Oscar snubs are rightfully upsetting for those who didn’t go home with the iconic golden statue at the end of the night. Check out our list of biggest Oscar 2014 snubs.
Best Director: Steve McQueen, ’12 Years a Slave’
Directing such a heavy film is a daunting task for anyone – but Steve McQueen’s ability to bring to life Solomon Northup’s diary and unforgettable time being a slave, in such an artistic and emotional way, is not something many people can do. However, he did sort of win the best award of the night, as 12 Years a Slave won best picture.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’
Unfortunately, it’s customary that Leo gets an Oscar snub. His performance in The Wolf of Wall Street brings his Oscar nominations up to a total of four (five if you count Wolf’s Best Picture nomination), and as we saw yet again, he hasn’t won a single one (but he has won two Golden Globes!). Is it that he’s up against other and more stellar performances than his own? Should he branch out and play different types of characters, beyond his normal repertoire? Here’s to keeping the faith that Leo will win an Oscar one day.
Best Original Score: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ – Thomas Newman
Thomas Newman’s scores have added life, emotion, and character to the many films he’s worked on throughout the years. His ability to create new themes, while twisting these themes into the classic Mary Poppins melodies, Saving Mr. Banks’ score was a delight and an integral part to the phenomenal film. Having been nominated for 12 Oscars and winning none of them – it’s clear that he was snubbed yet again.
Best Actress: Amy Adams, ‘American Hustle’
Just like Leo, the 86th Academy Awards brought Amy Adams’ total Oscar nominations up to five with zero wins. Her diverse resume is impressive, but it seems as if she’s always caught in the wrong year among many other extremely talented actresses. Considering she has a total of five nominations, I’m also betting that she’ll receive more nominations in the future. Who knows – maybe Amy and Leo will win for the first time at the same Oscars ceremony.
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, ’12 Years a Slave’
While Jared Leto was favored to win this award for Dallas Buyer’s Club it’s worthy to note that Michael Fassbender’s performance in 12 Years a Slave was not overlooked. Portraying the character of a horrible, crude, and heartbreaking salve owner, his performance was scarily awesome. This was Fassbender’s first Oscar nomination, and we can only hope and predict that there will be more for him in the future.
Best Picture: ‘American Hustle’
A star-studded cast, a political drama, David O. Russell as a director – what more could you ask? While 12 Years a Slave was the ultimate winner at the 2014 Oscars, American Hustle was a close contestant. Unfortunately, American Hustle didn’t go home with any awards this year, but given Russell’s (and his usual list of actors) talent and resume, we’re sure to see him again at the Oscars in the future.