Newsweek's Greatest Oscar Snubs

Jenni Mayıs 05, 2022

This being the week of the Academy Awards (if your week goes Mon - Sun, that is), Newsweek has come out with its list of Greatest Oscar Snubs. I love their intro image for the piece--see later note. Of course, this type of list draws many an opinion as the Academy has rebuffed plenty great performances and pictures throughout their history. So, let's tear into this, shall we?:

Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz - I agree that the then 17 year-old should definitely have been nominated. However, given the competition for that year--which included Bette Davis for Dark Victory--she would have been hard pressed to win, even if she was nominated.
Katherine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby - yes, she should have been nominated. Though, I doubt she'd have beaten Dame Bette.
Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca - yes, yes yes. Not only was she robbed for this movie, but the Academy managed to ignore what is for many the first or second greatest film of all-time. Count me as one of them for having it first--I have the other one, Citizen Kane, lower down. At least Ingrid was nominated in that year for For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Cary Grant, The Philadelphia Story - oh, hell yes! Not that I hold Jimmy Stewart (winner for the same movie) any ill will, but Cary was criminally under-nominated for the body of his work in film. He could have won for this, too.
Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon - I have to admit, Newsweek is on a roll here. Bogie should have been on that year's list. Who would I have cut to get him there? Probably Robert Montgomery (in a favorite of mine), Here Comes Mr. Jordan.
Lana Turner, The Postman Always Rings Twice - okay, she deserved a nod, here.
Jimmy Stewart, Vertigo - if Jimmy didn't deserve a nomination/win in 1940, then this edgier role surely deserved the nod. But, I would have given the Oscar to him for It's a Wonderful Life. So what do I know?
Orson Wells, Touch of Evil - the movie was ahead of its time, but was this performance enough to get past those that were nominated for Support Actor? I don't know on this one.
Peter Sellers, Lolita - see #8.
Sidney Poitier, In the Heat of the Night - he deserved it, but the Academy bowed to the flashier, accented role with Steiger. And, it was a year with a number of strong actor performances (Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner).
Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange - iffy, but who do you bump in 1971?
Gary Oldman, Sid and Nancy - yes, he deserved the recognition. But, is the snub one of the greatest? Again, a lesser one.
Martin Sheen, Apocalypse Now - he was good in it, no question. I'd have him there, perhaps bumping Dustin Hoffman (the eventual winner) off the list. Sorry, but I'm still disappointed that Roy Scheider didn't win that year for his performance in All That Jazz (Dustin would have survived to get it for Rain Man).
Vincent D'onofrio, Full Metal Jacket - I don't see it, here. Yes, very good performance. But, I don't see him getting past those who were nominated. This is a stretch.
Samuel L. Jackson, Jungle Fever - now this role by SLJ got me (and others) to notice how good an actor he is. Problem was it's a so-so movie with an outstanding performance by the supporting actor. Still, I would have nominated him.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic - agreed. He was better than two of the actors on the nominated list that year (psst...Peter Fonda, Dustin Hoffman).
Jim Carrey, The Truman Show - maybe, only just maybe. It's not in the 'greatest' category, to me.
Madonna, Evita - oh...come...on!!! In perhaps her only really good film performance, she received due credit. But, to count it as one of the greatest snubs?!? Yes, she won the Golden Globe. But then, the Hollywood Foreign Press also awarded one to Pia Zadora, for christ sakes! Thank God she torpedoed her nod by arrogantly and shamelessly telling all that would listen that she'd get that year's Oscar.
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino - this easily makes it as one of the Greatest Snubs--little wonder it was chosen for the intro image of this piece. With all due respect to Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), he's not in Eastwood's league when you watch their respective films. What were the voters thinking? Not much, I assure you.