10 Amazing Movies That Didn't Receive An Oscar Nomination

6. My Neighbour Totoro

The Film: I'm not sure even helmer Hayao Miyazaki could have foreseen just how much of an iconic beast he'd created in his film's titular mega moggie. Set in and around rural Japan, My Neighbour Totoro is an affecting childhood tale interwoven with sadness - protagonists Satsuki and Mei have a poorly mum, meet some guardians in the woods and all becomes wonderful - and moments of popping magic realism. In short, it's a joy.

Released in time for 1989's 61st Academy Awards, My Neighbour Totoro certainly had the whiskers to go all Snow White and rise above its category restrictions - the Best Animated Feature category was over ten years away from being created - and get a Best Picture nod, or even recognition as a Best Foreign Language Film, but, sadly, didn't the film didn't get a sniff in.

What Nominations It Should Have Received: Best Picture or, failing that, Best Foreign Language Film.
Contributor
Contributor

Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing. He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.