16 Biggest Oscar Upsets Of The 21st Century

By Johno Patterson / February 19, 2017

We're drawing close to the 89th Oscars Award Ceremony. It's almost a nonagenarian now and, like the grandparent nobody enjoys visiting, the Academy's attitude to change could generously be classified as reluctant. Not much has changed since the first appearance of the iconic statuette and this is evident in the baffling choices they make every year without fail.

Defined as much by outfits and gift bags that could pay off the mortgage on a central London flat as they are on the movies themselves, it's no surprise that genuine artistry is often overlooked.

There will always be subjectivity when it comes to the doling out of awards but sometimes there's no excuse for the movies, actors and technical achievements that remain languishing in the 'Nominee' column when they should be taking home a buff golden man for their efforts.

Even since the dawn of the 21st Century, 17 freaking years ago, it hasn’t shown any signs of improvement. Whether it’s as widely discussed as Leonardo DiCaprio's dramatic Oscar drought or buried in the Best Foreign Feature category like Guillermo Del Toro's loss for the universally acclaimed Pan's Labyrinth, the Academy Awards' penchant for disappointment is as much a staple as awkward drunk speeches.

16. Best Supporting Actor - Benicio Del Toro, Traffic

The Rightful Winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator

There's no disputing Benicio Del Toro's acting ability or the fact that Traffic is a compelling look at the inner workings of Mexican cartels.

Now that's out of the way, it was an absolute travesty that Joaquin Phoenix missed out on the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role as the detestable, scheming Emporer Commodus. There have been few performances before or since that have distilled the very essence of villainy.

It's actually impossible to watch Gladiator without unconditionally hating his character with every fibre of your being. He frequently tops lists of 'best movie villains' to this day illustrating the staying power of what could have easily been a one-note character if tackled by a less capable actor.

Del Toro always has a commanding onscreen presence and it's easy to see why his intense performance as a troubled police officer out to expose corruption would warrant a nomination. Any other year this role may have deserved the win but Phoenix's transformative turn as the creepy antagonist to Russell Crowe's stoic hero should have made Oscar gold a sure thing.

To use a highly unscientific method that nonetheless proves this point, the next time you have a conversation about movie characters, bring up both Commodus and Detective Javier Rodriquez and see who people prefer (or have heard of for that matter).