The Academy Receives Backlash For Omitting Some Big Names From Its “In Memoriam” Segment Of The Oscars

Every year at the Oscar’s ceremony, The Academy includes an “In Memoriam” segment which remembers the people in front of and behind the camera who died in the past year. And while the ceremony went quite smoothly for the most part, some fans noticed a few notable omissions from the remembrance segment.

While the memorial segment included many expected film titans such as David Lynch, James Earl Jones, Donald Sutherland and Gene Hackman, there were also quite a few that some were upset to not see. Some of these include Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, Bernard Hill (The Lord of the Rings), Tony Todd (Final Destination, Candyman) and Shannen Doherty (Gen V). Additionally, some fans called out the odd choice of music for the segment, which gave it a more ominous feel than was likely intended. In short, it is unfortunate that such a serious part of the Oscars ceremony did not go as smoothly as it should have.

Still, The Academy casts a wide net of who they honor in the annual segment, so it is an unfortunate consequence that some names may fall through the cracks. They also included an extra segment for Gene Hackman before the memorial reel, who passed away just the week before. Morgan Freeman came on stage and had the following to say about his passing. “This week, our community lost a giant. And I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman. I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, Unforgiven and Under Suspicion. Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work. Gene always said, ‘I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.’ I think I speak for us all when I say, ‘Gene, you will be remembered for that, and so much more.’ Rest in peace, my friend.”