Now that the Oscar nominations have been announced, it’s time to lament the performances and/or movies that went overlooked. While there are the obvious snubs that surprised everyone, like the almost complete shut out of Revolutionary Road, there were plenty of others that while not surprising, were still disappointing. Every year there are stellar performances, usually by lesser-known actors, that go unnoticed in favor of bigger roles performed by bigger actors. And there are quieter, lower-budgeted films that don’t even get a second glance when there are huge, technologically-advanced epics like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to compete with.

My lament this year is the overlooked performance Bill Irwin gave in Rachel Getting Married. Anne Hathaway gave a killer performance and earned her Best Actress nod, no doubt, but Irwin gave one of the best supporting performances I’ve seen in a long time. He managed to change from the jovial father of the bride to a broken man still grieving the past in the blink of an eye, and it was totally believable and heart-wrenching. While I would still put my money on Heath Ledger getting the Best Supporting Actor award for The Dark Knight, Bill Irwin totally deserved a nomination for making what could have been a completely overwrought performance in the wrong actor’s hands, undeniably real. And the man can pack a mean dishwasher to boot!

What performance and/or movie, despite knowing it was a long shot, were you hoping to see get some recognition?

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)