oscar’s worst oversights (best actresses)

Some memorable snubs among the nominated (dating back to 1970):

*Faye Dunaway, "Chinatown"; Gena Rowlands, "A Woman Under the Influence," 1974. I’m an Ellen Burstyn fan (she’ll appear later), but Dunaway was peerless in her prime. "She’s my sister, she’s my daughter!"

*Sigourney Weaver, "Aliens," 1986. An iconic performance few others could’ve pulled off; Weaver lost to Marlee Matlin ("Children of a Lesser God"). I think I know why.

*Holly Hunter, "Broadcast News," 1987. She should’ve been nominated the following year for "Raising Arizona." She should’ve won over Cher’s overly mannered performance in "Moonstruck" (though Cher is not a bad actress, lest you think I’m diva-bashing again).

*Glenn Close, "Dangerous Liaisons," 1988. Joyfully malevolent, perfectly underplayed, though no one was going to vote against Jodie Foster as a rape victim. They should have.

*Stockard Channing, "Six Degrees of Separation"; Angela Bassett, "What’s Love Got to Do with It"; Emma Thompson, "The Remains of the Day"; Debra Winger, "Shadowlands," 1993. I’m a big Holly Hunter fan (see above) but "The Piano" left me cold. Each of her competitors was more deserving, especially Channing and Bassett.

*Someone other than Helen Hunt (who won in ’97 for "As Good as It Gets"). I liked her much better in "Quarterback Princess."

*Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth," 1988. Probably the finest actress working these days. Hard to believe she lost to Gwyneth Paltrow. Hard to believe anyone could lose to Paltrow.

*Ellen Burstyn, "Requiem for a Dream"; Laura Linney, "You Can Count on Me," 2000. Julia Roberts dressed trashy and won an Oscar, defying logic. Burstyn was a most-convincing addict, and Linney was as disarming as Roberts’ performance was overrated.

*Julianne Moore, "Far From Heaven," 2002. Nicole Kidman dressed frumpy and won an Oscar; Moore wore pearls and was robbed.

*Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal," 2006. No disrespect to Helen Mirren, the best thing about "The Queen." But Dench was ruthlessly brilliant in one of my favorite movies of recent years.