8 Most Egregious Snubs Of The 2016 Oscar Nominations

7. Michael Keaton - Spotlight

Could anyone have predicted where this guy's career went over the past few years? After a career-revitalizing performance in Birdman, a lot of people thought that he had the Best Actor Oscar in the bag. The Academy loves to reward career actors who have paid their dues while they're on a bit of an up-swing, after all. But can that kind of sentimentality compete with the ultimate Oscar trump card of an actor playing a famous person with a disability? Apparently not. Eddie Redmayne's performance as Stephen Hawking ending up winning the award, and while Redmayne was excellent, it still sort of feels like Keaton was left out in the cold. One would think that the Academy would want to remedy that as quickly as possible, which is why it's shocking that his performance in Spotlight wasn't acknowledged with so much as a nomination. He plays the editor of Spotlight who leads the group of journalists in their journey to uncovering the massive molestation scandal within the Boston Catholic church (and indeed endemic throughout the Catholic church on a global scale). Mark Ruffalo gets the shouty scenes, but Keaton provides a quiet, reliable presence throughout the film that anchors it but also provides emotional depth. His character may not be the loudest or most outspoken, but there's an interesting depth of emotion there. Outrage and guilt are mixed together in a way that only a seasoned actor like Keaton can fully bring to the surface.