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Snubbed 2: The Performances

Jan 26 — Mar 24, 2024

How could they?! Last year, we debuted our series focused on films that unimaginably—at least in retrospect—received zero Oscar nominations. Though we bristle at the term “snub,” which presupposes some kind of intentional edict by committee rather than the unmeasurable outcome of a vast array of voters, we couldn’t help but use it as a shorthand to call attention to those films, recent gems and classics alike, that for some reason didn’t make the final list of the film industry’s greatest honor. Enthusiasm for the series, as well as the seemingly endless array of titles given Oscar’s cold shoulder, has encouraged us to go for a second dip into the treacherous waters of the Academy’s unloved.  

This year, we’re focusing exclusively on great performances that went unmentioned on Oscar nomination morning. There are a variety of reasons that specific actors or roles have been overlooked: they could be in an Oscar-unfriendly genre (horror, comedy, sci-fi), the character could be extremely unlikable or, conversely, they could make it look too easy. Often Hollywood fixates on career narratives: had they “established” themselves yet as “Oscar performers,” or was their talent just taken for granted? Our lineup includes stars never taken seriously enough to get nominated (Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Steve Martin), underappreciated workhorses who have yet to win (Michelle Pfeiffer, Amy Adams, Alfre Woodard), and performers whose iconic roles just weren’t Oscar bait (Anthony Perkins in Psycho, Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon). Whatever the conditions or reasons, we feel all of these performances are worthy of our highest honor: serious consideration and close attention in the dark of the movie theater.

Complete list of films to come.

Organized by Eric Hynes, Curator of Film, Edo Choi, Associate Curator of Film, and Reverse Shot co-editor Michael Koresky. 

 

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Past Films in Series

A woman in a black bob wig raises her sunglasses and looks past the camera

Something Wild
A woman in a pink button down shirt smiles and tilts her head at another woman, whose back is to the camera

Support the Girls
A man and woman in profile almost kissing each other, mouths open in anticipation

The House of Mirth
A dark-haired man and blonde woman in closeup side by side, looking in different directions

The Heartbreak Kid
A man in a suit and woman in a dress smile and dance comically in a fancy room

All of Me
A smiling woman raises her hands and splays out her fingers in front of a blue painted wall

Happy-Go-Lucky
A smiling woman raises her hands and splays out her fingers in front of a blue painted wall

Happy-Go-Lucky
A woman in a black bob wig raises her sunglasses and looks past the camera

Something Wild
A man in a suit and woman in a dress smile and dance comically in a fancy room

All of Me
A dark-haired man and blonde woman in closeup side by side, looking in different directions

The Heartbreak Kid
A woman in a pink button down shirt smiles and tilts her head at another woman, whose back is to the camera

Support the Girls
A man and woman in profile almost kissing each other, mouths open in anticipation

The House of Mirth
A man and woman in Victorian clothes crouch on the floor of a drawing room, weeping with their arms around each other

The Age of Innocence
A woman stands in a field in profile with a hovering spacecraft behind her in the background

Arrival
A woman stands in a field in profile with a hovering spacecraft behind her in the background

Arrival
A man and woman in profile almost kissing each other, mouths open in anticipation

The House of Mirth
A woman in closeup looking offscreen while holding a cigarette

3 Women
A man and woman in Victorian clothes crouch on the floor of a drawing room, weeping with their arms around each other

The Age of Innocence
A woman in closeup looking offscreen while holding a cigarette

3 Women
A dark-haired man and blonde woman in closeup side by side, looking in different directions

The Heartbreak Kid
A man stands with his hands in the air looking concerned while an officer in the background points a gun at him

The Fugitive
A close up of a man and woman looking at each other in a dark room in profile, ready to kiss

Out of Sight
A woman in an airline attendant blue suit in profile against a colorful tiled wall at an airport

Jackie Brown
A close up of a man and woman looking at each other in a dark room in profile, ready to kiss

Out of Sight
A man stands with his hands in the air looking concerned while an officer in the background points a gun at him

The Fugitive
A woman in an airline attendant blue suit in profile against a colorful tiled wall at an airport

Jackie Brown
In a black and white photo a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a fluttering feathery dress dance side by side facing the camera, each with an arm outstretched

Top Hat
A man in a beige suit and a woman in a white fur coat stand in profile and look at each other, their hands gripping each other, against a forest backdrop

New York, New York
A blond man in sunglasses and yellow jacket sits behind a dark-haired man in a jean jacket and white collar, both looking forward as though on a motorcycle

My Own Private Idaho
In a black and white photo a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a fluttering feathery dress dance side by side facing the camera, each with an arm outstretched

Top Hat
A dark-haired man and blonde woman in closeup side by side, looking in different directions

The Heartbreak Kid
A blond man in sunglasses and yellow jacket sits behind a dark-haired man in a jean jacket and white collar, both looking forward as though on a motorcycle

My Own Private Idaho
Three women, one mother and two daughters on either side, stand in a forest looking off past the camera, the mother smiling

Beloved
A man in a beige suit and a woman in a white fur coat stand in profile and look at each other, their hands gripping each other, against a forest backdrop

New York, New York
A man in a tux and a woman in a black, sleeveless dress toast glasses in a fancy restaurant in a black and white image

Gilda
A woman with a serious expression and a black suit sits behind a desk in a drably colored office

Clemency
Three women, one mother and two daughters on either side, stand in a forest looking off past the camera, the mother smiling

Beloved
A man in a tux and a woman in a black, sleeveless dress toast glasses in a fancy restaurant in a black and white image

Gilda
A woman with a serious expression and a black suit sits behind a desk in a drably colored office

Clemency
A woman stands in profile with sunglasses on smoking a cigarette, her head down, while another woman stands behind her in the other direction

Opening Night
A blonde woman in a low-cut brown top talks intensely to a man in a cowboy hat and holding a coiled lasso rope over his shoulder

Bus Stop
A woman stands in profile with sunglasses on smoking a cigarette, her head down, while another woman stands behind her in the other direction

Opening Night
A blonde woman in a low-cut brown top talks intensely to a man in a cowboy hat and holding a coiled lasso rope over his shoulder

Bus Stop
An ominous black and white photo of a man standing next to a gnarled tree looking at camera from a distance, his face partly shadowed

Psycho
Two men sit at a table on a train compartment, talking pleasantly while landscape goes by in the back of the black and white image

Strangers on a Train
A man looks in a mirror, hands on hips, while another man looks at him from the left

The Emperor Jones
Black and white image of a man in a sports coat hovering over a sitting woman in a hat, looking down at her as she looks up

The Maltese Falcon
A man with a silver necklace and open collar sits in an ornate gold and black chair behind a desk in front of a whisky decanter and glass

Scarface
An ominous black and white photo of a man standing next to a gnarled tree looking at camera from a distance, his face partly shadowed

Psycho
A man looks in a mirror, hands on hips, while another man looks at him from the left

The Emperor Jones
Two men sit at a table on a train compartment, talking pleasantly while landscape goes by in the back of the black and white image

Strangers on a Train
A man with a silver necklace and open collar sits in an ornate gold and black chair behind a desk in front of a whisky decanter and glass

Scarface
Black and white image of a man in a sports coat hovering over a sitting woman in a hat, looking down at her as she looks up

The Maltese Falcon
Two gangsters in fedoras sneer from a car in a black and white image

The Public Enemy
A man in a gray suit welcomes a woman in a pin-striped suit and hat into a newspaper office in a black and white photo

His Girl Friday
Against a snowy landscape, a man stands in a cemetery looking down sadly at a gravestone in black and white image

Young Mr. Lincoln
A man in a gray suit welcomes a woman in a pin-striped suit and hat into a newspaper office in a black and white photo

His Girl Friday
Two gangsters in fedoras sneer from a car in a black and white image

The Public Enemy
Against a snowy landscape, a man stands in a cemetery looking down sadly at a gravestone in black and white image

Young Mr. Lincoln
A woman sits at a casino table surrounded by men in a black and white image

Back Street
A woman in a hat covering one of her eyes sadly grips the side of a mantel and looks off while a man stands behind her in a black and white image

Of Human Bondage
A woman sits at a casino table surrounded by men in a black and white image

Back Street