The Biggest Surprises of the 2017 Oscars Nominations

When the Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced, there were quite a few names on the nominee list that shocked and surprised people. That ceremony makes the distinction between Drama and Comedy or Musical, giving some wiggle room to the movies that receive nominations. Considering the winners of that event, when the Oscar nominations roll out, most of the names on the list are pretty predictable.

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Although the 2017 Oscars don’t feature any totally out of nowhere surprises, but there are definitely some selections that caused a few raised eyebrows. Between snubs of expected winners and surprise films sneaking in under the radar, the surprises could lead to an interesting awards show.

What do you think were the biggest surprises of this year’s nominations? Let us know in the comments!

La La Land Already Wins Big

At the Golden Globe Awards, La La Land took home more awards than any other film that night. It’s nor surprising that the film earned so many Academy Awards nominations, but it’s surprising just how many it received. The film earned 14 nominations, which ties the record for most nominations received by a movie with All About Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997). It even has to compete against itself for Best Original Song, in which it earned two nominations.

[H/T YouTube/Lionsgate Movies]

Michael Shannon Edges Out Award Winner

One of the surprises at the Golden Globe Awards wasn’t just that Aaron Taylor-Johnson scored a nomination, not just that Michael Shannon was snubbed, but also that Taylor-Johnson took home the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. The actor was great in Nocturnal Animals, but compared to the dusty sheriff Shannon played, his win was a shock. It’s great to see Shannon get the acclaim he deserves, but Taylor-Johnson getting snubbed was a surprise to all.

[H/T YouTube/Movieclips Trailer]

Surprising Superheroes Sneak In

Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds earning nominations at the Golden Globes were a huge surprise, but considering the success of the film, the talent behind it couldn’t be ignored. Although neither Reynolds or Deadpool earned any awards, even being considered made people think it could gain some attention at the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, Deadpool didn’t score any nominations, but one of the worst-reviewed superhero films of the year, Suicide Squad, managed to earn a nomination for makeup and costumes. That’s right, we now have to call it “Oscar-nominated Suicide Squad.”

[H/T YouTube/Warner Bros. Pictures]

Scorsese Was Silenced

Martin Scorsese is easily one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and when he makes a movie, critics and awards organizations always take notice. The director’s latest opus, Silence, has earned spots on many top 10 lists, but unfortunately, that doesn’t equate to Academy recognition. Silence marks the second of his films in 16 years to not earn a Best Picture nomination, along with Shutter Island. Considering how passionate Scorsese was about the project, it must be frustrating to not gain Oscar recognition.

[H/T YouTube/Movieclips Trailers]

Best Actress Absences

There’s no debate that Meryl Streep is an incredible actress in virtually every movie she appears in, and although she’s good in it, Florence Foster Jenkins wasn’t widely considered one of her best films. In a different year, Streep could have deserved to be considered a best actress, but when compared to the performances of Annette Bening in 20th Century Women and Amy Adams in both Nocturnal Animals and Arrival, it feels like the Academy nominated her for her legacy instead of for the specific role. Sadly, these might have been some of the best roles for Bening and Adams, who were completely overlooked.

[H/T YouTube/Movieclips Trailers]

Dory is Missing Once Again

Disney dominated 2016’s box office, thanks in due part to Pixar’s sequel to Finding Nemo, Finding Dory. The film received positive reviews and earned more money in 2016 than any other, but the Academy opted to nominate films like Moana, Kubo and the Two Strings, and the Golden Globe-winning Zootopia. Although Pixar films don’t regularly win, they almost always make a showing in the Best Animated Feature category.