The biggest Oscar snubs are old news by now — WHERE’S WALL-E? We’re never letting that one go… — which is why today we’re having fun with the less talked-about omissions. Although we agree with what a wise friend told us on the morning of the announcements, “I learned long ago never to let Oscar break my heart,” that doesn’t mean we can’t show some love for some of the most underrated of this year’s films and performances.

After the jump, we round up the long-shots that critics and fans would have wanted to see nominated (Why not Tropic Thunder?), and pick some of our own (If you haven’t seen The Wackness, you really should).

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Salon’s independent film expert Andrew O’Hehir has posted his year-end roundup of 2008′s ten best flicks, and while some of his choices were predictable (Flight of the Red Balloon and the newly-opened Waltz With Bashir have both garnered a ton of zealous critical praise), he surprised us by leaving off some seriously buzzed-about indies (August Evening, Ballast and Frozen River), and opting to include a few tiny movies that we saw and loved this year (Momma’s Man, Chop Shop and Reprise).

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This year’s award picks by both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association are in, and while there aren’t any huge shockers to reveal, we think that the subtle differences between the two lists offers an interesting portrait of the coastal divide. Example: As subversive as it might be, can you imagine New Yorkers voting a heartwarming animated flick like Wall-E as Best Picture? Fuggedabouit.

Our stereotype-reinforcing analysis after the jump.

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Books: Sam Jordison of the Guardian points out that these days, the smartest way to entertain yourself is picking up one of those books you bought ages ago but never found the time to read.

Dance/Opera: The Washington Post reveals that Twyla Tharp might be 67 years old but she still does 75 push-ups a day and isn’t afraid to kick your butt.

Design: When invited to participated in the White House’s first invitation-by-congressional districts Christmas tree decorating, don’t make an ornament that calls for President Bush’s impeachment. Or do, but don’t expect that Laura’s going to be very happy with you.

Film: Rachel Getting Married tops New York Magazine critic David Edelstein‘s list of the year’s best films. We just don’t get it.

Music: Fifty years of popular songs condensed into single sentences — most involving the words “do it.” Thank you McSweeney’s.

Television: ABC is bringing DC Comics’s Fables — Bill Willingham’s story about a group of fairytale characters who have been ousted from their homes and create a secret New York community — to TV. We’ve seen some bearded hipsters running around Williamsburg who’d be just perfect for the part of the Big Bad Wolf.

Theatre: Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch and Norm from Cheers are joining forces in L.A. for a staging of Minksy’s, a “a big, racy, new musical comedy set in a time when entertainment was about legs and laughs.” Oy.

Visual Arts: The Independent asks, should fashion photography count as art? Poor Richard Avedon just rolled over in his grave.

Web: This week’s possibly NSFW SNL Digital Short featuring the first single from the Lonely Island boys’s upcoming album INCREDIBAD is already making the viral rounds. Andy Samberg is always hit or miss: so which one is this?

Unlike the most of the country, we decided to escape our own family drama with the big screen version, taking in Rachel Getting Married over the Thanksgiving weekend. The box office report indicates that everyone else caught Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn in their new comedy Four Christmases, which grossed a healthy $46.7m over the five-day period. (Rounding out the top five was Twilight, $39.52m; Bolt, $36.01m; Quantum of Solace, $28.13m; and Australia, $20m.)

But back to Rachel Getting Married. We had read only positive reviews for the Jonathan Demme/Anne Hathaway vehicle. We had heard the Oscar buzz Hathaway has been generating for her daring crossover from popcorn princess to indie bad girl. Plus we’re big fans of Demme’s previous work, which includes flicks like Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. It seemed like a no-brainer.

So why did we almost follow suit when over seven people got up and left our not-so-crowded theater?

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