Why Are The Oscars Ignoring The Great Jessica Chastain?

Can we talk about what's happening with the Academy Awards predictions right now? Because Jessica is pretty much being written off.

Source: torontosun.com

As it stands, BuzzFeed has Emmanuelle Riva of Amour set to win for Best Actress, while places like The New York Times and The Guardian are banking on Jennifer Lawrence.

But what about Jessica Chastain? Aside from the fact that she's a stunning redhead and that alone deserves a polite nod of recognition; as an actress, she's the gift that keeps on giving. In 2011 she gave us a charmingly ditzy performance as southern belle Celia in The Help. This year she's nominated for her gripping turn in Zero Dark Thirty as CIA operative, Maya, of which she's already nabbed a Golden Globe for Best Actress. What's not to like?

The New York Times dubbed her a "long shot" for the Oscars. Which seems odd, considering how effortlessly she pulled off the complicated character of Maya.

So, what's the deal? Is this snub all a misunderstanding? Could the Academy be discriminating against redheads? Probably not, but let's take a look.

Source: badazzmofo.com

1. Emmaneulle Riva turns 86 on the night of the awards. It wouldn't just be an epic birthday treat, it would also make her the oldest Best Actresswinner in Oscar history. (She's already the oldest female nominee of all time.) That's not to say that she didn't give a stunning performance—on the contrary, it was extraordinary, and if she won we'd eagerly await what would surely be the cutest acceptance speech of all time. (She's French, old and cute? Yes, yes, please put her on a stage.)

2. Then there's the phenomenon that is J.Law. She exploded onto the film scene and became an Internet treasure as a result of her cheeky interviews and even cheekier magazine spreads. She's nominated for her part in Silver Linings Playbook as the quirky—well, quirky is a euphemism for emotionally drained—girl recovering from her husband's unexpected death. I loved her in that film, and I wept in the final scene when—spoiler alert—she and Bradley Cooper finally admitted their true feelings for each other. She was brilliant and beautiful, and sometimes annoyingly great at bootie dancing.

3. This year also has the youngest nominee in Oscars history, with Quvenzhané Wallis, who's just 9 years old. Like her fellow nominees, she earned that recognition, and she's unbelievably talented.


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