7. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen Brothers have been shown a lot of love from the Academy over the years, with the majority of their work being recognized for Oscars. The Coens themselves are the winners of 4 golden statues for their work, but a sad blemish on the Academy's rapport with the Coens is most definitely The Big Lebowski. This completely original comedy feast is a vulgar and hilarious story about The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a burnt out hippie who involuntarily gets twisted in a kidnapping and extortion plot while he is participating in a bowling tournament. Joel & Ethan Coen have a mastery of the medium that few others have, and The Big Lebowski is a prime example of how brilliantly they create likeable yet detestable characters who swerve through a labyrinth plot line that most writers would kill to create. The Big Lewbowski, released early in 1998, was the follow up to their Oscar winning masterpiece, Fargo, so although they now had the Academy's attention, somehow The Big Lebowski failed to garner any Oscar nominations. Not present is a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Joel & Ethan Coen's Shakespearian opus of coarse language. Nor is there a nomination for John Goodman (who many say was snubbed for his role in Argo this year) in the Best Supporting Actor category for his hilariously intense portrayal of a gun crazy Vietnam vet. The biggest falter is not recognizing Jeff Bridges for his memorable performance as The Dude, one of the most popular and beloved cinema characters of the past 20 years. This is a bummer, Academy. This is a bummer, man.