The Butler, Tom Hanks surprise snubs at Oscars 2014

Los Angeles: American Hustle and Gravity were the big scorers with 10 total nods each at the Oscar nominations this year but Lee Daniels’ much acclaimed The Butler failed to find a place in the coveted list of the 86th Academy Awards. Tom Hanks, a two-time Oscar winner, was looking to get his first nomination since ‘Cast Away’ in 2001. But the actor lost out this time even though he had two opportunities with ‘Saving Mr Banks’ and ‘Captain Philips’. [caption id=“attachment_1344245” align=“alignleft” width=“338”]  Courtesy: ibn live[/caption] The SAG Awards, the BAFTAs and the Critics Choice Awards all gave talk show queen Oprah Winfrey a nomination for her role as boozy Gloria Gaines, the White House butler’s wife in ‘The Butler’, but not the Academy. Winfrey campaigned for her supporting role in ‘The Butler’ but was left out in favour of Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts. Scarlett Johansson was brought in to replace Samantha Morton as the voice of the operating system in Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’. But it is hard to imagine anyone but ‘The Avengers’ actress playing the challenging computer role. However, the actress was overlooked for what could have been her first nod. Spike Jonze was left off in the director list, though he did get a nod for original screenplay, which he won at the Golden Globes. Even Joaquin Phoenix didn’t make the cut for best actor. ‘Captain Phillips’ received a nomination in the best picture category but helmer Paul Greengrass failed to make it to the best director list. ‘Blue Jasmine’ bagged two nominations including best actress for Cate Blanchett and best original screenplay but both the film and its director Woody Allen lost out in the respective categories. PTI