Part of me wants to believe that the Academy is ahead of the curve and that they do their best to look past current flings to try and find films that will make lasting impressions on the industry. It’s an idealistic notion, I know, but it’s one that gives me peace of mind when I read about the terrible decisions they make regarding nominations for the Oscars.

The latest of these abominations is the 2010 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. Below you’ll find the list, which includes favorites and breakout hits like The Cove and Food Inc., yet you’ll notice that three very notable releases are inexplicably left out: Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story, Anvil!: The Story of Anvil, and Tyson. Each of these docs was well received both critically and financially and while it’s debatable whether each of them deserve an actual nomination, they are most definitely entitled to a spot on the shortlist.

So the Academy continues to break my pie-eyed idealistic view of their organization and instead of hoping for the best from them, I’m left wondering what the hell they’re thinking.
The Beaches of Agnes, Agnès Varda, director
Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director
The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director
Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors
Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director
Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director
Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders, Mark N. Hopkins, director
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors
Mugabe and the White African, Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors Sergio, Greg Barker, director
Soundtrack for a Revolution, Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors
Under Our Skin, Andy Abrahams Wilson, director
Valentino The Last Emperor, Matt Tyrnauer, director
Which Way Home, Rebecca Cammisa, director