This year's Oscar nominations have left the world of cinema in a state of disbelief. Among the most glaringly obvious snubs, Greta Gerwig's omission from the Best Director category tops the list. Despite Barbie being the biggest blockbuster of the year and earning nominations in several categories, Gerwig was overlooked for her directorial prowess. This snub raises the question: did the Best Picture-nominated Barbie direct itself?
Adding to the list of surprising omissions was Charles Melton's performance in May December, which was overlooked in the Best Actor category. Margot Robbie, despite her brilliant performance in Barbie, was denied a spot in the Lead Actress nominations. However, America Ferrera's powerful monologue in Barbie did earn her a Best Supporting Actress nomination—and Ryan Gosling's hilarious portrayal of Ken landed him a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category. Both actors are unarguably deserving of their nominations, but it does really drive home the whole point of the Barbie movie.
The Original Song category had its own share of surprises. Renowned songwriter Diane Warren scored her 15th Oscar nomination for "The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot. However, Dua Lipa's "Dance the Night Away" from Barbie was snubbed due to an Oscar rule permitting only two original songs from a single film to be nominated.
In the International Feature category, Aki Kaurismäki's Fallen Leaves and France's The Taste of Things were surprisingly overlooked. Past Lives also missed out on recognition for its direction and lead performance by Greta Lee, managing only two nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Picture.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the second highest-grossing film of the year, was excluded from all categories, including Best Animated Film. (And no love for the epic "Peaches," sadly.) Pedro Almodóvar's Strange Way of Life was another unexpected snub in the Short Film category.
Saltburn, a popular film on Prime Video, failed to secure any significant nominations.
This year's Oscar nominations have been marked by a series of snubs and oversights, with Gerwig's omission being the most offensive. As we await the award ceremony, we can only hope (and hold The Academy accountable) for a more inclusive and representative future in film.
But, there is a (small) silver lining: A whopping three of the films nominated for Best Picture this year were directed by women.
