The Academy Awards’ greatest ever snubs

After the pomp and ceremony, the overblown speeches, the countless platitudes and seemingly relentless collection of late night time afterparties what it actually boils all the way down to is a 13.5 inch hunk of 24 karat gold, set on a black steel base.

The Academy Award of Merit, that image of cinematic greatness, has been coveted by each skilled actor since its inception nearly a century in the past and its first look on the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony, in 1929. 

Designed by American sculptor George Stanley, the now iconic statuette depicts an Art Deco themed knight, standing on a roll of movie with 5 spokes, every representing the Academy’s particular person branches – Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians. 

As the ceremony grew in prominence all through the Twenties and ’30s, so too did its finish product, a gleaming seal of approval from one’s friends and an award nonetheless considered as the head of appearing achievement in an age awash with competing awards ceremonies. 

But whereas the few have been rewarded for his or her skills, many are these whose efforts fell tantalizingly wanting successful the coated statuette, or in some circumstances even successful a single nomination. 

Indeed, the newly launched nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards inform their very own story, with Margot Robbie notably absent from the Best Actress class, regardless of Barbie – wherein she performs the long-lasting Mattel doll – breaking field workplace data with takings climbing effectively above $1billion. 

Bradley Cooper additionally misses out within the class for Best Director – one other award ceremony blow for the criminally ignored Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, wherein he performs the charismatic composer. 

You may argue they have been robbed – however that are the largest Oscars snubs within the ceremony’s wealthy and diversified historical past?

Grab your self some popcorn and sit down, MailOnline has all of the solutions. 

1.  ET: THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (1983)

It is arguably one among Steven Spielberg’s greatest recognized movies, however his iconic 1982 blockbuster a couple of younger boy’s likelihood assembly with a hunted, homesick alien missed out on Best Film on the fifty fifth annual Academy Awards the next 12 months. 

Instead, the coveted statuette went to Richard Attenborough’s epic Gandhi, starring Sir Ben Kingsley in a career-defining position because the legendary Indian chief.

However it wasn’t all dangerous for Spielberg’s movie because it succeeded within the classes for Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects. 

Spielberg would go on to win three Academy Awards of his personal, however there would additional disappointment for the director in 1999… 

2. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1999)

Spielberg’s World War II epic had been extensively tipped to comb the board forward of the 71st annual Academy Awards, and rightly so. 

With a star-studded forged led by Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, an unimaginable script and gritty, battle-scarred backdrops depicting Nazi-occupied France, the director may’ve been forgiven for pondering his luck was in. 

But it was to not be, with John Madden’s Shakespeare In Love – produced by the now disgraced Harvey Weinstein – scooping the award for Best Film. 

Despite the setback Saving Private Ryan went on to win 5 awards in 1999, amongst them Best Director for Spielberg.

It additionally triumphed in classes for Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. 

3. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2006)

The gasps have been nearly audible because the winner for Best Film was introduced on the 78th annual Academy Awards in 2006. 

Despite successful quite a few  accolades upon launch, Ang Lee’s mesmerizing homosexual drama Brokeback Mountain controversially didn’t win the award in a class that included Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line and Steven Spielberg’s historic drama Munich.

Instead, it was Crash, the Paul Haggis directed depiction of racial unrest in modern-day Los Angeles, that left Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre with the coveted award. 

The movie’s principal stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal would additionally miss out in respective classes for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. 

Lee’s efforts would quickly be rewarded although – with the filmmaker named Best Director forward of Haggis, Spielberg, Bennett Miller and George Clooney. 

4. GOODFELLAS (1991)

As far again as I can bear in mind, I all the time needed to be an Oscar winner… but it surely did not occur for Martin Scorsese and his gangster opus Goodfellas on the 63rd annual Academy Awards. 

Widely thought to be one among Scorsese’s biggest achievements, the film – starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci – didn’t scoop Best Film at Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles that balmy night time in 1991. 

The board as a substitute selected to call Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves as Best Film in a class that additionally included Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part III, Jerry Zucker’s iconic Ghost and Penny Marshall’s Awakenings. 

It could be a double blow for Scorsese, who additionally misplaced to Costner – a filmmaking novice – within the Best Director class. 

5. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1953)

Arguably the best musical of all time, Gene Kelly’s Singin’ in The Rain solely obtained two nominations on the twenty fifth annual Academy Awards – neither of which have been for Best Film. 

While that award went to Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show On Earth, Kelly’s romantic comedy would solely function in classes for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Supporting Actress – an acknowledgement of Jean Hagan’s position as Lina Lamont. 

Neither would win, additional compounding an evening of disappointment for Kelly, who had already missed out on private nominations for Best Actor and  Best Director. 

6. AVATAR (2009)

In a world earlier than Barbie, James Cameron’s science fiction epic was the very best grossing movie of all time and was extensively anticipated to comb the board on the 82nd annual Academy Awards. 

But it might be a disastrous night time for the director, who may solely watch as his magnus opus misplaced out to Iraqi struggle drama The Hurt Locker – a film directed by his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow. 

In a double blow, Bigelow would additionally win Best Director forward of Cameron – turning into the primary ever lady to win the award within the course of. 

Ultimately Avatar would stroll away with three awards, for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. 

7. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1995) 

Run Forrest, run… and take all of the awards with you!

That’s what occurred in 1995 when the Robert Zemeckis directed Forrest Gump swept the board on the 67th annual Academy Awards – on the expense of one other, equally masterful movie. 

Documenting the lifetime of an harmless banker who’s wrongly convicted for the brutal murders of his spouse and her lover, Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption had excessive hopes after receiving seven nominations. 

But it might depart Shrine Auditorium empty handed due to Forrest Gump, with Darabont shedding out to Zemeckis within the Best Director class and main man Morgan Freeman shedding out to Tom Hanks. 

Criminally, Freeman’s co-star Tim Robbins didn’t win a nomination for his position as jailed banker Andy Dufresne.

8. SIR ALFRED HICHCOCK (1941, 1945, 1946, 1955, 1961) 

He ticks all the precise bins, however regardless of his effectively earned popularity as one of many biggest administrators of all time, Sir Alfred Hitchcock didn’t win an Academy Award all through his illustrious profession. 

The legendary filmmaker obtained 5 Best Director nominations for Rebecca, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window and Psycho – however misplaced on every event. 

It could be a chastening expertise for Hitchcock, and maybe goes a way in direction of explaining his muted acceptance speech after successful a Lifetime Achievement award in 1968, when his greatest work was far behind him. 

Taking to the stage at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium throughout the fortieth annual Academy Awards he acknowledged the accolade with a easy “Thank you, very much indeed,” earlier than making an exit. 

9. GLENN CLOSE (1988, 1989, 2018, 2020)

It was a case of Close, however no cigar for Glenn after the celebrated American actress missed out on 4 separate events. 

Her first Best Actress nomination got here in 1988 for her portrayal of a spurned, psychopathic lover in Fatal Attraction – an award that ultimately went to Cher for her starring position in Moonstruck. 

It would show to be a recurring theme, with subsequent nominations for roles in Dangerous Liaisons, The Wife and Hillbilly Elegy all proving fruitless for the gifted star. 

10. CITIZEN KANE (1942)

Perhaps one of many greatest upsets of all time, Orson Welles’ 1941 masterpiece was ignored on the 14th annual Academy Awards the next 12 months. 

The award would as a substitute go to John Ford’s How Green Was My Valley? – a call nonetheless questioned by movie fanatics to this very day. 

It could be one among eight snubs, with the movie successful only one award – for Best Original Screenplay – from a possible 9. 

Welles, who wrote, directed and starred on this cautionary story concerning the rise and fall of a rich newspaper magnate, would additionally miss out on Best Actor – an award obtained by Gary Cooper for his position in Sergeant York. 

Regardless, Citizen Kane stays one of many biggest movies of the twentieth century and tops quite a few lists, amongst them the American Film Institute’s Greatest Movies of All Time and the British Film Institute’s Sight & Sound Decennial Poll of Critics.