Margot Robbie’s Barbie leads the Oscars shortlist with five inclusions across the several categories announced recently. However, the movie faced a surprising setback in one major category, which was predicted as a sure win for the film. Barbie was omitted from the Best Makeup & Hairstyling category in the shortlist. Notably, the film’s biggest rival at the Oscars, Oppenheimer, made it to the shortlist of ten films in the category.
Fans of the Greta Gerwig film expressed their shock at why Barbie was overlooked in a category many believed it deserved. The snub was not only unexpected for the film but also raised eyebrows due to some of the surprising entries that did make the cut in the category.
Margot Robbie’s Barbie Misses Out On One Major Oscars Category
One of the major attractions of Margot Robbie‘s Barbie was the world and characters built by Greta Gerwig. The costumes, makeup & hair, and set design played a major role in bringing Gerwig’s vision to life. Many critics and media outlets predicted that the movie would be recognized in these categories during the awards season. However, the recently unveiled Oscars shortlists took everyone by surprise, as Barbie was absent from the Best Makeup & Hairstyling category.
‘BARBIE’ will not be nominated for Best Makeup & Hair at the Oscars.
Did not make the shortlist. pic.twitter.com/UgVCV1T7Wx
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 21, 2023
This specific category stirred some controversy as other deserving movies, like The Color Purple and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, also failed to make it to the shortlist. The sting of Barbie‘s snub hurt even more as its biggest rival at the Oscars, Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer, made it to the shortlist. Oppenheimer was an expected entry, given the film’s dedicated efforts to make the characters closely resemble their real-life counterparts.
Barbie fans did not take the news of the omission well. They believed that the film was the most obvious choice for a win in this category. One fan pointed out that the glamour in the film was next level with its makeup and hair, especially that of Margot Robbie. For some fans, the snub was deemed the biggest joke of the year. Another fan also mentioned Oppenheimer‘s snub in the visual effects category, expressing dissatisfaction with both snubs. Fan reactions read:
They deserved it lol
— Snake (@faltubatnh) December 21, 2023
seemed like the most obvious thing for it to be nominated for…
— Cade Onder (@Cade_Onder) December 21, 2023
Um excuse me, this was literally the obvious choice for a win what else
— Daniel James Free Palestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@DanielJ85660483) December 22, 2023
First Visual Effects snub for Oppenheimer, now this?!
— Josh Jacks (@Photo_Jacks) December 21, 2023
The glam in that movie was on another level. 💄🌟 Our Barbie deserved that recognition! 💔
— Unsullied 🦾🎠 (@scholarbanty) December 21, 2023
THIS IS THE JOKE OF THE YEAR ! Whaaaaatf
— CatDoctor (@CatDoctor_) December 21, 2023
Despite this setback, Barbie has been shortlisted in other categories, including Best Sound, Best Original Score, and Best Original Songs. The songs in the film, Billie Eilish’s What I Was Made For?, Dua Lipa’s Dance the Night, and Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt’s I’m Just Ken, were shortlisted in the Best Original Songs category. The latter duo also composed the original score of the film.
Other Surprising Entries In The Best Makeup & Hairstyling Category
While Barbie didn’t make it to the list, there were a few surprises in the category. The shortlist prepared by the executive committee of the Academy’s makeup branch included Joaquin Phoenix’s eccentric film Beau is Afraid and the horror film The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Other popular films in the list included Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Napoleon, and Poor Things.
Oscars shortlist for Best Makeup & Hair:
• ‘Beau Is Afraid’⁰• ‘Ferrari’⁰• ‘Golda’⁰• ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’⁰• ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’⁰• ‘Maestro’⁰• ‘Napoleon’⁰• ‘Oppenheimer’⁰• ‘Poor Things’⁰• ‘Society of the Snow’ pic.twitter.com/bQHLKVynoS
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 21, 2023
While many of these films are deserving, criticism has emerged from various quarters, suggesting that the category heavily favors films using prosthetic makeup. Notably, the film with a record number of prosthetic usage, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, was also robbed of the recognition. Fans now await shortlists from more categories to see more of their favorite films competing for the prestigious awards.
Also Read: Margot Robbie May be Fighting 2 Marvel Stars for Best Actress Oscar
Barbie is now available for rent on AppleTV+, while Oppenheimer Blu-ray is now available for purchase on Amazon.
