It was a rough morning for actors in boats on Thursday, with both Tom Hanks and Robert Redford getting left off this year’s list of Oscar nominees for Best Actor. Here are my explanations for five major snubs this morning.
Tom Hanks
Almost everybody agrees he did the best work of his career in “Captain Phillips.’’ But with two Best Actor trophies already on his mantle, the actors’ branch decided to throw Hanks overboard to make room in a category insanely overloaded with great performances.
Robert Redford
This is less understandable — a solo tour de force in a movie (“All Is Lost’’) with virtually no dialogue. Was Redford snubbed because he’s not big on gladhanding? Or was he edged out by fellow 77-year-old Bruce Dern in “Nebraska’’?
Emma Thompson
Everybody agrees she’s great in “Saving Mr. Banks,’’ but Disney’s attempt to glorify its founder didn’t go down even with a barrel full of saccharine. Thompson’s “friend’’ Meryl Streep plunged the final dagger into the film, and walked away with a nomination for her over-the-top performance in “August: Osage County.’’
Joaquin Phoenix and Oscar Isaac
It’s like the year’s two heavily praised mopey loser performances — in “Her’’ and “Inside Llewyn Davis’’ respectively — basically cancelled each other out.
Oprah Winfrey
She’s up for a SAG award as best supporting actress for her hammy turn in “The Butler’’ on Saturday night. I’m inclined to think her movie and “Fruitvale Station’’ got snubbed across the board by Oscar voters mostly as a matter of taste, though some will note what looks like a strict racial quota for nominees in the top categories. There’s one black-oriented film (“12 Years a Slave’’) up for Best Picture, and one black nominee for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.