Snubs aside, Oscars have a Best Picture category with something for everyone

This week's Academy Award nominations prompted some of the usual online outrage, particularly over some perceived snubs.

Surely, Denis Villeneuve deserved a mention in the directing category for landing the unwieldy starcraft that is "Dune." Lady Gaga's spicy performance as "House of Gucci's" murderous fashion maven seemed a lock for Best Actress. And once again, certain sects of Twitter's nerd herd (ahem, I count myself as a member) cried foul over the omission of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" from the Best Picture list even though its $1.8 billion box office gross should be reward enough.

But if you were busy complaining about who didn't get nominated, you may not have noticed that the 10-movie Best Picture field is as well-rounded a category as you could hope for, with something for everyone.

Let's go back to "Dune," a financially and dramatically risky adaptation of a dense sci-fi novel that had already been made into a notorious flop by David Lynch in 1984. Villeneuve dazzled audiences and whipped up $400 million at the box office, even with a simultaneous release on HBO Max. (You have to buy or rent it now on other services, but it will be back.) It's a franchise in the making with a built-in fan base that's getting bigger.

Maybe you like sports movies or biopics? "King Richard" is both, with Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis both garnering acting nods for playing the parents of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea - it focuses on the wrong family member, let's be honest - but it may be the film with the most universal appeal in this category. Want to watch it at home? Same deal as above with "Dune."

We're not done with HBO Max, because you can watch surprise nominee "Nightmare Alley" on that service, too, as well as Hulu. Director Guillermo del Toro is good at surprises; he won the top prize in 2017 for a romance movie starring a fish monster - remember that? He's still in supernatural territory here with Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, a carnival and a clairvoyant in 1939. So that covers spooky and period piece.

Period pieces, get your period pieces: Kenneth Branagh's "Belfast" is a winning dramedy based on his own childhood in 1969 amid The Troubles (digital rental/sale); "Licorice Pizza" is a hilarious (but definitely problematic) '70s romance bursting with youthful energy and the most accessible film Paul Thomas Anderson has made since 1997's "Boogie Nights" (still in theaters); and I don't need to tell you what "West Side Story" is. (But Disney would sure like you to see it in a theater. Steven Spielberg adapted one of the biggest musicals ever and it tanked at the box office?!)

Every year, the Oscar shortlist features a few titles unknown by the vast majority of the moviegoing public. This year, there are two: "CODA," a drama about a Child Of Deaf Adults featuring Morton Grove's own Marlee Matlin (available on Apple TV+), and "Drive My Car," a three-hour Japanese epic about grief and a production of "Uncle Vanya" (really) that's a shoo-in for the international feature award (still in theaters).

And then there's the favorite, with 12 nominations, "The Power of the Dog." Film buffs rejoice, as beloved director Jane Campion appears to be headed for Oscar immortality thanks to her bold and beautiful adaptation of Thomas Savage's Western with a big surprise and an even bigger performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. The tale of rough-edged rancher Phil Burbank grows in power the more I think about it, a slow-burn that rewards your attention and your reconsideration. It's the smart pick to win, and you can watch it right now on Netflix.

Which reminds me, there's one more nominee, also on Netflix - but the less said about Adam McKay's alleged comedy and smug political allegory "Don't Look Up," the better. At least Jennifer Lawrence was good.

You can watch the Oscars at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 27 - plenty of time to catch up - on ABC.