Incendies (bottom) got the nod; Ryan Gosling didn't

When the Oscar nominations came out this morning, we scrolled right past the laundry list of best picture nods (that 10-picture system still irks us) to the best actor category. Despite all of our hopes, Ryan Gosling was unlisted. We weren’t the only ones who thought the Academy would tap the Goz for his portrayal of a hard-living husband in Blue Valentine. Early Vegas odds had given the young actor +5,000 odds of taking home the trophy on the big night (not the greatest odds, but at least he had odds). Instead, it’s a showdown between Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco and Colin Firth.

The way we see it, James Franco stole Gosling’s spot. On paper, they’re kind of the same actor—quirky, drawn to challenging roles despite their leading-man looks—and with Eisenberg also under 30 31, it’s possible Oscar was in danger of appearing a bit short in the tooth. In related news, Blue Valentine was overlooked for best picture (presumably to leave room for Toy Story 3), but Gosling’s co-star, Michelle Williams, was nominated. So at least if she wins, we can expect to hear the Ontario boy’s name in her acceptance speech.

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