I think Ava DuVernay should have been nominated for her outstanding direction of Selma, and I think David Oyelowo should have been nominated for his transforming portrayal of Martin Luther King…but I’m not in the Academy. The strongest thing I can say in censure is that these omissions are puzzling. Or, maybe not so puzzling considering the makeup of the voting members of the Academy, and how movies are rolled out for award consideration. Remember, this is the organization that gave the golden statue to Ginger Rogers for Kitty Foyle in a year when Bette Davis was nominated for The Letter, Joan Fontaine was nominated for Rebecca, Katharine Hepburn was up for The Philadelphia Story, and Martha Scott for Our Town. Then, as now, the awards generate buzz about the industry. The Oscar broadcast funds the scholarships, archives, and all endeavors that the (non-profit) Academy undertakes to preserve, promote, and educate. So keep the conversation going, it’s all good for the movies.