10 Times The Oscars Recognized 'Cool' Movies

Deadpool might have got snubbed, but sometimes the Academy earns their geek cred.

Heath Ledger Joker
Warner Bros.

The Oscar nominations have been announced, and other than a few snubs and maybe a couple of surprises, it's pretty much the list you were expecting. The big categories are populated with the types of films and performances we've been seeing all award season.

However, there was one film missing from the list that many fans had hoped to see; Deadpool.

While it might seem like an unlikely pick, Deadpool was actually getting a fair amount of awards momentum leading up to the Oscar nominations. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globes as well as getting attention from the Writer's Guild and the Producer's Guild.

But then, frankly, Deadpool always seemed too 'cool' for the Oscars. Surely they'd never nominate such a fan-favorite movie, no matter how good the reviews are. Surely they'd never go populist?

Actually, it wouldn't have been as unusual as you might think. Throughout Oscar history, there have been those rare occasions when the Academy and moviegoers are on the same page. And it does seem that the Oscar-givers do occasionally give in to their hunger for popcorn and coolness...

10. Jaws

Heath Ledger Joker
Universal Pictures

Notable Nominations: Best Picture

Nowadays, Steven Spielberg getting nominated for a few Oscars is almost expected, but there was a time when he was just a young, unproven director in charge of a B-movie about a killer shark.

In all honesty, if not for the immense talents of Spielberg, Jaws could have been just a passably enjoyable genre film. Thanks to his visionary talent behind the camera and a malfunctioning mechanical shark, though, the story of a Great White terrorizing a small island community became a cinematic classic and ushered in the blockbuster era.

The film was a massive hit at the box office, but even more surprisingly, it was lauded as a genuinely great piece of filmmaking. It was a blend of thrills, scares and adventure that would become signature in Spielberg's later works.

Audiences weren't the only ones to eat up the film. Jaws ended up being nominated for a few awards at the 1976 Oscars, including Best Picture. While it ultimately lost the award to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it marked the first time such a film was up for the main prize.

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Contributor

A freelance writer and fan of the screen, both big and small.