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From 2005-2009, my favorite movies of every year were A History of Violence, The Departed, There Will Be Blood and The Dark Knight, so imagine my surprise when an independent rom-com became my favorite movie of 2010. Over the last six months, I've seen (500) Days of Summer some six or seven times, and the movie still delights me with each viewing. Maybe I'm still a bit of a hopeless romantic, or perhaps my own experience with a life sucking bitch attracts me to this wonderful film. From its quirky but never unrealistic characters to its insightful observations, its unconventional but never gimmicky story structure to a great soundtrack and two wonderful leads, (500) Days was an easy choice for my favorite movie of the year. However, this article isn't so much about the movie's snub out of the field of ten - it could have easily replaced Blind Side, Up in the Air, Avatar or An Education - but rather the Academy's sin of omitting both Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt that I find more objectionable. The two create perfectly believable characters who share chemistry, but also make us believe in their incompatibility and why they ultimately fail in their relationship.

The 2009 acting races were rather mundane. After Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock both won Golden Globes, the categories were essentially over. Even the bid for nominations was rather mundane, as the fields of five were set just as early. Despite solid fields, neither contest featured anything resembling the top five performances of the year, especially a Best Actor field with many under-appreciated roles. Strong cases could be made for the inclusion of Sam Rockwell in Moon, Robin Williams in World's Greatest Dad, Sharlto Copley in District 9, Viggo Mortensen in The Road and Matt Damon in The Informant!. Yet, it was Gordon-Levitt's dedication to creating a character that was real, and exuding the range of emotions for his character that elevated his movie the most.

Zooey Deschanel stood little chance, considering her last name isn't Mirren or Dench. Neither did she play a Republican or an abused teen from Harlem, so even if she portrayed an honest, young, independent woman, she had little chance. Yet, despite their shared in love in stupid crap, Deschanel's careful characterization demonstrates the drastic differences between these two young people. Their combined performances make us believe that despite how apparent it is that their relationship is doomed, they make us believe just as strongly as Tom does that destiny is at work.

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