Oscar nominations ignore Saving Mr. Banks

The co-stars of the Disney movie Saving Mr. Banks did not receive Oscar nominations this year.  Many people believed that at least Emma Thompson would receive a nomination. This article at Yahoo Movies offers opinions of why this happened.

One reason given is that the movie was not about a socially important subject, in contrast to movies that received nominations. The Oscar committee typically is drawn to the heavyweight themes.

"'Saving Mr. Banks' may be fun for an evening of escapism," says Syracuse University media professor Robert Thompson, "But between a movie like 'E.T.' and a movie like 'Gandhi,' the Oscar's going to go to 'Gandhi.

Another reason given is that the movie sugarcoated Walt Disney's real personality and painted P.L. Travers in an over-the-top bad light.

...the man portrayed by Tom Hanks isn't the whole story, something that the Hollywood community knows quite well 

"The film is amazingly self-serving, and awkwardly so," explains Christopher Sharrett, professor of film studies at Seton Hall University. "It demonizes P.L. Travers as a crazed shrew — the sexism alone is beyond all reason. It is the 'Disney version' of how 'Mary Poppins' happened, a candy-colored fable that doesn't fool anybody. ... And 'Uncle Walt' was never this nice."