Why are the best players so often overlooked?

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

I really found this film emotionally charged and enjoyed (although that may not be the correct word!) it a great deal. After watching it, however, I was left feeling that the actors that were honoured for their performances at certain awards ceremonies were not necessarily the ones who should have been.
Although Sean Penn is dynamic in his role and probably deserved his Academy award (although personally felt that '21 Grams' was his best role during that year)and Tim Robbins is excellent it struck me that the unsung performance of the movie was the key performance of Kevin Bacon. Yet again this fine actor has been overlooked for others who are considered more 'worthy' or 'heavyweight'.
Although I am not particularly a fan of Mr Bacon I do feel that good work should be recognised and there have been a number of performances in his career where Kevin Bacon has been has good as anyone (the other really notable one was the gay con in 'JFK', but there have been others). Am I alone in thinking this?
Clint Eastwood's directing was also first class and Marcia Gay Harden, not for the first time, gave a truly great multi-faceted performance. It would have been nice to see them recognised also although, unlike Kevin Bacon, the have had awards bestowed upon them in other years.
I suppose this is a minor gripe when reflecting on a movie which I did find heartfelt and thought provoking. The acting was superb and still managed to stand out in a year which was full of many great films.