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Many people out there feel the Academy Awards are biased as hell. Granted, there are a few epic military films that took home some hardware, like Lawrence of Arabia, Glory, and 1917. The greatness of several classics, such as Tropic Thunder and Full Metal Jacket, were recognized with nominations, but that doesn’t make up for the SNUBS other masterpieces had to suffer.
You can make the argument for many films, but here is a quick list of movies that deserved an Oscar.
Shady Hollywood Dealings:
Snubbed: Saving Private Ryan
Who won: Shakespeare in Love
The snub of Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture was one of the biggest shocks of that year’s Academy Awards. Watch these two movies back-to-back and tell me you think I’m wrong. Of the 11 nominations, the WW2 epic won 5. Many Hollywood insiders attribute the unexpected Shakespearean win to the last minute “blitzkrieg” press tour orchestrated by the legendary asshole, Harvey Weinstein. The same year, a Pacific theater focused film titled The Thin Red Line was nominated for 7 Oscars, but won zero.
Trivia: Only 77% of Google users who reviewed Shakespeare in Love said they liked it, in contrast 91% liked Saving Private Ryan.
Hot Take:
Snubbed: Damon Wayans -Major Payne
Who won: Nicolas Cage -Leaving Las Vegas
Nic Cage was phenomenal, but the simple fact the brilliant performance of Damon Wayans, as Major Benson Winifred Payne, wasn’t even nominated is criminal. Despite never even serving in the United States Marine Corps, Wayans nailed the essence of an insecure, overbearing, psychopathic, edictorial, egomaniacal, frigid, lunatic ASSHOLE. Although I personally didn’t think he was frigid.
Trivia: Major Payne was released just 3 days before Tom Hanks won the Oscar for playing an Army Veteran in Forrest Gump.
This Year:
Snubbed: Devotion
Who won: Literally everyone else...
This film depicting U.S. Navy aviators during the Korean War easily could have been nominated, and even won the Oscar for Special Effects. Jonathan Majors, who played Ensign Jesse L. Brown (the first African-American aviator for the US Navy), and Glen Powell have both been praised by critics for their performance.
Trivia: The dogfight scenes were designed by Kevin Larosa II, who oversaw the flight sequences for Top Gun: Maverick (nominated for several Oscars) which also starred Glen Powell.
Honorable mention:
Snubbed: Val Kilmer -Tombstone
Who won: Tommy Lee Jone - The Fugitive
Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc Holiday stood out among a stacked cast. Although not a military movie, it certainly resonated with the military community. Kilmer delivered a layered and moving performance that easily could have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but sadly he was not even nominated.
Trivia: Willem Dafoe was reportedly the first choice to play Doc Holiday, but the studio’s big wigs supposedly didn’t like Dafoe based on earlier works.
Like I said, you can add a lot to this list. However, it’s beer-thirty so help me out by leaving a comment when this is posted on social media with your opinion on what movie should have won.
