2013 Academy Awards: Snubs & Surprises
The announcement of the nominees for the 85th Annual Academy Awards brought us 9 Best Picture nominees, some expected nods (Lincoln dominates the awards with 12), and a few surprises and snubs that helped mix up this year's Oscar race - check out our list of notable omissions and inclusions now!
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1.
Argo
(2012)
A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. (120 mins.)
Director: Ben Affleck
“ Snub: While Ben Affleck's thriller nabbed an impressive 7 nominations, including Best Picture, the actor-director -- who most definitely came into his own as a filmmaker this year -- was overlooked for a Best Director nomination, all the more shocking considering he was one of the few who looked to give Lincoln's Steven Spielberg some competition in that category. ” - IMDb-Editors
2.
Zero Dark Thirty
(2012)
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. (157 mins.)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
“ Snub: Well, at least Mr. Affleck has some distinguished company in the Best Director-omission category: former winner Kathryn Bigelow was also shut out of the race, though her film is up for Best Picture, Actress (Jessica Chastain), and Screenplay. This could be the most-discussed snub of the year considering ZDT's headline-garnering controversies. ” - IMDb-Editors
3.
Amour
(2012)
Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple's bond of love is severely tested. (127 mins.)
Director: Michael Haneke
“ Surprise: It was expected that Michael Haneke's superb and devastating drama would be up for Best Foreign Language Film, but it also received high-profile nods for Best Picture, Director, Actress (Emmanuelle Riva, officially the oldest nominee ever in that category now), and Screenplay, making it now one of the major players in the Oscar race. ” - IMDb-Editors
4.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
(2012)
Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love. (93 mins.)
Director: Benh Zeitlin
“ Surprise: The heavily favored indie was hoping for some recognition from the Academy, but probably didn't expect this much! It's up for Best Picture, Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis, officially the youngest nominee ever in that category now), Screenplay, and most surprisingly, Best Director for Benh Zeitlin, who outpaced Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow, AND Quentin Tarantino. ” - IMDb-Editors
5.
Les Misérables
(2012)
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. (158 mins.)
Director: Tom Hooper
“ Snub: Without Best Director or Screenplay nominations to go with its Best Picture nod, the Academy has pretty much killed any big-time Oscar dreams that this big-screen adaptation of the stage musical ever dreamed... Though Anne Hathaway should start working on her Supporting Actress acceptance speech right now! ” - IMDb-Editors
6.
The Dark Knight Rises
(2012)
Eight years on, a new evil rises from where the Batman and Commissioner Gordon tried to bury it, causing the Batman to resurface and fight to protect Gotham City... the very city which brands him an enemy. (165 mins.)
Director: Christopher Nolan
“ Snub: Absolutely zero love for Christopher Nolan's Caped Crusader epic, not even in any of the tech categories. Heck, even The Avengers and Prometheus got one nomination each! (Both are up for Visual Effects) Sorry, Batman... ” - IMDb-Editors
7.
The Sessions
(2012)
A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest. (95 mins.)
Director: Ben Lewin
“ Snub: While his co-star Helen Hunt grabbed a nomination for Supporting Actress, star (and former nominee) John Hawkes, who plays a man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity via a professional sex surrogate, was overlooked for Best Actor. Unlike the nominated Joaquin Phoenix, he would have attend the ceremonies. ” - IMDb-Editors
8.
Silver Linings Playbook
(2012)
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. (122 mins.)
Director: David O. Russell
“ Surprise: The idiosyncratic romantic comedy was pretty much a sure thing for Best Picture nomination and nods for three of its stars (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro), the additional nomination of Jacki Weaver for Best Supporting Actress makes it the first film since Reds to score nominations in all four acting categories. ” - IMDb-Editors
9.
Rust and Bone
(2012)
Put in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident. (120 mins.)
Director: Jacques Audiard
“ Snub: Former Oscar winner Marion Cotillard's powerful performance was on everyone's short list for Best Actress, but the French star found herself omitted in favor of Amour's Emmanuelle Riva and Beasts of the Southern Wild's Quvenzhané Wallis. ” - IMDb-Editors
10.
Life of Pi
(2012)
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. (127 mins.)
Director: Ang Lee
“ Surprise: Another expected contender, the mystical Ang Lee is up for an impressive 11 nominations, making it the second-most nominated film after Lincoln and a prime contender for sweeping up a number of technical awards. ” - IMDb-Editors
11.
The Master
(2012)
A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader. (144 mins.)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
“ Snub: Though it received three acting nods for stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was left out in the cold in both Director and Screenplay categories. ” - IMDb-Editors
12.
Mirror Mirror
(2012)
An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright. (106 mins.)
Director: Tarsem Singh Dhandwar
“ Out of Left Field: Every year there's always one movie in a minor (or even a major) category that got very little critical love yet manages to score an Oscar nomination that makes you scratch your head and go, "Huh?" This year's Unexpected Academy Award Nominee is the Julia Roberts Snow White-redo, which is up for Best Costume Design opposite its film doppelganger, Snow White and the Huntsman -- though expect either the tophats of Lincoln or the furry hats of Anna Karenina to triumph. ” - IMDb-Editors
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