The Academy Awards were once the gold standard of cinematic excellence. Since then, they have spiraled into a glittery, self-important popularity contest. Now, merit takes a backseat to politics, nostalgia, and the inexplicable desire to award the most Oscar-bait performance of the year.
It’s a chaotic mix of questionable snubs, undeserving wins, and choices so baffling they make you wonder if the voters are watching the same movies as the rest of us.
Ralph Fiennes, a man who has spent his entire career delivering performances so layered, so mesmerizing, that he should have at least three Oscars on his shelf by now. And yet, despite decades of brilliance, the Academy continues to treat him like a second-tier actor instead of the acting powerhouse he is. But this year? This year should be different.
Ralph Fiennes has been snubbed by the Academy before
He already won an Oscar… right? No, actually, he didn’t. Perhaps the most absurd reason voters gave for potentially skipping Ralph Fiennes on their ballots this year wasn’t a critique of his performance, or even a misguided attempt to reward someone else. No, it was because they thought he had already won before.
According to Variety, two separate voters admitted they believed he had already taken home the gold for Schindler’s List. Spoiler alert, he didn’t. He was nominated, of course, but lost to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive.
Now, we love a good U.S. Marshal chase scene as much as the next person, but let’s not pretend Jones’ performance even came close to the haunting brilliance of Fiennes as Amon Göth. The fact that this is still a point of confusion for Oscar voters over 30 years later tells you everything you need to know about their level of engagement.
This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened. The Academy is notorious for making decisions based on collective memory rather than actual research. Glenn Close didn’t win for Dangerous Liaisons. In fact, Amy Adams hasn’t won at all despite some amazing performances. But hey, let’s not let facts get in the way of poorly thought-out voting practices.
The Academy’s longstanding commitment to ignoring excellence
Ralph Fiennes has been robbed so many times he should file a police report. The English Patient? Nominated but lost. The Grand Budapest Hotel? Not even nominated. The Constant Gardener? Nada. And yet, we’ve given Oscars to performances so forgettable they’re only remembered because of how undeserving they were.
The problem isn’t just that Fiennes hasn’t won, it’s that the Academy seems allergic to rewarding actors who give consistently brilliant performances. If the Academy were actually paying attention, they’d recognize that Fiennes isn’t just a great actor, he’s a cinematic institution.
But alas, it seems the voters are more interested in ensuring that past winners don’t hog too much recognition, even if their reasoning is based on made-up history and many fans seem to be infuriated by this.
Even if he did win 32 years ago why would it matter? I don’t get that thinking.
— Edna Garrett (@WatchMyReview) February 25, 2025
past wins doesn’t matter if you are good then you are good
— Angad Saini ( karauli, Rajasthan)🕉️🕉️ (@A96SP) February 26, 2025
There needs to be some voter accountability with the Oscars. This is nuts
— Brian Bryson (@BrianBryson20) February 25, 2025
this lacks professionalism
— BLOCKXS.COM (@blockxs) February 25, 2025
So, as we wait for yet another Oscar night filled with questionable choices, just remember, if Ralph Fiennes loses Best Actor this year, it won’t be because he didn’t deserve it. It’ll be because the people voting still think he already won 30 years ago. And that, friends, is peak Oscar incompetence.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
