3. Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945)
The Academy generally approve of love stories, bestowing awards on films such as Titanic, Casablanca and Shakespeare in Love which all tell the tale of tragic romances ripped apart by fate. And yet Brief Encounter missed out on a nomination for Best Picture, despite being acknowledged for its direction and the performance of leading lady Celia Johnson.
Perhaps the problem with Brief Encounter is that it is terribly British, telling a tale of love through restraint, clipped accents and goodbyes in teashops. Compared to films which were nominated by the Academy, the film significantly lacks the glamour of a glossy love story. However, time has proven this to be Brief Encounter’s greatest strength, with the film remaining utterly timeless and as moving now as it was in 1945. It may not be showy or slick, but Brief Encounter is a film of pure and delicate tenderness and one which sits head and shoulders above its counterparts.
Should have been nominated instead of – The Razor’s Edge. A lavish, brassy, superficial production which significantly lacks the depth of Brief Encounter.
2. Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995)
To date, Pixar studios have made twelve feature films, all being critical and financial hits, with the notable exception of Cars 2. Toy Story was Pixar’s first production and with the retrospective knowledge of how acclaimed the sequels have been, it is astonishing that this landmark film in terms of computer animation failed to score a nomination.
The Academy has never been very enthusiastic about animation, with only three animated features ever nominated in the Best Picture category. It was not until 2001 that the Academy finally created a Best Animated Feature category, a move which was sadly 6 years too late for Toy Story. Although the praise and prizes lavished on Toy Story 3 has generally been seen as an acknowledgement of the entire series, the individual brilliance of the first film cannot be ignored.
With a sophisticated yet child-friendly script and some of the most well-loved characters in recent memory, Toy Story was the film which heralded a new era of digital animation. Considering how much the Academy likes to recognise new technological achievements in film making, the lack of nomination for Toy Story is baffling.
Should have been nominated instead of – Apollo 13. Toy Story was unlucky to be released the same year that Babe received a Best Picture nomination, reducing the chances of the Academy acknowledging a second family-friendly film. Apollo 13 is a good film, but has nowhere near the amount of entertainment factor that Toy Story does.
1. The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining was not nominated for Best Picture. But what is more unbelievable is that this film which so often tops the lists of scariest films of all time did not receive one single nomination.
Stanley Kubrick was never lucky at the Oscars, his one solitary win being oddly for Best Special Effects as opposed to directing, which was never better when bringing Steven King’s novel The Shining to life. Telling the tale of a family isolated in a hotel during the winter, Kubrick masterfully creates a labyrinth-like network of rooms, corridors and hallways which blend seamlessly into one huge claustrophobic nightmare of confusion and fear.
With Jack Nicholson on top form and a total focus on psychological rather than literal terror, The Shining is one of the most effective horror films ever made, delicately combining moments of extreme subtlety with the famously over-the-top ending. How the Academy missed the skill evident in the film remains an unsolved mystery.
Should have been nominated instead of – Ordinary People. The Shining could hve easily replaced this fairly forgettable winner.
