Screenshot from Book of Life
Movies that didn’t make the cut
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
The 2015 Oscar Academy Awards have come and gone, but what 2014 movies were truly award-deserving will always be a matter of debate. There were definitely some movies that came out last year that were snubbed by the Academy Awards. Critically acclaimed, loved by audiences, and still talked about today, these films barely snagged a single nomination at the Oscars, if any at all. It seems Hollywood and the Academy Awards have a certain style, one which includes regularly ignoring some of the most interesting movies of the year.
Interstellar
This awe-inspiring and emotional film was deep both literally and philosophically. It made us think about humanity’s purpose and future. It did gain some Oscar love in the visual and sound effects categories, but was not a contender for Best Picture or Best Actor awards, even though the movie starred Matthew McConaughey, who won Best Actor last year.
The Lego Movie
Perhaps the most shocking Oscar snub this year was this animated classic. Almost no nominations at all, except for Best Original Song for “Everything is Awesome.” This was a movie entirely made out of Lego that took years to create and was adored by the masses, yet it wasn’t even considered for Best Animated Movie. If it had been nominated, it would’ve almost certainly won.
Gone Girl
This suspenseful driving thriller by a very respected director kept us all panicked and shocked until the very end. But the biggest shock of all was the lack of nominations this film received. Rosamund Pike was amazing as Amy Dunne, and the Best Actress category acknowledged that. However, that was the only nomination this movie received. It’s surprising that it didn’t get a nod for Best Picture, considering the category only had eight nominees this year out of a possible 10. The category wasn’t even full, yet this film, along with Interstellar, still didn’t get a nomination for it. It was also based on a similarly acclaimed novel, but the translation to film didn’t get any love for Best Adapted Screenplay either.
The Book of Life
Another surprising snub in the animation department is this film with a very Spanish/Mexican plot and behind-the-scenes elements. It was absolutely beautiful to watch, and had considerably better animation than The Boxtrolls. Two Japanese animated films were nominated, which is great because it shows a larger foreign representation at the Oscars, especially for animation. But it’s strange to see a snub for such a large, critically acclaimed movie such as this.
Overall, the Oscar Awards will always be a strange place. Snubs like these prove it doesn’t really matter who wins the Academy Awards since we’ll each remember the movies of 2014 that we want to.
