Usually at the Academy Awards, all of the attention goes to the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress categories. They're the big prizes viewers can't wait to see handed out, and spend weeks speculating over. This Sunday night, however, I was most looking forward to seeing Best Original Screenplay at the 2016 Oscars, because it featured the sole nomination for one of the best movies of 2015. Unfortunately, it was ultimately disappointing, as the Oscars snubbed Straight Outta Compton, with Spotlight taking home the Academy Award instead.
This loss is even more upsetting when you remember that it was Straight Outta Compton's only chance at an Oscar, when it clearly deserved so much more recognition from the Academy. Where were the acting nominations for Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins, who brought so much depth to the success and struggles of Eazy-E and Dr. Dre? Or the Best Director nod for F. Gary Gray, who managed to make every single scene riveting, whether highlighting an exciting performance, a tense standoff with police, or just the members of N.W.A. messing around in the studio? Where was the Best Picture nod?
The other Best Original Screenplay nominees — Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, and Inside Out — were all represented in other categories, making The Academy's Straight Outta Compton snub all the more painful. Hopefully, fans can take solace in the fact that though the Academy couldn't appreciate the film's quality and impact, it will last far beyond awards season.
Image: Universal Pictures
