Let’s Talk Cinema: The 1980s

DUN DUN DUN… It’s time for the big bad snubs of the 1980s!

Now, I wasn’t alive in the ’80s, and it certainly isn’t a decade of film that I’m deeply versed in. However, I definitely have plenty of options for better choices than what the Academy went with. So let’s hop right in. Give me your top 10 Oscar snubs of the 1980s. Remember, snubs are films or performances NOT nominated.

Jerm’s Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Snubs of the 1980s

10. Die Hard
Iconic. The love for this film has grown and grown, especially among the “Christmas movie” crowd. It truly is a fun piece of cinema that has aged incredibly well. Alan Rickman should have been nominated for Supporting Actor, alongside Bruce Willis, and honestly the film itself. I’m not huge into action films, but I do think Die Hard would have made a fun, off-the-wall choice. It has certainly aged better than many of the actual winners of the decade.

9. Jamie Lee Curtis, A Fish Called Wanda
A brilliant film that was rightfully nominated for Director and Screenplay, and even won Supporting Actor. However, Jamie being snubbed is particularly egregious, in my opinion. I do wonder, had she been nominated for this and True Lies (another performance she deserved recognition for), would we have been spared her questionable and mind-boggling win for Everything Everywhere All at Once? Curtis would have made a fantastic nominee here.

8. Sean Connery, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
I love this film and performance so much. The chemistry Connery had with Harrison Ford was incredible. He did receive a Globe nomination, if only that had translated to the Oscars. His comedic timing was underappreciated, and it would have been great to see him explore that side more. Maybe he has and I just need to dig deeper.

7. Back to the Future
Again, another iconic movie. I’ll even shout out Christopher Lloyd for Supporting Actor, maybe even Michael J. Fox. I love revisiting this series. It’s original, unique, and feels fresh every time I watch it. It has absolutely stood the test of time. The film itself would have been a great nominee. Too bad.

6. Danny Glover, The Color Purple
I’m of the mind that The Color Purple should have swept the Oscars in 1985. I know the subject matter is a hot topic, especially among fans of the novel who feel it isn’t faithful, and there’s also the controversy of it being directed by a white man. But if you just take the film for what it is, it’s brilliant. On my last viewing, I was blown away by Danny Glover’s performance and left wondering how he was ignored. His work is powerful, scary, and unsettling. In a year where such boring performances were nominated, to not even include one that blows the winner out of the park is INSANE.

5. Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson, The Shining
Yes, we are all painfully aware of the Academy’s genre bias, but surely this is a crime, right? These performances are unhinged, and absolutely no one else could have done what Shelley and Jack did. If the goal is to award great performances, and you have these two delivering in such iconic roles, how do you not nominate them? What even is the point? They deserved better, though in some ways they’re more remembered than many winners, so there’s that.

4. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally
Genre bias strikes again. The word “iconic” strikes again. I mean, come on. These two never being nominated is a crime. This film is a crime of omission. Rom-coms, horror, and action films always get the short end of the stick at the Oscars, and it sucks. Of course, there are rare moments when the Academy pulls its head out of the sand and recognizes brilliance. Meg and Billy were electric. I love a good rom-com, and while few are Oscar-worthy, this one absolutely was.

3. Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People
This one has always been a head-scratcher. How was he not nominated? Compared to the others in the film, his performance is more subtle, but that’s exactly what makes it feel so real. His grief lives in what he doesn’t say. This is one of the most unforgivable snubs in Oscar history. Moore and Hutton were brilliant, but Sutherland matched them every step of the way.

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I might be judged for this inclusion, but go ahead, I don’t care. I love this film. The blend of comedy, noir, animation, live action, and everything in between is unmatched. There has never been anything like it since. Bob Hoskins was worthy of a nomination too. To me, this is a flawless film. Jessica Rabbit was a moment I’ll never forget as a kid, and somehow in her animation it felt like a performance that was stronger than some live-action work. Christopher Lloyd also gave me nightmares. From top to bottom, this movie is fantastic. I can’t wait to show it to my sons when they’re old enough, and I hope they love it as much as I do.

1. Sally Field, Steel Magnolias
I am left without words here. If the point of the Oscars is to award great acting and filmmaking, how does this performance get overlooked? All of the women are nomination-worthy, of course, but none of them reach the level of Sally Field here. I’ve seen this movie several times, and I still cry every single time during the funeral scene. I can’t help it. That scene alone is Oscar-worthy. It’s heartbreaking. Sally nails every moment from start to finish. I will never get over this snub. Never.

I realize my 10 snubs are very American and lean more populist. I get that. But they are my choices, and I stand by them. There are many, many more, and for that I leave it in your capable hands to do your worst. Name your top 10 snubs of the ’80s!

As always, be kind, be respectful, and of course… Let’s Talk Cinema!