At this point, it should be fairly obvious to everyone involved that the Academy is not exactly painting with all the colors of the wind. After last year's controversy over the lack of POC representation at the Oscars, it was a bit of a shock that the trend would continue for another year. But to complain about Straight Outta Compton not being included as solely a matter of box-ticking does it a disservice. Because it was not just a good enough film to be included as a token nomination to satisfy perceived diversity requirements, it was actually a great movie that deserved to be nominated on its own merits. It tells the story of N.W.A., from their rise to fame to their eventual implosion and disbandment. And despite getting rave reviews from the critics and being the highest grossing musical biopic in history (beating out Walk the Line which, if you'll recall, got five Oscar nominations and one win), Straight Outta Compton was left out in the cold. No Best Picture, no Best Director, no acting awards, nothing. Nothing except Best Original Screenplay, which let's face it, they don't stand a great chance of winning. The question is, what do films like this need to do to get the attention they deserve from the most prestigious film award organization in the country? Which other snubs from 2015 deserve mention? Share your picks and Oscar nomination reactions in the comments thread below.
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.
