This is supposed to be Jennifer Aniston's year. She decided to get really brave and un-pretty for her new role in Cake, in which she plays a depressed chronic pain sufferer. It is actually exactly the kind of part she needed to take in order to prove that she could portray someone other than a character similar to Rachel Green from Friends on the big screen. Aniston has won over audiences that have already seen her new indie flick — so much so that Oscar buzz has been swirling like crazy around her. That is why it comes as a semi-shock that Cake did not grab even a single nomination for the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards.
The list of nominations was released yesterday, and Aniston was not in it. The Independent Spirit Awards nomination list is what technically kicks off awards season, and everything from this point on is just another step toward Oscar. Aniston, after months of Hollywood invisibility, has really been hitting the bricks to promote Cake. She has even shown up for various parties that are considered necessary to attend if you want the Academy to take you seriously.
While Aniston has said that the Oscar buzz has left her stunned, she sure is jumping through the hoops to do everything in her power to appear worthy.
Ironically enough, Cake was not even going to be released this year, but when the initial reaction was so fabulous in September, the studio rallied to get it into theaters so that it could be eligible for this awards season.
But what if after all of this extra work, it is still snubbed? What if Aniston's best performance to date still is not good enough for a nomination? Will she keep taking different roles to challenge herself, or do you think this was a one-time shot in the dark for her?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
