These days an Oscar snub is almost a badge of honor

The 97th Academy Award nominations person been announced and, sorry, Pamela, you’re not connected the invitation list. But instrumentality comfort, you’re successful precise bully company.

Every twelvemonth brings the inevitable snubs erstwhile Oscar puts unneurotic its creation card. Wags and critics successful assorted circles this play were predicting that Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”) oregon Daniel Craig (“Queer”) oregon Margaret Qualley (“The Substance”), among others, mightiness compression onto the list.

But if immoderate of those inarguable talents is feeling the sting of omission, cognize that you’re inactive bully enough.

Pamela Anderson won captious praise but nary Oscar information for “The Last Showgirl.”

(Roadside Attractions)

Just perceive to this abbreviated database of luminous actors whose names person ne'er been uttered arsenic portion of the early-morning rotation call: Meg Ryan, Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Grant, Glenn Ford, Donald Sutherland …

Donald Sutherland!?! Yes, the histrion whose vocation spanned immoderate six decades and included specified titles arsenic “MASH,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “Pride & Prejudice” ne'er walked the Oscar carpet arsenic a nominee. Perhaps the biggest insult came successful 1981 erstwhile “Ordinary People” picked up nominations for champion representation (winner), manager (Robert Redford, winner), histrion (Mary Tyler Moore) and supporting histrion (Timothy Hutton, winner). Even Judd Hirsch was nominated for supporting actor. But nary Sutherland, arguably the bosom of the film.

The academy did effort to marque amends, handing Sutherland an honorary Oscar successful 2017. But those “thanks for playing” trophies don’t number — outright nominations successful competitory acting races only, please.

How could Ryan beryllium overlooked for “When Harry Met Sally”? Bruce Willis for “The Sixth Sense”? Jeff Daniels for “Terms of Endearment” oregon “The Purple Rose of Cairo”? Mel Gibson for “Braveheart” oregon “The Year of Living Dangerously”? Even Jennifer Lopez for “Selena” oregon “Hustlers”?

If nominated, Ryan would person been up against the winning Jessica Tandy for “Driving Miss Daisy.” Other nominees that twelvemonth were Pauline Collins (“Shirley Valentine”), Isabelle Adjani (“Camille Claudel”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“The Fabulous Baker Boys”) and Jessica Lange (“The Music Box”) — each fantastic performances. But 35 years later, which relation inactive resonates successful fashionable civilization (“I’ll person what she’s having”)?

Richard Gere has ne'er earned an Oscar nomination, but his “Chicago” co-star Catherine Zeta–Jones won supporting histrion for the Rob Marshall film.

(David James / GC Film LLC)

Not that the Oscars should beryllium a popularity contest, though it sometimes feels that way.

And if it were, surely Monroe, 1 of the reigning queens of 1950s Hollywood, would person been tapped for immoderate fig of performances that person been elevated by clip and reappraisal. Besides her evident iconic drama roles successful “Some Like It Hot” and “The Seven Year Itch,” adjacent much melodramatic turns successful “Bus Stop” and “The Misfits” mightiness person garnered announcement from a much attentive academy. And voters did choose to springiness nods to her antheral co-stars successful “Hot” (Jack Lemmon) and “Bus” (Don Murray).

Then determination are those whose specified beingness tin assistance the worldly to award-worthy regard. Peter Sarsgaard, Catherine O’Hara, Alfred Molina, Kevin Bacon, Thandiwe Newton, Mia Farrow, Parker Posey, Ewan McGregor … nope, not a azygous information here.

If you grow the speech to those who person been nominated but ne'er sealed the woody with Oscar, the oversight tin beryllium adjacent much startling.

This includes the evident — eight-time bridesmaid Glenn Close, the “Susan Lucci of the Oscars” — arsenic good arsenic Golden Age legends — Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Charlie Chaplin, etc. The database of the robbed goes on. Later matinee idols (and talented actors) who ended careers empty-handed tally the gamut from Doris Day (the apical box-office prima successful 1960, ’62, ’63 and ’64), Deborah Kerr and Lauren Bacall to Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum and Montgomery Clift.

Glenn Close, left, and Amy Adams successful 2020’s “Hillbilly Elegy.” Close has 8 nominations, Adams six, but neither has won ... yet.

(Lacey Terrell / Netflix)

Sometimes it’s a elemental substance of atrocious timing. In his archetypal outing, eventual eight-time nominee Peter O’Toole saw his towering “Lawrence of Arabia” show spell up against Gregory Peck’s beloved Atticus Finch successful “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It was Peck’s 5th and last nomination, and helium landed the prize. O’Toole ne'er did.

All movie buffs person idiosyncratic favoritees they deliberation person been shamefully ignored. In my caput are 3 exquisite actresses who danced with Oscar aggregate times without taking the golden antheral home: Jane Alexander, Joan Allen and the late, incomparable Gena Rowlands.

Between 1971 and 1984, Alexander was nominated 4 times; her performances successful “All the President’s Men” and “Kramer vs. Kramer” stay maestro classes today. Allen had a originative burst from 1996 to 2001 with 3 noms (“Nixon,” “The Crucible,” “The Contender”). Shockingly, Rowlands was nominated lone twice, for “A Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria.” The academy tried to atone successful 2015 with an honorary trophy. You cognize wherever we basal connected that.

Some erstwhile nominees whose lack from the winner’s ellipse could (and should) beryllium rectified erstwhile that next, hopefully large relation comes along: Annette Bening (!), Sigourney Weaver, Samuel L. Jackson, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams, Debra Winger, Mark Ruffalo, Miranda Richardson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John Travolta, Naomi Watts, Laura Linney, Tom Cruise …

You work that right. One request lone rewatch Cruise’s “Born connected the Fourth of July,” “Magnolia” and adjacent “Tropic Thunder” to cognize helium has the acting chops and deserves a locomotion to the podium (though successful his case, it could beryllium a high-speed run).

John Travolta was nominated for his show successful “Saturday Night Fever,” but mislaid to Richard Dreyfuss for “The Goodbye Girl.”

(CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images)

When Travolta got the archetypal of his 2 nominations for “Saturday Night Fever,” his contention included Burton successful “Equus,” connected his seventh and last nomination. Both mislaid to Richard Dreyfuss successful “The Goodbye Girl.” That aforesaid year, a little-known histrion drew captious announcement for a small, earthy show successful “Looking for Mr. Goodbar.” Richard Gere wasn’t nominated for that film, oregon for “Days of Heaven” oregon “An Officer and a Gentleman” oregon “Chicago” oregon thing that followed.

So what tin helium and this season’s shutouts cull from each this?

Simple: The Oscars are a crapshoot. Sometimes you win, much often you suffer … and sometimes you don’t adjacent get successful the game.