#25: Th Reader, 81st Academy Awards, 2009

Categories: Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress

Best Actress nominees who lost at the 81st Academy Awards:

• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie, Changeling
• Melissa Leo, Frozen River
• Meryl Streep, Doubt

In 2009, Kate Winslet’s triumph at the Oscars for Best Actress sparked a firestorm of controversy. Not only did her portrayal of an illiterate Nazi raise eyebrows, but The Reader itself seemed to epitomize the Academy’s perceived elitism. Adding fuel to the flames, Winslet had jokingly acknowledged her calculated Oscar bid on Extras shortly before her win.

The Reader, a period romance entangled with the complexities of a former Nazi death camp guard, further fueled the debate. Its nomination for Best Picture shut out groundbreaking genre-definers like The Dark Knight and WALL-E, sparking outrage that reverberated through Hollywood. So profound was the backlash that it prompted a revamp of the rules governing Best Picture nominees.