The Oscars: A Soul-Crushing Star Wars Snub

By Tim Long

There’s a moment in every movie lover’s life when the Oscars break your heart. For me, it happened when I was eight years old.

The year was 1978, and my favorite movie, Star Wars, had just been nominated for Best Picture. I recall feeling faintly sorry for the other four films: I hadn’t seen any of them, of course, but how could they possibly compete with the greatest movie, the greatest line of action figures, and the greatest bedspread I had ever seen in my whole life?

Imagine my astonishment when I woke up the day after the awards telecast and my parents informed me—gently, of course—that Luke, Chewie, and the gang had lost to something called Annie Hall.

Dear God, I thought to myself, there’s a better movie than Star Wars? This I gotta see!

All through the spring, I begged my parents to take me to see this Annie Hall—which was clearly the most mind-blowing thrill-ride in the history of cinema. Mom and Dad finally relented on June 14—my ninth birthday. I still remember walking out of the theater, bewildered and deeply hurt, thinking to myself, I don’t understand anything about anything, and I never will.

(For the record, Annie Hall is now one of my favorite films. But the original, unaltered Star Wars is still better.)

Tim Long is a writer and executive producer for The Simpsons, a popular cartoon show.