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Oscar Nominations 2017: Snubs and Surprises

Reaction to 2017 Oscar Nominations

The nominations for the 2017 Oscar nominations were announced this morning. If you haven't seen the list, click here. Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises.




SNUB: Amy Adams for Best Actress

Many prognosticators thought Amy Adams was a lock for a Best Actress nomination for Arrival, so they were shocked to see her left off the final list. I, on the other hand, was never predicting her. I just could not see Arrival getting nine or ten nominations along the lines of a Gravity or Avatar. It's better than those movies, but smaller and too cerebral to get that kind of across-the-board support. In her place, I was predicting Taraji P. Henson, but instead Ruth Negga got recognized for her work in Loving.

SURPRISE: Mel Gibson for Best Director

I was predicting Hacksaw Ridge to do well, but I wasn't expecting it to do well enough to get a directing nomination for Mel Gibson. He missed at the DGA, an important precursor. I was prepared for an outside the box choice like Garth Davis or David Mackenzie, but they went with a previous winner in the category. 

SNUB: Sing Street for Best Original Song

I predicted four of the five nominations in this category, but was surprised to see a song from John Carney's Sing Street left out. Begin Again, Carney's last movie, was nominated despite being far worse than the charming Sing Street, and Once won the category ten years ago. While I am talking about this category, why is "City of Stars" the song from La La Land getting the most awards attention? I would say it is towards the bottom of songs in that film. 

SURPRISE: Michael Shannon for Best Supporting Actor

The Nocturnal Animals costar was not nominated up at none of the major precursor awards, despite lots of critical praise. I was predicting a nomination for Aaron Taylor Johnson for the same movie, since he was nominated by BAFTA and won the Golden Globe. 

SURPRISE: PASSENGERS

The Jennifer Lawrence-Chris Pratt space movie did not get warm notices from critics, but that didn't affect Oscar voters nominating it in both Production Design and Original Score. 

SNUB: SING

A poorly run campaign was to blame for the absence of the Illumination charmer from both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.  

SURPRISE: Jackie for Best Original Score

This one was not that much of a surprise, as many were predicting it, but how it got in I have no idea. The score for this movie is sometimes nightmarish, big and loud at the film's most intimate moments. It throws the whole tone off and is the reason the film veers into camp at times. Natalie Portman was great, the score was not. What would I have liked to see in its place? Alexandre Desplat for The Secret Life of Pets. That score was light, fun, and one of the year's best. 

SHOCK: La La Land for Best Sound Editing

No musical ever in the history of this category has been nominated. Not Moulin Rogue, not Chicago, not Dreamgirls, not Les Miserables. They must have really, really loved La La Land. It's now a juggernaut that will be impossible to stop from winning Best Picture and a slew of other Oscars.

SNUB: Hugh Grant for Best Supporting Actor

Many were predicting Grant's serious turn as Meryl Streep's husband in Florence Foster Jenkins to be recognized. Perhaps not enough of the nominators saw him as a serious actor. Streep, however, received her 20th nomination for the same movie.

NEITHER SNUB NOR SURPRISE: Joanna Johnston for Best Costume Design

I was very pleased to Joanna Johnston get nominated for her work on Allied, but sad it was that film's only nomination. Such a shame because I loved that movie. 

The Oscars air on ABC on February 26. What nomination were you most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

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