Awards Season 2008

[Antoine Doinel]

Yeah, I think Gran Torino definitely has a outside shot at Best Picture. Why? The Academy loves Clint and it's the kind of film that appeals directly to the organization's many over-50 members. Also, the fact that critics generally seem to like it and it's doing solid work at the box office doesn't hurt either.

I don't think Frost/Nixon has a shot simply because, even by Academy standards, it's fairly pedestrian and unexciting and really doesn't seem to have any momentum behind it. And as much as Wall-E deserves it, the Academy isn't going to give it two Best Picture nominations. And I think Milk and The Wrestler will end up with some other nominations (screenplay, actor, possibly director) but not the big enchilada. Those two films are more about the actors than anything else.

But I guess we just have to wait one more day to find out!

[flyonthewall2983]

Love Guru Leading Razzies

[Tom Hagen]

I hope they nominate Clint's song entirely as a way of coercing him into performing it at the ceremony.

[Antoine Doinel]

The USA Today positions The Dark Knight as a ratings saver for the Academy and the year critics and popular choice come together (somehow ignoring the LOTR phenomenon). Also, there is a quote by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

[Tom Hagen]

(somehow ignoring the LOTR phenomenon).

. . . Or the Forrest Gump phenomenon . . . Or the Titanic phenomenon . . . or the Gladiator phenomenon. This sort of thing happens every four years or so, kind of like the Olympics or a Presidential election.

[domino harvey]

Christ

[foliagecop]

So the Oscar BPs match the BAFTA BPs. A curious case indeed ...

[domino harvey]

Hawkins being snubbed has got to be one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the award-- and that's a long list to be topping. And of all the movies being floated around for Best Pic, the Reader? REALLY? THE READER?!?!

[LQ]

That's got to be the most disappointing BP lineup in years. sigh. Well, I guess I'll pick up a futile wisp of hope for Milk.

[domino harvey]

The worst part of all this is that it turns out Tom O'Neill did have his finger on the pulse of the Oscars. God help us all

Full List of Nominees

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* 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)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* 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)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* 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)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* 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 film of the year

* “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

Achievement in 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

Achievement in 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

Achievement in 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

Achievement in directing

* “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 documentary feature

* “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
* “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
* “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
* “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
* “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
* “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
* “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
* “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
* “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

* “La Maison en Pe**** Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
* “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
* “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
* “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
* “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

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

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

[foliagecop]

Hawkins being snubbed has got to be one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the award-- and that's a long list to be topping. And of all the movies being floated around for Best Pic, the Reader? REALLY? THE READER?!?!

Couldn't agree more, domino. No Hawkins and no Marsan. Both were shoo-ins for me. Still ... Michael Shannon. Yay!

And nobody here predicted The Reader. Admittedly the only BP nom I've yet to see, but in a year of The Wrestler, Wall-E, Dark Knight, Doubt, c'mon ...

[LQ]

And how did Winslet got the acting nom for Reader and not Revolutionary Road? The only category that looks like it remotely merits tuning in is the original screenplay.

[mfunk9786]

Two words: Harvey Weinstein.

[domino harvey]

I got 21/30, not my best year of predictions but who could have foreseen the Reader? How did so many academy voters manage to nominate Winslet for Best Actress when everyone was saying she'd be up for Supporting? Something doesn't sound right. Oh well, I will be pulling for the former Homicide actress now that Hawkins is out of the running-- though to be honest, this year in general has very little to pull for. Leo, Adams, Jenkins-- none of these underdogs are going up to the podium in a year where the Reader was nominated for Best Picture.

[foliagecop]

Highlights for me:

Richard Jenkins
Michael Shannon
Werner!
Revanche

[mfunk9786]

No Eastwood nomination in the best actor category is also puzzling. Pitt was positively wooden throughout Benjamin Button.

[souvenir]

I don't understand why only 3 songs were nominated. Didn't people think Springsteen was a lock to win, and then he's not even nominated.

[Murdoch]

I'm happy about the supporting actress nominations (except I can't say anything about Taraji P. Henson having not seen Benjamin), but Davis, Adams, Cruz, and Tomei makes me really happy although I can't say I'm surprised by it. I too am disappointed Marsan got snubbed and the best pic nominations are terrible - though, and I may get hammered for this, I am happy Dark Knight wasn't given a best pic nom.

[foliagecop]

I don't understand why only 3 songs were nominated. Didn't people think Springsteen was a lock to win, and then he's not even nominated.

At least there's no High School Musical! =D>

[Antoine Doinel]

What a dismal list of nominees. Also, the fanboy whining about The Dark Knight is going to be intolerable. I may have to stay off the internet for a while.

[Dylan]

It surprises me that the only Vicky Cristina Barcelona nomination is supporting actress, which I'm happy enough with, but I was honestly expecting it to land original screenplay and cinematography, too.

With that said, I'm pretty happy with what I see. Lots and lots of people I admire are nominated this year: Penelope Cruz, Danny Elfman, Mike Leigh, Marisa Tomei, Alexandre Desplat, Dracula (Frank Langella, that is), and on, and on.

[Matt]

A dull, shitty, unsurprising collection of nominees. The Oscars are going to be worst than usual this year. Who's hosting? Joy Behar?

[colinr0380]

It certainly looks at if we are paying the price for one of the best film line ups last year. Back to middle brow, faux intellectual, fanboy baiting, issue-tastic material (and I'm saying this as someone who will most likely see Revolutionary Road and The Dark Knight at some point!) Danny Boyle nominated for multiple awards (for his 'searing expose' of India) is simply extracting the urine.

And as an unrepentant fan of The Fountain I don't consider The Wrestler to be Aranofsky's 'return to form' - just a more accessible piece of work, as may be shown by the way it is being celebrated! Which would prove once again that the Academy prefers it when filmmakers play it safe.

Why did they even bother with the pretence of nominating anything against Waltz With Bashir in the Best Foreign Film category?

Can't we go back and vote There Will Be Blood into the 2009 Best Film category? (and Persepolis as Best Foreign Film?) After all there is still more interesting unrewarded material from last year than this!

Hugh Jackman's hosting, isn't he?

[Antoine Doinel]

Thank God The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Original Score.

I think it deserved it, but I'm sure they shut them out after all the "controversy" surrounding their eligibility.

[Tom Hagen]

but I was honestly expecting it to land original screenplay and cinematography, too.

The subplot with the fiancee showing up in Spain did the screenplay in for me and took the film from excellent to merely great.

The Reader? WTF? I guess the Academy had to find one more prestige picture to go all in on. Bizarre.

And no Bruuuuuuuce?