Why the Academy forgot Crazy Rich Asians, and what it means

Crazy Rich Asians found itself snubbed by the Academy in all categories, which means no Oscars are on the horizon for the wildly popular film.

When it comes to summer blockbusters, nothing could have surprised some people more than Crazy Rich Asians, which featured electrifying performances, an all-Asian cast, and settings that stunned. Even with its popularity and award show prowess (it was nominated for two Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and more), the movie simply did not have what it took to break through with the Academy for an Oscars nomination.

But perhaps the reason we are not surprised by the fact that Crazy Rich Asians was snubbed by the Academy stems from the common complaint that has plagued the Oscars over the last few years. Thanks to the hashtag of #OscarsSoWhite, audiences know that this is one awards ceremony that still struggles with inclusion and diversity.

When it comes to announcing the nominations, we often have high hopes for our favorites. And Crazy Rich Asians is definitely one of our favorites from 2018.

While we may not be surprised by this snub, we are disappointed. Even if the movie had been nominated in a lesser category, it still would have been recognized in some way. And yet the Academy completely omitted the movie.

From the stunning wedding scene with its impressive visuals and gorgeous costumes, to the screenplay itself, there were plenty of non-acting categories that the movie could have been nominated in. Plus, the acting deserved some recognition as well, just like it was at the Golden Globes.

It honestly feels as if the Academy chose to write the film off. Whether that had to do with the relatively simple formula of the overall story or because the film is more of a romance than anything else, we don’t really know.

But considering how impressive some of the scenes and settings were, the amazing dialogue (such as the scene where the family is making dumplings or the mahjong scene between Rachel and Eleanor), and even the music, there were plenty of reasons why we think the film should have received a nomination.

Even if it did not win in a potential category, it would have been an acknowledgement of the work that went into this film, and there was definitely a lot of work that went into this movie.

Sadly, by leaving Crazy Rich Asians off of the nominations list, the Oscars continue to be lacking in diversity. And while there were some notable nominations, such as Black Panther for best picture and Mahershala Ali for best supporting actor, there are still entire categories that showcase the lack of diversity at the ceremony.

Even Vanity Fair has discussed the fact that Crazy Rich Asians was completely shut out of the Oscars, talking about the lack of surprise over the situation, even as there is a sense of disappointment over the snub. While there is a sequel in the works, which will give the cast another chance for Oscars redemption, it will be some time before we see the film hit theaters. That means disappointment is still the name of the game.

It really is disappointing to see Crazy Rich Asians left off of the Oscars nominations list. We would have loved to see not only more diversity, but also more variety and depth coming from the Academy.