‘Selma’ Scores Two Oscar Nominations, Gets Snubbed in Other Major Categories
by Courtney Connley

January 16, 2015

‘Selma’ Scores Two Oscar Nominations, Gets Snubbed in Other Major Categories

It’s almost that time of year again where some of the best and brightest in Hollywood gather together to celebrate the makings of the industry’s greatest films.

Thursday morning in Los Angeles, the highly-anticipated Academy Award nominations were announced, sparking several mixed reactions from moviegoers and critics alike. One of the biggest disappointments came with the nominations, or lack thereof, for one of this year’s most talked about films, Selma.

Despite a nomination for best picture and best original song, the film’s director and actors were shut out of what many people feel to be their much deserved categories. The film’s leading actor, David Oyelowo, was snubbed from a best actor nomination and director Ava DuVernay was shut out of the best director category.

With DuVernay’s omission from this year’s list, critics are pointing out that once again the awards show is shaping up to have little to no diversity. Throughout the Oscar’s 87 year history, the only female to win an award for best director is Kathryn Bigelow in 2010. If DuVernay were nominated, she would have made history as the first African American female director to be in the running for an Oscar.

With today marking what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 86th birthday, DuVernay sent out a heartfelt tweet that showed both her appreciation for the film’s two nominations and her honor for a man who’s legacy gave inspiration to the film.

SOURCE: The Washington Post

 


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