The Biggest Snubs of the Oscar Nominations

This could have been Aniston's year. She earned accolades for her stripped-down performance in Cake, plus nominations from the SAG Awards, the Golden Globes, and Critics' Choice.

After scoring nods from both the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards for A Most Violent Year, Chastain's name is mysteriously absent from the Oscar nominee list. In fact, the movie itself was entirely snubbed.

Yes, Rosamund Pike scored a nomination, but no love for director David Fincher or writer Gillian Flynn? Flynn did a terrific job adapting her bestseller to a script but was shut out by American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Inherent Vice (which received much less favorable reviews), The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash.

Adams failed to catch the eye of the Academy for her role in Big Eyes. While the movie only earned lukewarm reviews, this is especially surprising because Adams won a Golden Golden for playing painter Margaret Keane. The Tim Burton film received no nominations at all.

Unbroken seemed like a good candidate for an award season film, but things haven't panned out well. It received three technical Oscar nominations, but nothing for director Angelina Jolie. The only major award show to recognize the movie so far this year has been the Critics' Choice Awards, where it was nominated for best picture, best director, and best cinematography.

Blunt's voice and acting were highlights of Into the Woods, and while she was recognized by the Golden Globes, she failed to earn a nod from the Academy. Frankly, the competition is stiffer when it comes to the Oscars, because unlike the Globes, there are not separate categories for musicals/comedies. Having said that, Blunt's costar Meryl Streep did get nominated . . . because she's Meryl Streep.

Not only was The Lego Movie a huge hit at the box office this year, but critics loved it, too. This is why it was such a shock to see it overlooked for best animated feature. Director Philip Lord had the perfect response to the snub, but we're going to need a little time to get over it. The only consolation? It earned a nod for best original song for "Everything Is Awesome."

Aside from best original screenplay, Nightcrawler was shut out of the nominations. Gyllenhaal seemed like a safe bet for best actor, having been nominated by the SAG Awards, the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the Spirit Awards. Sadly, no such luck.

Another person who we thought was a strong candidate for best actor was David Oyelowo. Instead, Selma received exactly two nominations: best original song and best picture. That's right, Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay were passed over. Both had been nominated by the Golden Globes, the Spirit Awards, and the Critics' Choice Awards, yet their names are missing from the Oscar nominations list. DuVernay would have been the first African American woman nominated for best director, making this a particularly notable snub.

Speaking of notable snubs, you may have noticed that every actor nominated for a major award is — you guessed it — white. Not to say that those actors don't deserve their nominations, but this is a disturbing trend. The lack of diversity is one of the biggest stories to come out of the Oscar nominations, and it's a glaring and embarrassing commentary on the state of Hollywood right now.