Hollywood’s biggest stars were on the red carpet last night, and the film industry gathered together to recognize 2011’s finest achievements. Unfortunately, not every deserving movie or nominee actually made it on the list. Every Harry Potter fan under the sun was livid the final chapter in the film series didn’t receive a Best Picture nomination, but at least the film got three nominations overall.

With that in mind, here are brief highlights of five movies that weren’t nominated for any major awards. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is one of the most talked-about snubs but hasn’t made its way to Tuscaloosa and therefore can’t be included here.

Melancholia

Probably the best movie in the bunch, “Melancholia” is all about mood, and mood pieces don’t usually do well with the Academy. I’m a big believer in Kirsten Dunst as an actress after seeing this. This was a daring performance where she plays a character who isn’t instantly likable but is very human. “Melancholia” isn’t quite as enjoyable when she is absent. Whether you like “Melancholia” or not, it will stay with you for weeks. It’s one of the few movies from 2011 that I still think about regularly.

Drive

I must confess, while a lot of people were very upset about Albert Brooks being snubbed for a Best Supporting Actor nod, I was not. I didn’t think he was that spectacular and was pleased with the five candidates chosen. Christopher Plummer was outstanding in “Beginners” and is overdue. While “Drive” is an interesting film, it’s not the sort of film that typically garners a Best Picture nomination. Ryan Gosling had a solid performance, but there seems to be an agreement that he was better in “The Ides of March.” Gosling actually did receive a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globes for his performance in “The Ides of March.”

50/50

The only downside to 50/50 is it tries to be a comedy, a drama and sort of a romance all at once. It’s one of the better movies of 2011, but movies that combine multiple genres don’t often do well with Oscar voters. No doubt the people involved aren’t crying because they succeeded at making a movie that manages to be both funny and meaningful, and they didn’t seem too concerned with Oscar nominations. Even from the trailer, “War Horse” screamed Oscar. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an underrated actor, and this was a strong performance, although probably not quite Oscar-level.

Win Win

Maybe Paul Giamatti deserved a nod, and maybe the screenplay deserved a nod, but it was a crowded field. The main character in “Win Win” makes some very questionable moral choices. It’s hard to know whether such a character would be likable in person. Then again, you wonder if you wouldn’t do the same thing if you were faced with the same difficult choices. Paul Giamatti goes the extra mile to make you care for him, despite his flaws.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Elizabeth Olsen was the strongest Oscar case, as the film was way too creepy and a little too unpolished to fit the prototypical Best Picture film. John Hawkes was another supporting actor who may have been left out. Again, I like the included field, but I’d make a stronger argument for Hawkes than Albert Brooks. Hawkes played a creepy character, which sometimes goes over well with voters, and in this case, sometimes doesn’t go over so well. Olsen, the younger sister of the famous Olsen twins, may not have received an Oscar nomination, but she received plenty of attention in this breakthrough performance.