Awards Season 2014

[Jeff]

Questions I still have - why only 8 and not 10 best film nominations and why The Lego Movie wasn't nominated for best animated film, although I'm glad to see 2 nominations in that category to GKids films (Song of the Sea, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya).

A few years ago they instituted a weighted best picture system allowing for between five and ten nominees, depending on how many votes each contender got. The past few years there have been nine nominees.

Everybody seems to love The Lego Movie except for animators themselves, and they are the only ones who nominate in that category.

No chance in hell Grand Budapest Hotel gets the most Oscar noms. None. Period. It will likely do quite well, but c'mon

"BIRDMAN & GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL lead 2015 Oscar with 9 Nominations each." \:D/

C'mon, sticky already.

It really took off recently. How odd and sublime is it that a verywesanderson Wes Anderson movie taking place in a fictional country in the 1930s, shot mostly in Academy ratio, and released in March is leading the Oscar field?

And even though I don't think much of Birdman, I must admit it's a pretty idiosyncratic choice for Oscar voters too.

[mfunk9786]

Eh, it's a celebration/gentle send-up of showbusiness with contempt for critics* and mainstream filmgoers who don't appreciate the artistic burden of characters like Keaton's, I'm not surprised that Oscar voters gobbled it up. Great overall list of nominations though, really great. Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher is a pleasant and deserving surprise.

*No Life Itself nomination, either

[Ribs]

Though I don't care for Boyhood, I think it's incredibly nifty that it's genuinely a competition primarily between Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater. I'd never have believed either had a chance at this time last year.

[thirtyframesasecond]

Really pleased that Cotillard and Lenczewski/Zal were nominated despite neither have a cat in hell's chance of winning

Duvall for The Judge seemed a bit weird. I don't remember that film getting any kind of decent reviews. I reckon you could've had a decent case for Tatum.

Meryl Streep was always going to be nominated, she could star in an Adam Sandler shitfest and still get her invite..

[mfunk9786]

I think Tatum was being campaigned in Best Actor. He was just crowded out of contention either way, which is a shame, as he gave the best performance in that film (and that's saying something, considering the other two lead performances being so strong! Ruffalo is astonishing.)

Another interesting acting snub: No Rene Russo for Nightcrawler, and out of nowhere, Laura Dern was nominated for Wild. While I hated that film and Dern wasn't doing anything all that revolutionary, how cool is it to have Patricia Arquette and Laura Dern nominated in the same category this year? Throw in Jennifer Jason Leigh and a bowl of French Toast Crunch (I actually have that covered) and I'd be in 90s kid heaven.

[Ribs]

I'd not say Laura Dern was "out of nowhere" - she was second favorite for a while, but had no momentum to keep going (Witherspoon faces a similar problem against the Moore juggernaut) and so had dipped down further in the odds.

I loved Wild and even moreso than Witherspoon I feel Dern's character was made for awards attention. She's the emotional center of the film and

Spoiler

it's her death thats the most important moment in the film.

[mfunk9786]

She plays an absolute saint who is being beaten down by the world without any of the subtlety that might've made that role, and perhaps that movie, something more interesting. Worse yet, her character only serves as a pawn to give the lead character's life more hardship, to somehow try to justify why this story is remotely interesting in the first place - the whole enterprise is pretty disingenuous. Regardless, Dern is a pro and does fine work and I have no problem with it. Witherspoon though... eh.

[sir_luke]

I think it's also ridiculous that Force Majeure was snubbed.

[DarkImbecile]

Grand Budapest's co-lead in nominations is even more impressive considering it didn't have a single acting nomination (unfortunately), which must at least be close to some kind of record.

[Ribs]

The Last Emperor won nine Oscars without any acting nominations, and Return of the King won thirteen.

[DarkImbecile]

I believe RotK only won 11, but point taken...

[mfunk9786]

Weirdest snub has to be no editing nomination for Birdman. Voters realized that wasn't actually done in one shot, right?

[domino harvey]

Weirdest snub has to be no editing nomination for Birdman. Voters realized that wasn't actually done in one shot, right?

That was definitely one of the stranger snubs. And nomming American Sniper but not Eastwood (I knew Bradley Cooper would get it, he's everybody's friend in Hollywood). I will gladly admit I was wrong about Grand Budapest Hotel leading, even if it shared that title with Birdman. Still think it's only an average Anderson flick, but I'm happy for its fans and it's basically an overdue nomination overall for his oeuvre

And Jeff, yes, obviously this isn't the first time a Best director has been nominated without Best Picture, I meant since the ten nominees thing. I mean, I'm the one who created the board index of all the previous Best Director without Best Pic nods! It was just too early in the morning for me to be clear

[lacritfan]

Is it just me or is this shaping up to be one of most ho-hum awards years ever?

I wrote this when it looked like Boyhood and Grand Budapest Hotel were only gonna be critic darlings but now that they're practically front runners I'm excited again.

Disappointed Ava DuVernay didn't become the first black woman to be nominated for best director. Morten Tyldum over her and Clint Eastwood?
Even more surprising than Marion Cotillard for best actress is Rosamund Pike for me.
LEGO Movie co-director Phil Lord is OK with the snub.

[eerik]

So, the Academy finally discovered comedies exist?

[lacritfan]

Worse yet, her character only serves as a pawn to give the lead character's life more hardship, to somehow try to justify why this story is remotely interesting in the first place - the whole enterprise is pretty disingenuous.

Um, you know Wild! is based on a true story and Cheryl Strayed's mother was a real person who really

Spoiler

did die

and not a made up character?

[mfunk9786]

I absolutely do, and I don't think that changes my statement. I still find the idea that someone taking a long hike to clear their mind doesn't make an interesting topic for a movie - at least, I don't think it worked in Wild one bit.

Spoiler

A lot of people's parents die young, sometimes before they reach adulthood, and that doesn't inherently make your vacation some sort of noble journey.

[domino harvey]

Just realized Life Itself was snubbed too-- guess all those years of Ebert bitching about the Documentary category came back to bite him one last time

[Roger Ryan]

Grand Budapest's co-lead in nominations is even more impressive considering it didn't have a single acting nomination (unfortunately), which must at least be close to some kind of record.

Apart from THE LEGO MOVIE non-nom, Ralph Fiennes being missing from the "Best Actor" list is the only real disappointment.

[aox]

I really wish Winter's Sleep had grabbed a Foreign nom.

[Ribs]

Goldderby's handicapping is putting Boyhood at first with a 4/9 spread, followed by Budapest with a 4/1 (then Imitation Game, 16/1; Birdman, 50/1). I think Budapest is a bit more likely than that, but fair's fair.

Most interesting might be the original Screenplay race, which GD puts at dead even between the two of them.

Birdman is only favored above Budapest in the Cinematography race. I think there's a good chance that's the only award it manages to walk away with.

[hearthesilence]

Weirdest snub has to be no editing nomination for Birdman. Voters realized that wasn't actually done in one shot, right?

It's still comprised of very long takes, is it not? Not to knocking the editing, but I think most voters thought that the editing basically meant picking out the best takes and then handing it off to someone else in post to digitally stitch the shots together.

[mfunk9786]

I'd say that Selma and Birdman are more likely than The Grand Budapest Hotel, but maybe that's just me being pessimistic.

Weirdest snub has to be no editing nomination for Birdman. Voters realized that wasn't actually done in one shot, right?

It's still comprised of very long takes, is it not? Not to knocking the editing, but I think most voters thought that the editing basically meant picking out the best takes and then handing it off to someone else in post to digitally stitch the shots together.

Then where's the visual effects nomination? It seems odd to presume that the editor didn't have anything to do with the fluidity of that film.

[hearthesilence]

Grand Budapest's co-lead in nominations is even more impressive considering it didn't have a single acting nomination (unfortunately), which must at least be close to some kind of record.

Apart from THE LEGO MOVIE non-nom, Ralph Fiennes being missing from the "Best Actor" list is the only real disappointment.

Not a huge surprise since he hadn't been singled out this awards season (except at the Globes thanks to the separate comedy category), but I certainly would've pulled for him, easily my favorite lead actor performance of the year.

[mfunk9786]

My three favorite lead actor performances this year (in order, Gyllenhaal, Tatum, Fiennes) were all passed over. Odd, crowded year for that category in general - apparently Isaac and Oyelowo were hurt by how late their films got into the hands of voters, too.