Every year since 1929 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences meets up to decide who will be the winners at The Oscars. And every year a multitude of people will complain that these awards did not go to the right people. After the awards have been announced, there is the inevitable barrage of criticism from disgruntled cinephiles who disagree with the decisions made by The Academy.
But should film fans really care so much about these awards? At the end of the day, a film receiving the title of ‘Best Picture’ is still very much the same film it was before the award ceremony. The only difference is that now it has a flashy badge of approval from the group of elite individuals who constitute The Academy.
To narrow the selection down to one definitive film or one definitive acting performance must be an incredibly difficult task. In fact, to zoom in with a laser eye of objectivity and single out one winner is damn near impossible.
But for whatever reasons, The Academy makes their decisions and there is nothing we can do but accept it. I’m not going to pass judgement or criticise any of their choices. Instead, I’m going to provide a list of 10 immensely talented and influential directors, actors and cinematographers who are equally deserving of owning one of those small golden statuettes.
Want to write about the stuff you're passionate about and have your work read by an audience of over 10 million a month? Click here to become a contributor.
8 Comments
Where the hell is Stanley Kubrick?! ( 1 special effects oscar doesn’t count)
No Gary Oldman , Johnny Depp :? :s
I cannot believe you did not include Stanley Kubrick! What the heck?! I know he won for special effects, but seriously, he’s one of the (if not THE) best director in the world, and yet not even this website honors him. Shame.
It is baffling that Paul Thomas Anderson has never won given that he’s made a masterpiece just about every time he’s gotten behind the camera and is always one step ahead of everyone else
Gary Oldman? How he has been only nominated once, I’ll never understand.
And I may get hate for this, but Tom Cruise has delivered several Oscar-worthy performances and no win. He was nominated for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia. 0 wins. And what about about his performances in films like Rain Man, Collateral, The Last Samurai, Minority Report, and A Few Good Men? He may be crazy but he is a damn good actor.
You forgot Cinematographer Roger Deakins who despite 9 nominations(1994: The Shawshank Redemption, 1996: Fargo, 1997: Kundun, 2000: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, 2001: The Man Who Wasn’t There, 2007: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 2007: No Country for Old Men, 2008: The Reader, 2010: True Grit) never won it once. His 10th being Skyfall.
Also Kevin O’Connell; poor fella has been nominated 20 TIMES !!!
Leo Dicaprio should have won(The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond) at least once. Nolan should have won 3 Memento, The Dark Knight & Inception.
OSCAR may deceive, IMDB doesn’t !!!
What about Leonardo Dicaprio? Not only does he deserve one, if he doesn’t get one soon he’s going to go off the deep end
It was a tough job compiling this list due to the massive amount of actors/directors/cinematographers who deserve to have won Oscars. If it was purely focusing on actors then Leonardo Di Caprio, Gary Oldman, Tom Cruise would surely made the list with a few other noticeable contenders such as Ed Harris and Johnny Depp.
The same could go for directors as well. Some honourable mentions are Ingmar Bergman (9 nominations) and David Lynch (4 nominations). And as for Kubrick, I agree he definitely deserved to win an Oscar for Best Director or Best Original Screenplay but I guess an award for Best Special Effects is better than nothing.