From:		Chiranjeev Gunawardena (GunawardenaC17)	February 25, 2015 1:29:30 PM
Subject:	post oscars american sniper article
To:		Pat Hogan

Oscar Snub of “American Sniper” Telling of Hollywood Culture
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Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle. Photo courtesy of The Huffington Post



The biggest surprise of Sunday’s Academy Awards came more as a result of something that didn’t happen than something that did. This was that Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster biopic of slain Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle, won all of zero of the six Oscars it had been nominated for. The Academy’s utter lack of recognition for “American Sniper” was especially surprising considering the film was a smash hit by any estimation. As of Oscar Sunday, it had grossed north of $320 million, alone accounting for more than half of the combined earnings of all eight Best Picture nominees. Reception of the film was also markedly positive among military members and civilians alike. With success like this, it’s hard to understand why “American Sniper” took home not one Oscar. 

If we take a closer look however, the defeats assessed by “American Sniper” become much less surprising and in fact quite predictable. The small minority of the film’s viewers who found fault with it stemmed nearly exclusively from the political left. These were the critics who called the film jingoistic and propagandist, as well as considered it to patronize war and glorify murderers. In all of America, there may be no place more leftist, liberal or progressive than Hollywood, California. In a city where conservatives often avoid revealing their political affiliation for fear of being ostracized, it is little surprise that a film of strong patriotic conviction like “American Sniper” did not score high. It’s a shame that the Academy could not put their personal politics aside and simply pay tribute to a film the American public undoubtedly proved its support for. American Sniper’s fruitless Oscars were an unfortunate demonstration of Hollywood and the left’s unwillingness to give credit where its is due if it contradicts their agenda and narrative. Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper. and the Kyle family can take solace knowing that if the box office was any indication, American moviegoers do not share the Academy’s sentiments. 

Written by Chiru Gunawardena ‘17