8 Most Egregious Snubs Of The 2016 Oscar Nominations
3. Will Smith - Concussion
Will Smith is a stable, relatively well-liked figure in Hollywood. At this point, he's proven that he's not just a flash in the pan, but a comforting, ever-present part of the film industry. Normally, being that kind of person usually translates to the Academy throwing you an Oscar nomination every now and again. But he's been in a bit of a drought, with his last nomination was for The Pursuit of Happyness back in 2007. I really thought for sure that this was going to be Will Smith's year. Concussion is a film that tackles (forgive the pun) a hot issue in sports culture right now, and it looked like it should have ticked off all the boxes for an easy nomination. It also represents a return to form for Will Smith, who has done his fair share of critical disasters and doesn't have nearly the box office draw that he had ten or fifteen years ago. But every once in a while, he makes a film that reminds everyone that he can actually act. While admittedly it is hard to decide who you kick out of bed so that Will Smith has a place in the Best Actor race, it's still surprising that his name wasn't included on the short list.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.