Sean Astin as Sam in THE RETURN OF THE KING

Does anyone else think that Sean Astin should have got an Oscar nomination for his performance as Sam? I thought his performance was the heart of the film and he brought me to tears in the scene on Mount Doom. I think the Academy should have taken his work more seriously.

Yeah, well, the Academy is as famous (or infamous) for the people and films it overlooks as it is for the people it selects.

John

Whoever or whichever film that get nominated is largely due in part to the lobbying campaign headed by the studios involved. Not always the best actor/film gets nominated or win. Just tell me any Best Picture winner in recent history that you totally agree with.

For example the flap over movie screeners for Oscar voters recently gave the chance to smaller studios not encumbered by the temporary ban, to send out screeners of their films. Monster, Whale Rider and The Cooler took advantage of this and earned their stars nominations which could've been easily overlooked if they had had to compete with the bigger studios for the attention of voters.

I think that The Lord of the Rings was more of an ensemble movie, which makes it harder to get specific acting nominations. Others who I thought did a great job were Sir Ian McKellan ((Gandalf)who got an Oscar nomination for Fellowship(so much for my theory)), Sean Bean (Boromir), Christopher Lee (Sauraman), Brad Dourif (Wormtongue), Bernard Hill (Theoden), Miranda Otto (Eowyn), Denethor, Andy Serkis as Gollum, Dominick Monahan and Billy Boyd (Merry and pippin) and the Hobbit who is having fun when Gandalf arrives (until his wife gives him "the look") and roll his eyes as the Hobbits return in their fancy armor.