For once, the Academy got things mostly right with its Oscar nominations.
They honored a deserving, diverse slate of quality work and made some history, with Greta Gerwig becoming only the fifth woman to ever be nominated for best director for her outstanding work on “Lady Bird.” Rachel Morrison (“Mudbound”) is also the first woman to earn a nomination for best cinematography.
There were more noteworthy nominations for everything from “Get Out” to “Phantom Thread” and “The Shape of Water,” which led the pack with 13 nods.
Still, there were some notable snubs:
James Franco: “The Disaster Artist” director and star is facing sexual misconduct allegations, but he had been widely celebrated across awards season. His scandal broke in the wake of the Golden Globes earlier this month, during the thick of the voting period on Oscar nominations.
“The Florida Project”: This critical darling about a young girl living with her mother in a rundown motel on the outskirts of Disney World, our pick for the best movie of the year, was ignored save for co-star Willem Dafoe. It’s an extraordinary achievement that deserved better.
Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg: The Academy appears to really like “Call Me By Your Name,” having honored it in multiple other categories, so it’s hard to rationalize how one of the terrific supporting actors didn’t score a nomination.
“I, Tonya”: The Tonya Harding movie seemed like a good bet for best picture, given the degree to which stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney (both nominated) have been acclaimed and the way the film itself has captured a wide degree of pop-cultural attention.
Martin McDonagh: Many consider “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” to be the best picture frontrunner, and it’s tough to square that prediction with the fact that the creative force behind it couldn’t snag one of the five nominations here for best director.
