The 10 Biggest Oscar Snubs of 2007
by Brian Tallerico

4. Best Supporting Actor - Steve Zahn for Rescue Dawn

When I walked out of Rescue Dawn, everyone was talking about the perfect performances by Christian Bale and Steve Zahn and potential for Oscar success. Just a few months later, barely anyone even remembered the film came out. If you want what looks to be proof of the politics behind the Oscars, look no further than the exclusion of Steve Zahn for his career-best work in Rescue Dawn. The fact is that MGM doesn't have the studio weight of Focus, Paramount, Miramax, or the other regularly rewarded-by-Oscar studios. A quick look on Awards Daily, a great website that compiles all of the "For Your Consideration" ads that run in Variety and other industry magazines, makes it clear that MGM never ran a single ad for Rescue Dawn. Every eventual Supporting Actor nominee had an ad devoted to not only their film but specifically their performance. It's simply not a fair and balanced game. Poor Steve never stood a chance.

3. Best Actress - Angelina Jolie for A Mighty Heart

This was the most stunning snub on nomination day, especially after Jolie was nominated for the Golden Globes and several critics awards. It's a joke that Angelina Jolie WON an Oscar for Girl, Interrupted and didn't get even get nominated for her vastly superior work in the much better film A Mighty Heart. Is this another case where a star's public persona has made it impossible for Academy members to separate a character from the person who plays her? If a newcomer had given the exact same performance in A Mighty Heart, would she have been nominated? No, she would have WON. Have the Academy voters simply dismissed this film completely due to its subject matter? When you're looking at a pile of Academy screeners, it's a harder choice to watch a film about the widow of a beheaded journalist. But, as a voter, it's irresponsible not to. At least give it worthy consideration and a fair shake. Despite her famous husband, her photogenic kids, and the international jet-setting, Jolie re-confirmed in A Mighty Heart that she is, first and foremost, a damn good actress, and it's a shame her performance didn't get the attention it deserved.

2. Best Actor - Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl

It was damn-near miraculous that Lars and the Real Girl was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but the quirky comedy should also have been considered in the Best Supporting Actress (Emily Mortimer) and Best Actor categories. There is no actor of his generation with the range of Ryan Gosling (sadly, Heath Ledger had a similar incredible range that we'll never see fulfilled). Watch Gosling in The Notebook, Half Nelson, Fracture, and Lars and the Real Girl, and try to pick out the typical "acting" crutches that most actors return to again and again. Even the best actors have their trademark quirks - like Nicholson's smile or Pacino's bizarre vocal cadence - but Gosling approaches every role in a completely different manner. He should have won last year for Half Nelson, and he should have been nominated this year for Lars and the Real Girl.

1. Zodiac for anything, especially David Fincher for Best Director

Zodiac was one of the most controversial films of 2007. But even its detractors can't deny one thing, it was masterfully made. The set design, costume design, and cinematography in Zodiac were technically exquisite (although that final category was a tough one to get into this year). Years from now, people browsing on sites like IMDB or Wikipedia will drop their jaws when they see that Zodiac didn't land a single Oscar nomination. David Fincher was completely committed to his vision and the obsession surrounding San Francisco's Zodiac killer, and he assembled a near-perfect team to bring it to life. Personally, I don't love the film as much as some, and wouldn't even put it in my top five, but to not nominate the flawless design of this film is a crime. Clearly, Zodiac isn't the only one.