Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2014

Welcome to a returning weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five was the first in a series of projects looking back at the past ten years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. With the 2014 Oscar season wrapped, it’s time to take a look back at the past year.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2014
Big Eyes earned a Best Actress trophy for Amy Adams and seemed like a potential contender for Best Original Song, at the very least. Three of director Tim Burton’s previous four films earned Oscar nominations in a few categories, and this, which may well be his most normal film to date, had a shot at being recognized before it landed with decidedly little fanfare.

Fury had the makings of an Oscar movie with an epic war story and Brad Pitt in the lead role. Pitt appeared in and produced the 2013 Best Picture Winner, “12 Years a Slave” and starred in five Best Picture nominees in the past decade, including another World War II-set blockbuster, “Inglourious Basterds.” Something about this particular story didn’t land with voters, and it got shut out.

The Homesman didn’t enthrall me at all, but it seemed like it was a dark horse Oscar contender headed straight for a few major upsets. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and Tommy Lee Jones’ second time behind the camera didn’t give Hilary Swank her third chance to win an Oscar for a truly miserable role.

A Most Violent Year was one of my favorite films of the year, and was doomed to be ignored like “Children of Men” due to its incredibly late release date. An NBR win for Best Picture was the only major spot this film peaked, and only supporting actress Jessica Chastain seemed set for an Oscar nod after Oscar Isaac and the film’s cinematography, screenplay, direction, and music were ignored repeatedly. In the end, this film didn’t score a single nomination.

Snowpiercer was a stretch from the start, but strong reviews and an impressive precursor presence suggested that the film’s technical elements and supporting actress Tilda Swinton might break into the race, and the film could even pull off a place on the top list if it had enough support. Apparently, this had to settle for being a cult film and couldn’t achieve widespread recognition from the Oscar voting body.

Do you agree with these choices? What films do you think came closest before being ignored completely?

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2012

Welcome to a returning weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five was the first in a series of projects looking back at the past ten years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. With the 2013 Oscar season wrapped, it’s time to take a look back at the past two years.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2012
Arbitrage was Richard Gere’s return to prominence, an involving thriller that stemmed from a subtle financial crime premise and evolved into much more. The film was named one of the National Board of Review’s top ten independent films and earned Gere a Golden Globe nod, but nothing more materialized save for a promising career for debut feature director Nicholas Jarecki.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the definition of a crowd-pleaser, a jovial story about retirees traveling to India helmed by “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden and starring Oscar winners Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. The two actresses each netted one major awards bid and the film managed a Golden Globe Best Picture nod and a SAG ensemble mention, but that’s as far as it went for this entertaining light fare.

Compliance was probably too small a film ever to merit Oscar consideration in the top category, but supporting actress Ann Dowd was a major contender for a nomination for her portrayal of an all-too-subservient fast food restaurant manager. Its chilling plot and gritty performances were definitely strong, and I’m sure this well-made independent film ended up on more than a few voters’ ballots.

The Dark Knight Rises exemplified why the Oscar Best Picture race was expanded and should have gotten the nod that its predecessor didn’t receive. The tragic shooting at a midnight screening all but negated its chances since voters were hardly eager to endorse a film – my pick for the best of Christopher Nolan’s three Batman movies – that inspired such horrific true-life violence.

Rust and Bone was a French film that did pretty well with the awards circuit, earning Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Actress for star Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar for “La Vie en Rose” five years earlier. Not being selected as France’s Oscar submission meant it could have done well in other categories, but ultimately even Cotillard couldn’t manage a nomination for a well-reviewed film that just ended up getting ignored.

Do you agree with these choices? What films do you think came closest before being ignored completely?

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2013

Welcome to a returning weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five was the first in a series of projects looking back at the past ten years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. With the 2013 Oscar season wrapped, it’s time to take a look back at the past two years.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2013
Blue is the Warmest Color had its detractors, those who ignored it outright because of its sexual content or criticized it because of the sexual content they did see in it. It did win a tremendous number of foreign film prizes, plus its Cannes trophy, and not being eligible for Best Foreign Film might have made it popular enough to break through in the top race. I was almost crazy enough to predict that it would be nominated, but Adèle Exarchupoulos not being recognized proved too damning.

The Butler was a major Oscar contender from the moment it was announced, and I still can’t quite comprehended why it fizzled. SAG voters loved it, Golden Globe voters shut it out, and Oscar voters sided with the latter. It may have been too schmaltzy and sentimental, despite the allure of giving the once-nominated Oprah an Oscar win.

Enough Said had some buzz thanks to a well-received turn from TV actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an endearing final performance from another TV actor, the late James Gandolfini. Nicole Holofcener was all poised for her big Oscar breakthrough in the Best Original Screenplay race, but this film faded from memory and couldn’t muster any of its three likeliest nominations or one for the top prize.

Fruitvale Station was a smash hit at Sundance and should have been guaranteed gold at the Oscars thanks to its pickup by Weinstein. Something didn’t translate into awards seasons, however, and Michael B. Jordan found himself far from in the running for a Best Actor bid. The film might have had a shot if it had more precursor love, but unfortunately no one seemed ready to recognize this incredible film.

Rush was an epic sports movie from Ron Howard, who won an Oscar for helming “A Beautiful Mind” and helmed two other Best Picture nominees. Why this one didn’t catch is a mystery, though it seems that the film went over much better in Europe than it did in the United States. A Best Motion Picture – Drama nod from the Golden Globes and precursor nominations for Daniel Bruhl amounted to zero technical Oscar nominations and no other mentions of any kind.

Do you agree with these choices? What films do you think came closest before being ignored completely?

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2010

Welcome to a returning weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five was the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. Since I started this feature back in 2010, I’ll now be filling in the past two years.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2010

Conviction was a November Hilary Swank movie, and late-breaking Hilary Swank movies have a tendency to catch Oscar voters by surprise and overwhelm them to discard other films. This story of a woman who becomes a lawyer to get her brother out of jail didn’t, and a SAG nod for Swank and diddly-squat for supporting Sam Rockwell were the only results.

The Ghost Writer was directed by Roman Polanski, who won an Oscar for helming “The Pianist” over two decades after fleeing the United States to avoid statutory rape charges. In France and other international awards groups, this film did well, but its politically-charged mystery was entirely forgotten by Oscar voters after a February release.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was ignored by Oscar voters long before the American remake fell short of a Best Picture nod but earned five nods (and one win) instead. Without a familiar director like David Fincher, this film probably felt too foreign – and violent – for voters’ tastes, though it was definitely popular, and given the lukewarm reception of the remake, this may just not have been Oscar-friendly material.

Made in Dagenham earned five BAFTA nominations and a handful of other British prizes, but it didn’t make any noise in the United States. Category confusion for this light-hearted dramatic story may have been the reason, but two-time Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson should have been able to overcome that for her fantastic supporting role.

Shutter Island br /> stands as the only Martin Scorsese-directed feature film in the past ten years not to earn a Best Picture nomination (the other four did). It wasn’t typical Scorsese material, trading gangsters for a gloomy, haunted prison, but this February release should still have garnered some consideration based on its director and star.

Take a look at past editions of the Forgotten Five, and other Wednesday Oscar Retrospective series.

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2011

Welcome to a returning weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five was the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed. Since I started this feature back in 2010, I’ll now be filling in the past two years.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2011

Coriolanus was the directorial debut for two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes. Though Kenneth Branagh has successfully drawn Oscar nominations from Shakespeare adaptations, this modern-day take on a famous play with the original dialogue preserved didn’t earn any Oscar traction, despite buzz for Vanessa Redgrave’s mother.

Melancholia was a visually astounding apocalyptic tale from director Lars Von Trier, who previous films “Breaking the Waves” and “Dancer in the Dark” earned Oscar attention. His unconventional film may have turned some off, but not as much as the anti-Semitic remarks he made at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2011, which likely dashed his chances altogether.

Martha Marcy May Marlene was highly buzzed-about in anticipation of its release, and Elizabeth Olsen seemed set for a Best Actress nomination after plenty of critics awards. The film faltered and got ignored, probably since the somewhat similar (and superior) “Winter’s Bone” had been released the year before and voters weren’t in the mood for another depressing and dark drama.

Shame probably intrigued as many people as it turned off with its NC-17 rating. Director Steve McQueen reteamed with actor Michael Fassbender after his first film, “Hunger,” to create a truly unique and compelling adult drama. Fassbender got a Golden Globe nomination, but that’s as far as this arthouse indie went.

Take Shelter gave Michael Shannon, who earned a surprising Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2008 for “Revolutionary Road,” an excellent showcase for his talents in a strong, well-made psychological thriller. The film may have peaked too early, released at the end of September, since it was completely forgotten by Oscar time.

Take a look at past editions of the Forgotten Five, and other Wednesday Oscar Retrospective series.

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2002

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.


Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.


The Forgotten Five of 2002:

Antwone Fisher was the directorial debut for Denzel Washington, who won his second acting Oscar one year earlier for “Training Day.” It was a moving film based on a true story that garnered praise and nomination from the Black Reel Awards and the Image Awards, earning accolades mostly for lead actor Derek Luke, but no Oscar nods.

Igby Goes Down was a dysfunctional family dramedy similar to the previous year’s Oscar-nominated “The Royal Tenenbaums,” with a star-studded cast that included Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman. In addition to a special NBR award, it earned awards for Sarandon’s performance as well as star Kieran Culkin.

Punch-Drunk Love did the seemingly impossible and generated Oscar buzz for comedian Adam Sandler, who only ended up getting as far as a Golden Globe nomination. Director P.T. Anderson’s previous two films (“Magnolia” and “Boogie Nights”) earned multiple Oscar nods, and it would be his next (“There Will Be Blood”) that would finally be nommed for Best Picture.

Secretary, from yet another Steven whose last name ended in “berg” (this time Shainberg), was lauded at the Sundance Film Festival for its originality. It launched the career of future Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal, but just as many people were liked turned off by its subject matter as those who loved it.

25th Hour was a powerhouse post-9/11 ensemble drama led by two-time Oscar nominee Edward Norton that mysteriously didn’t fare well with awards. Norton had a few other roles that year that may have divided voters’ attention, but more relevantly, director Spike Lee has never helmed a Best Picture nominee, despite earning a screenplay nod for “Do the Right Thing.”

Take a look at past editions of the Forgotten Five, and get ready for an all-new Oscar Retrospective series starting next Wednesday!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2003

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2003:


Kill Bill Volume 1 was a wildly violent film from Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino, who won the Best Screenplay award for his second feature, 1994 Best Picture nominee “Pulp Fiction.” His subsequent film, “Jackie Brown,” earned just an acting nod for Robert Forster. This film, despite starring past Oscar nominee Uma Thurman, didn’t do the same, probably because it was too gratuitous and off-putting for some.

The Life of David Gale wasn’t a serious contender by the time Oscar season finally rolled around, but when this movie was originally supposed to come out, it had everything going for it: a two-time Oscar winning star (Kevin Spacey), two Oscar-nominated actresses (Kate Winslet and Laura Linney), an Oscar-nominated director (Alan Parker), and a weighty premise about an anti-death penalty activist suddenly on death row.

Love Actually really was the ultimate romantic comedy, pitting together a smattering of stars, including former Oscar nominees Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, and Laura Linney. The entertainment value was high, and the film even received a surprise screenplay nomination from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It still couldn’t overcome the Oscar’s lack of enthusiasm for comedies.

Shattered Glass was a cutting-edge look at a true-life journalistic scandal involving fabricated sources. Most of the kudos it scored were from the Independent Spirit Awards and for its value as an exposé. Still, supporting actor Peter Sarsgaard and the adapted screenplay by Billy Ray racked up an impressive slate of honors, and a Best Picture mention probably wasn’t too far out of the picture.

The Station Agent was a runaway success with the Screen Actors Guild, earning nominations for lead actors Peter Dinklage and Patricia Clarkson as well as its ensemble cast. The trouble was, it couldn’t muster up much other awards attention, and most of Clarkson’s accolades were also for her the performance that resulted in an Oscar nomination for her, another tiny indie called “Pieces of April.”

Get started on 2002 (the final edition of this project) and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2004

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2004:


Fahrenheit 9/11 was submitted by Michael Moore for consideration in the Best Picture category instead of the Best Documentary one in an attempt to follow up on Moore’s win in the latter category in 2002 for “Bowling for Columbine.” The film and the stunt presumably pissed a number of people off and didn’t pan out, though I predicted the film to get in for Best Picture and Best Director.

Garden State was the directorial debut of “Scrubs” actor Zach Braff. Despite turning in a surprisingly mature performance and showcasing the wonderful Natalie Portman, the film didn’t win many awards other than honors for Braff’s debut. His take on life in New Jersey earned a WGA nod for its original screenplay, but didn’t cater to the older block of Oscar voters.

Kill Bill Volume 2 was the second part of Quentin Tarantino’s bloody revenge saga. Uma Thurman earned Golden Globe nominations for both parts, and Bill himself picked up a nod for this part (the late David Carradine). The first one didn’t earn any accolades, but it was possible that the second might earn the duo’s due. It’s likely that the strong amount of violence and excessive swordplay may have diminished its chances.

Mean Girls was a searing send-up of high school life featuring starlet Lindsay Lohan before her days of crazy partying. “Saturday Night Live” stalwart player Tina Fey adapted the screenplay and the film was a critical success. This precursor to “Gossip Girl” didn’t get much farther than a WGA nod for Fey’s script, demonstrating that Oscar voters aren’t known for their sense of humor.

The Notebook made teenage girls across the country swoon. Rising stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were certainly a major part of that, but the presence of veteran actors and past Oscar nominees James Garner, who earned a SAG Award nomination and Gena Rowlands seemed like it might propel the film to a spot on Oscar radar. This great love story just wasn’t destined to win awards.

Get started on 2003 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2005

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2005:


The 40-Year-Old Virgin was the first feature film from Judd Apatow, who had earned acclaim for his two short-lived TV series, “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.” Apatow’s creation of a more lasting work that couldn’t be cancelled prematurely could have called for Oscar attention, but voters didn’t take the film too seriously and he had to settle for a WGA nomination

Happy Endings was a multi-thread story about how a bunch of people came together and interacted in some way that affected all of their lives. Voters preferred a similarly star-studded film with an ensemble cast, but it seems they weren’t in the mood to chuckle or watch people receive happy endings, opting instead for the ultra-serious eventual Best Picture winner “Crash.”

Jarhead was a topical war movie that served as the third feature film from director Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar the first time around for “American Beauty.” The strong leading performance from Jake Gyllenhaal could have been his breakthrough, if only he hadn’t starred in another movie that Oscar voters were obsessed with that same year: “Brokeback Mountain.”

The Producers was the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical that itself was originally a popular film. Mel Brooks won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1968 for penning the original film, and preserving most of the Broadway show’s cast made it seem like it might actually be a hit. It did well at the Golden Globes with four nominations and then fizzled, tanking before Oscar time.

Rent brought to the screen the 1996 Tony-winning musical beloved by devoted audiences, and even managed to keep most of the original cast intact. Something about the stage play didn’t quite translate and the film didn’t present anything new, but many in love with it still championed the quality of the film. Its failure to earn any Golden Globe attention probably didn’t help much.

Get started on 2004 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2006

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2006:


Bobby brought together so many stars in just one film, and it involved a historical figure with no actor playing him just like in a Best Picture nominee from the previous year, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” It earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama, but ultimately it just wasn’t serious enough to contend at the Oscars, and fell behind a number of other more well-received films.

The Fountain probably brought director Darren Aronofsky closer than ever before to scoring an Oscar nomination for his time-spanning scenery-heavy epic, a far more mainstream and fantastical film than his previous two features, “Pi” and “Requiem for a Dream.” It turned just as many off as it did on, and Aronofksy had to settle for helping another actor to an Oscar nod two years later, Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler.”

For Your Consideration would be the Christopher Guest movie to get in given its subject matter, satirizing Oscar season, but it failed to pick up any momentum prior to the Oscars save for its supporting actress Catherine O’Hara. It may have hit just a little too close to home for voters, and its failure to earn any Golden Globe nods or other nominations along the way probably didn’t help.

The Painted Veil had a lot going for it at the beginning, with two fantastic Oscar-nominated stars headlining a film that was named as one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review. It wasn’t a flop but it just didn’t catch fire. Maybe the fact that it was a movie about love in the time of cholera had people mistakenly confusing it with the film that actually had that title?

Thank You For Smoking could well have been a nominee, given the future success of director Jason Reitman, whose successive two features, “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” both scored Best Picture nominations. With “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Borat” in the running, this just wasn’t the year for this politically astute comedy. Voters didn’t even give it a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Get started on 2005 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2007

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2007:

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead was directed by five-time Oscar nominee Sidney Lumet, who at the time of the film’s release was 83 years old. Lumet had previously helmed four Best Picture nominees but never won, and he was a strong contender for a Best Director career nod. The film didn’t pick up enough buzz, and ended up being the only one of three Philip Seymour Hoffman movies in 2007 not to be nominated for an Oscar.

The Great Debaters came from out of nowhere with a lone Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama with an expanded seven-nominee field. In a year where there were eight legitimate contenders for Best Picture up until the very last moment, there was no room for this film that had no other precursors of any kind except Image Award nominations, and it got shut out, just like director Denzel Washington’s previous feature, “Antwone Fisher.”

Hairspray had everyone singing and dancing at the Golden Globes with three nominations, including one for a cross-dressing John Travolta. While it was likely a long shot for the Best Picture prize, people definitely loved it and its colorful visuals. On nomination day, it wasn’t just missing a Best Picture nod, but also mentions for Best Art Direction and Best Costumes, among others. Perhaps it was a victim of another much drearier musical, “Sweeney Todd.”

Knocked Up was even more popular and well-reviewed than director Judd Apatow’s first feature film, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and earned a WGA nod. It probably didn’t help that similar films like “Superbad” and “Walk Hard” were released in the same year, but the biggest challenge it faced in winning over Oscar voters was its use of gross-out humor and foul language, which the Academy still hasn’t endorsed with two thumbs up.

Zodiac was made by a great filmmaker, but despite having directed cult hits like “Se7en” and “Fight Club,” David Fincher had never been nominated for an Oscar, and he would have to wait another year until he finally landed his first nod for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Many liked his dark examination of 1970s menace to society, but it may have been too dismal and grisly to win. It probably helped to reboot Robert Downey Jr.’s career, though he too would have to wait another year to earn an Oscar nod.

Get started on 2006 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2008

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2008:


Burn After Reading helmers Joel and Ethan Coen picked up directing trophies and the top prize for “No Country for Old Men.” While it was only their second Best Picture nomination (after 1996’s “Fargo”), their follow-up picture was likely going to make a stir. It earned a Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical nod at the Golden Globes and a WGA mention, but the Coens had to wait another year before returning with Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay nominations with “A Serious Man.”

Gran Torino burst right out of the gate with a National Board of Review win for Best Actor Clint Eastwood. It failed to pick up much traction after that, receiving a nomination for Best Song at the Golden Globes and not much else from precursors. Eastwood lost out on a slot in favor of never-nominated actor Richard Jenkins, and this film got jilted in favor of Clint’s other film, “Changeling,” which earned three nods, including Best Actress.

Mamma Mia, the adaptation of the Abba stage musical, wasn’t taken seriously by many, and for good reason. Still, it managed to earn Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and the best thing it had going for it besides the music: Meryl Streep. Without any original songs and generally unfavorable reviews, it had to settle for a wildly impressive worldwide box office take.

Synecdoche, New York came from Oscar-winning scribe Charlie Kaufman, who had penned “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Adaptation,” and “Being John Malkovich,” three films which went over exceptionally well with Oscar voters, and was buzzworthy because it was his directorial debut. His solo effort may just have been too weird for people to come around to, and despite positive reception, it was overshadowed by other contenders.

It’s hard to pick a fifth film, but consider W, the bizarre comedy-drama that didn’t really know what it was. Oliver Stone directed three Best Picture nominees between 1986 and 1991 – “Platoon,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” and “JFK.” His attempt to adapt the current-at-the-time administration was just as controversial as ever, but most simply weren’t sure what to make of the not-quite parody that wasn’t as incising as expected.

Get started on 2007 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2009

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Yesterday’s nominations announcement makes it easy to start with 2009 and work backwards each week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2009:

500 Days of Summer delighted summer moviegoers with its whimsical and honest look at a relationship and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical. Many expected it to earn nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing in addition to the top award.

The Hangover was a big hit similar in the vein of films like “The 40-Year-Old Virign” and “Knocked Up,” both of which earned WGA nods before going on to be snubbed at the Oscars. But this film managed to get nominated for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes – and win!

It’s Complicated was popular with older viewers and generally well-liked, and earned a surprise Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay. The biggest problem was bad timing – everyone else was focused on the other Meryl Streep movie and performance that came out in the same year, although that one didn’t do too well with Oscar voters either.

The Road never struck much of an awards chord but popped up frequently in predictions for its production values and Viggo Mortensen’s leading performance. Its weakness was the fact that it had been touted as an Oscar contender in the previous year’s Oscar race, and the long delays didn’t help win over viewers of this bleak film.

Where the Wild Things Are was enormously well-reviewed and seemed like it could break through back in October, but buzz quickly faded. By the time Oscar season kicked into high gear, Spike Jonze was but one of many great directors from the year, and the movie’s score was disqualified, leaving it empty-handed and stranded in its own fantasy world.

Get started on 2008 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!