Oscar Nominations

Your thoughts?

I thought it was another fairly lackluster year for film. I was surprised at how throughly Revolutionary Road was shut out. Also, Robert Downey, Jr for Tropic Thunder? This has got to be a career nod.

I'm rooting for Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, and Viola Davis. I haven't seen Frost/Nixon or The Reader yet so I am reserving judgement for Best Picture. I can't see how The Duchess would lose for Costume Design.



BEST PICTURE

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* "Milk" (Focus Features)
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ACTOR

* Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ACTRESS

* Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

* Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

* Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

* "Bolt" (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

BEST ART DIRECTION

* "Changeling" (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

* "Changeling" (Universal), Tom Stern
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

* "Australia" (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O'Connor
* "Milk" (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

BEST DIRECTOR

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal), Ron Howard
* "Milk" (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* "Doubt" (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

* "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
* "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
* "In Bruges" (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
* "Milk" (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

You mean "Australia" only made it for BEST COSTUME DESIGN?

[huh] Go figure.....

imoldfashioned said:

Also, Robert Downey, Jr for Tropic Thunder? This has got to be a career nod.

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At least he has a sense of humor about it.

"It's about time narcissistic, accolade-seeking idiotic actors were formally recognized," Downey deadpans about his nomination, speaking from the Brooklyn, N.Y., set of "Sherlock Holmes." "It's been a long, hard road for us."

I'm rooting for the Mick(ey Rourke.)

"In Bruges"? Wow, what a pleasant surprise. And good for Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey, Jr. Two unique and (in their own ways) wonderful actors. I am reminded by this list how many good movies I am still yet to see.

Count me in as one who hope Mickey wins it. What a great story that would be!

It's amazing it ever made it that far.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" got only two out of six stars on national TV over here.


While "Revolutionary Road" got full house.
Well - maybe it only goes to show, what this Oscar thing really is...[huh]

By the way: Are there no - so called - Forreign Films any more?

I have not seen almost ANY of these. However, I'm bettin Heath Ledger gets one.

There are indeed Spitfire--I truncated the list of categories for fear of creating too long a post. The complete list can be found here. The nominations in the foreign language category are:

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

I agree with your thoughts about what the Oscars are really about.

Spitfire said:

It's amazing it ever made it that far.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" got only two out of six stars on national TV over here.


While "Revolutionary Road" got full house.
Well - maybe it only goes to show, what this Oscar thing really is...[huh]

By the way: Are there no - so called - Forreign Films any more?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't know. I watched a grand sum of 2 movies this year: Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones. And the last time I cared about the Oscars was when Return of the King won.

Heath Ledger will probably get Best Supporting Actor. The Duchess for costumes, most likely. They're pretty, it's a period film, and the competition...well, Australia?! I saw the stills! So. Not. 1930's!

What I want to win out of the faves...

BEST PICTURE

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* "Milk" (Focus Features)
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ACTOR

* Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ACTRESS

* Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

* Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

* Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

* "Bolt" (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

*I hate this category and refuse to participate in it.*

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I never watch awards shows. They seem to give them for past movies that actors should have gotten them from, well, in the past.

Russell Crowe for Gladiator comes to mind. He should have won it for the Insider, but didnt cause someone had a better performance that year, so they gave him one the next year, whatever.

LD

The Academy Awards is a popularity contest, or possibly a dart throwing exercise. There was an academy member on a news cast here locally, who admitted he didn't watch all the nominees.