15 Oscar-Baiting Films That Hilariously Failed To Win

2. The Reader

Stephen Daldry pops up again with The Reader, arguably the most stereotypically Oscar-baiting movie of the last decade. Involving an unconventional depiction of the Holocaust, the much-snubbed Oscar bridesmaid Kate Winslett in the lead role (The Reader was her sixth nomination, and until that point she had yet to win), and writers and directors who have flirted with Oscar before, there was little chance of The Reader not getting nominated. The movie ended up with 5 nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Actress), with Winslett scooping the movie's single Oscar win. However, the movie being nominated for Best Picture caused a huge industry outrage, as significantly superior films such as The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Revolutionary Road and The Wrestler were all snubbed in its place, which is widely believed to be the reason behind the Best Picture field expanding from 5 nominees to a maximum of 10. Was The Reader a good film? Yes. Was it trying too hard? Yes. And should it have been nominated for Best Picture? No freaking way.