Oscar buzzed: Academy pulls 'Lego,' doesn't support 'Life'
Daily Herald Film Critic
dgire@dailyherald.com
Yes, the Oscar snub of the brilliantly executed "The Lego Movie" came as a surprise.
So did the lack of a nomination Thursday for David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma," directed by Ava DuVernay - who would have made history as the first nominated black female director, had she also not been snubbed.
But Oscar saved his unkindest cut of all for "Life Itself," Steve James' empathetic documentary on Chicago film critic Roger Ebert. Twenty-one years ago, Academy voters snubbed James' first masterwork, the basketball doc "Hoop Dreams," setting off a firestorm of criticism, especially from Ebert and his TV partner Gene Siskel.
Sure, it could be argued that more "important" documentaries deserve the Oscar, but for Academy voters not to acknowledge "Life Itself" with a nomination? As the late Vizzini would say, inconceivable!
(At least voters nominated the doc "Finding Vivian Maier," produced by Siskel's nephew, Charlie Siskel.)
The 87th annual Academy Award nominations were announced from Hollywood on Thursday morning, setting off controversies about the snubs, plus the lack of nominees for women directors and minority filmmakers.
"Birdman" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" led the best picture pack with nine nominations. Other strong contenders include "The Imitation Game" (eight), "Boyhood" (six), "American Sniper" (six), "The Theory of Everything" (five), "Foxcatcher" (five), "Whiplash" (five) and "Interstellar" (five).
This marks the first time since 2007 that none of the best picture nominees has hit the $100 million mark, making 2014 a modest triumph of art over commerce.
Even though there were 10 slots for best picture nominees, the Academy filled only eight of them, leaving out "Foxcatcher" while giving a director nod to Bennett Miller.
In a reverse situation, Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" (produced by former Rolling Meadows and Palatine resident Robert Lorenz) earned a best picture nomination, but its director didn't make the cut.
Steve Carell won a best actor nod for his work in "Foxcatcher," when Channing Tatum was the actual lead actor in that story. If Carell had been in the supporting ranks, that would have cleared a berth for either Oyelowo or Jake Gyllenhaal for his haunting performance as a blood-and-guts newsman in "Nightcrawler."
All five best actress nominees deserve their nods, although Amy Adams ("Big Eyes") could have taken the spot given to "Theory of Everything" star Felicity Jones.
Then, there's the best supporting actor nomination for Academy favorite Robert Duvall as "The Judge," a slot that should have gone to Carell (had he been bumped from best actor) or Josh Brolin in "Inherent Vice" or even Chris Pine in "Into the Woods."
The awards show will be broadcast on ABC Sunday, Feb. 22.