8 Most Egregious Snubs Of The 2016 Oscar Nominations

4. Steve Carell - The Big Short

What happened to The Big Short, anyway? It seemed like it was going to be an Oscar darling and then it fell off just before the nominations. Steve Carell plays an idealistic hedge fund manager who uncovers a huge oversight (or at least, he thinks it's an oversight) in the housing market which will eventually bring it to collapse, and decides to screw over the rich guys by betting against the banks. And honestly, it's probably the best performance of his career. He's one of those guys who always wants to be fighting for a cause, but his natural inclination to do good is in striking contrast with his cushy lifestyle as a hedge fund manager living on the Upper East Side. He's such a conflicted character, and it's heartbreaking to see the range of emotions he experiences when he fully realizes what the bankers are doing and that he has no way of making them pay for their role in wrecking the world economy. Christian Bale was nominated for this movie instead, and while he was also very good in The Big Short, it would have been nice to see an actor like Steve Carell rewarded for stretching so far from his comfort zone and really nailing it.