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Oh yes , the Academy Awards . wide deal the pinnacle of Hollywood success this side of a billion - dollar enfranchisement , the Oscars are the business ’ most sought after award , the proof that you ’ve officially made it . Presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences , the Oscars are an annual event purportedly honor the “ best ” in movie theatre , whatever “ good ” means . In truth , they ’re a political event where the operation count as much as a well - reconstruct narrative anda far - reach campaign .
Thus , throughout the Oscars ’ 95 - year account , many actors , movies , directors , and behind - the - camera talent have been ignored despite being among the best - reviewed of their respective years . These snubs have pop off down in chronicle as some of the Academy ’s most egregious fault , sometimes even passing the winners themselves in popularity and relevancy . And while the Academy will surely keep hand out gold statuette , they will likely never survive down these rebuff .
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10. Pam Grier — Best Actress 1998
The 1998 Oscars were always going to be dominated by the juggernaut that wasTitanic . However , the acting categories were pretty much safe from its influence , opening the race to other contenders . And no one gave a fine performance in 1997 than Pam Grier inQuentin Tarantino’sJackie Brown .
intimately have it off as the star of the iconic Blaxploitation filmsCoffyandFoxy Brown , Grier delivered the performance of a life , good manners of Tarantino ’s tight - paced , kinetic film . Grier is simply splendid inJackie Brown , a magnetised , commanding front ably confirm Tarantino ’s challenging narrative . This performance behave as both a retort to the spotlight for Grier and a pernicious acknowledgment of her iconic vocation .
It was the case of narrative that take in actors Oscars ; in any other class , with any other actress , a role like Jackie Brown would ’ve showered any actress with award after award . Yet , Grier , a Black woman mainly known for her action roles , was cruelly snubbed in favor of less performances . No contempt to Helena Bonham Carter , Judi Dench , Julie Christie , Kate Winslet , and eventual winner Helen Hunt , but their performances pale in compare to Grier ’s triumphant achievement .
9. Jim Carrey — Best Actor 1998
Widely considered among the all - prison term great comedians , Jim Carrey rose to the peak of stardom duringthe other ’ 90s with classicslikeThe MaskandDumb and Dumber . His wild antics and talent for face contortions made him a staple in the genre but also establish him a repute as a comedian and nothing else . Thus , The Truman Showwas the perfect fomite for him , thanks to its unique blend of comedy and drama that gain from his born gifts while still provide him to show a new side to his abilities .
Carrey is spectacular inThe Truman Show , effortlessly immix lighthearted humor with noteworthy vulnerability . It ’s the perfect proportion between drollery and drama and a deceitfully challenging character that few other actors could ’ve pulled off . Carrey won the Golden Globe for his performance , but AMPAS cruelly ignored him , prompt Carrey to acknowledge his cut whilepresenting Best Editing toSaving Private Ryan . Carrey ’s functioning has aged beautifully , as hasThe Truman Show , and considering who actually made the track in ’ 99 , it ’s even more offensive that Carrey did n’t experience a extravagantly - earned nominating speech .
8. Bette Davis — Best Actress 1935
Now , this one is a doozy . The mighty Bette Davis was the first performer to get 10 Oscar nominations , but she actually received 11 ; one was just unofficial . A classically trained stage actress , Davis rise up to hump with her inexorable , raw performance in the 1934 dramaOf Human Bondage , playing the deeply unsympathetic and unpitying Mildred Rogers .
Mildred was a character unlike anything 1930s interview had seen : she was meanspirited , manipulative , shameless , and self - destructive , and Davis was willing to show her in all her flawed nimbus . Reviews lauded Davis ’ performance , but the Academy did n’t mean the same and deny to nominate her for Best Actress . The cry was such that the Academy in reality allowed elector to “ spell in ” right to vote for their desired candidate while purge their prescribed vote . To this sidereal day , Davis is listed as an official nominee onthe Academy ’s official site , make it the only clip that a snub was so controversial that it led to a nomination berth - proclamation .
7. Wall-E and The Dark Knight — Best Picture 2009
And speaking of a snub being so controversial that it led to reformations within the Academy , it ’s clock time to blab out about the 2009 Oscars . Two of the large films from 2008 wereWall - EandThe Dark Knight . Critically acclaimed and commercially successful , both film were vaunt as New classic by critic and audience , who expected to see them justly reward come prize season .
It would n’t have been the first meter an liven up picture received a Best Picture nominating address – Beauty and the Beastachieved it in 1992 . However , The Dark Knightwould’ve been the first superhero moving picture to be anointed by AMPAS . Alas , the Academy was too short - sighted and snubbed both moving-picture show , instead going for safe and largely forgettable Oscar bait for Best Picture ( The ReaderandFrost / Nixon ) .
The yell was swift and loud , start the Academy to inflate its Best Picture nominees from five to 10 at the 2010 observance . To AMPAS ’ overplus , Wall - EandThe Dark Knighthave become modern cinematic triumphswidely regarded as twenty-first - one C masterpieces , proving that sometimes , Oscar voter truly have a lack of visual modality .
6. Amy Adams — Best Actress 2002
This one still insect bite . Perennial nominee Amy Adams was on a hot stripe in the mid-2010s , star in murder after hitting , bring in Oscar nominations leave and good . 2016 see her surrender arguably her fine performance to day of the month inDenis Villeneuve ’s monumental sci - fi movieArrival , quite possibly the best ingress into the writing style in the new millennium . Arrivalearned eight much - deserved nominations at the 2017 Oscars , include Best Picture and Best Director for Villeneuve . However , to the jounce of many Oscar lover , Adams was snubbed in the Best Actress family .
The 2017 Best Actress race was indeed a closelipped one , with Natalie Portman , Isabelle Huppert , Annette Bening , and Ruth Negga delivering slap-up performances . However , Adams is just as worthy as any of them , with a quiet , self-referent , and subtle performance that remains as astounding today as it was in 2016 . Adams did not only deserve the nomination , she should ’ve been a strong contender for the profits ; were it not for Huppert , she should ’ve actually won the infernal thing .
Listen , I wish Emma Stone as much as the next guy , but her victory came out ofLa La Landfever , nothing more . And did Meryl Streep really needanothernomination for what is arguably her worst performance from the 2010s ? Adams ’ snub is still crying , peculiarly deal she has yet to win an Oscar .
5. Marilyn Monroe — Best Actress 1961
One of the greatest and most put up icons of the ash grey screen , Marilyn Monroe reach out the tip of success during the 1950s . Although showcased as a dim blonde , Monroe ’s performances in films likeGentlemen Prefer BlondesandSome Like It Hotshow an actress of remarkable versatility who was always more capable than anyone gave her cite for .
Monroe ’s respectable on - screen employment come in what would turn out to be her final film , John Huston’sThe Misfits . A neo - westerly co - starring Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift , The Misfitsis a salient and sorrowful aspect at loneliness elevate by a outstanding cast . Gable and Clift were never dear , butit ’s Monroe who steal the movie .
Her Roslyn Tabor is a brave , venturesome , mismatched , and mesmerise achievement , a blemished yet herculean portrayal of melancholic and solitude from one of classic Hollywood ’s most vulnerable and untapped endowment . Monroe ’s wonderful performance was snubbed for an Oscar nomination , andThe Misfitswould be her last completed film . Still , the functioning , much like Monroe herself , lives on , an suffer will to her unequaled gift .
4. Do the Right Thing — Best Picture 1990
At the 1990 Oscar observance , the overratedDriving Miss Daisywon Best Picture . Elsewhere , Daisy‘s Jessica Tandy won Best Actress , Oliver Stone won his quaternary and last Oscar forBorn on the Fourth of July , and Daniel Day - Lewis win his first forMy Left Foot . Yet , there was a film shine for its absence seizure in the Best Picture category : Spike Lee ’s groundbreaking comedy - dramaDo the veracious affair .
WhileDo the Right Thingreceived nominating address for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor , it was close out of Best Picture in favor of the approachableMiss Daisyand well - meaning , bathetic exertion likeDead Poets SocietyandField of Dreams . Yet , 35 years since their release , none of those films have aged as fantastically well as Lee ’s pioneering achievement .
A absorbing characterization of subspecies relations at a metre when the discipline was still taboo , Do the Right Thingwas a reliable before - and - after import for representation . Do the correct Thingis loud , daring , and angry in all the right ways yet undeniably magnificent and funnily releasing , doing what very few movies do and fascinate a distinctive moment in town , thus top its own limits and becoming part of the very culture it initially portrayed .
3. Singin’ in the Rain — Best Picture 1953
Singin ’ in the Rainis widely considered the all - time with child musical in cinematic history . The iconic Gene Kelly asterisk as Don Lockwood , with the movie offering an idealized and well - intentioned portraying of 1920s Hollywood . secrete in the prime of flick musical theater , Singin ’ in the Rainwas a monolithic success , winning big at the box function and quickly becoming an insistent classic .
And yet , no Oscar nimbus come its way . alternatively , the Academy reinforce Cecil B. DeMille ’s overblown dramaThe Greatest Show on Earth . In fact , Singin ’ in the Raingot only two nominations , for unspoiled Supporting Actress and Best Scoring for a Musical Picture . Of of course , the film would later become synonymous with the musical genre and Hollywood ’s Golden Age , come to typify the marvellous splendor of this polar cinematic period .
Yet again , AMPAS was too poor - sighted and lazy to recognize what was in front of them , especially becauseSingin ’ in the Rain‘s rebuff andThe Greatest Show on Earth‘s win have aged like high-risk milk , to the point that they are both stain on the system ’s shoddy record .
2. Vertigo — Best Picture 19559
Few music director have allow such a Deutsche Mark on cinema as Alfred Hitchcock;the term Hitchcockian is even a thing , stand for just how crucial his legacy is . jolly much hone the mod thriller , Hitchcock directed multiple classics , fromRebecca , the only of his photographic film to succeed Best Picture , toRear WindowandPsycho . Yet , Vertigomight be his magnum opus .
today , Vertigois often ranked among the best of the honest , toppingthe 2012Sight & Soundpoll and fare in 2nd inthe 2022 reading . However , Vertigoonly received two Oscar nominations for Best Sound and Best Arti Direction ; nothing for Hitchcock ’s instruction , Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor ’s screenplay , or James Stewart and Kim Novak ’s performance . Vertigo‘s rebuff are even more embarrassing considering the god - awful musicalGigiswept the 1959 Oscars , winning all nine of its nominating address . Yet , whileGigibecomes a bit bad by the second , Vertigoremains a body of work of true brilliance from a once - in - a - lifetime talent operating on all cylinder .
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey — Best Picture 1969
By now , it ’s no enigma that the Academy hates any of the so - call “ genre ” films . If it ’s not a drama , probability are AMPAS will turn a blind oculus . Thus , films from the music genre of science fabrication , fantasy , horror , and activity often get the brusque conclusion of the pin and must mould double as hard as the average biopic to get an snow leopard of recognition from the Academy .
This remarkably stupid approach means the Academy has draw over some of cinema ’s greatest efforts . However , no cut has been more confutative , glaring , or unlimited preposterous as2001 : A Space Odysseymissing on a Best Picture nomination . Stanley Kubrick ’s profoundly influential , thought process - provoking chef-d’oeuvre earned four Oscar nominations , including Best Director for Kubrick ; however , it was infamously shut out of Best Picture .
And you have it off who won the 1969 Oscar for Best Picture ? FreakingOliver ! , a mind - numbingly simplistic musical take on the Charles Dickens classicOliver Twist , whose greatest legacy isa meme that ’s not even that funny . The Academy has made some truly stupid miscalculations throughout its chronicle , but dismiss a arresting achievement as 2001 in party favor of stuff and nonsense likeOliver!andFunny Girlis ridiculous to the point of ridiculousness .
