero Genre Game-Changer
Blade Runner 2049 Misses Out On Original Score
Perhaps the most egregious snub this year belongs to Blade Runner 2049. The movie managed to get an impressive five nominations in the technical categories, yet still missed out on one that'd been a safe bet: Original Score. Hans Zimmer (who wrote the soundtrack with Benjamin Wallfisch) is an Academy favorite (in fact, he was nominated this year, only for a different movie - Dunkirk), but voters clearly weren't as taken by his work on the sci-fi sequel as much as they were with the Christopher Nolan war picture.
The fact that we're not only seeing another Blade Runner movie in 2017, but one worthy of earning Oscar recognition, ought to be considered a success on its own, but ignoring its haunting synth score is an unfortunate misstep.