Barreling down a deserted Hollywood boulevard at the pitch-black hour of 4:12 am this morning, I noticed one lone man standing at the corner of Highland Avenue holding a sign. He trembled in the moderately cool air, bare-chested and wearing a latex Batman mask he'd pilfered from one of the local viral events that transpired over the summer. His hand-painted piece of cardboard read, "Wish me well." While stopped at the light in front of the Hollywood and Highland complex, this seemingly older man noticed my Academy Award credentials and winked. He knew I was headed to the award nomination announcements and needed my encouragement. I waved, wishing I could have snapped a picture.
The man's wish came true, as Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker and Academy President Sid Ganis read the nominations aloud this morning.
The Dark Knight was nominated in 8 different categories including best supporting actor for Heath Ledger, art direction, cinematography, film editing, and visual effects. None of which really come as a surprise at all. Probably the two biggest surprises of the morning came with the announcements for Best Actor and Actress. While some people had predicted Richard Jenkins as a longshot for his performance in
The Visitor, no one imagined that Melissa Leo would slide into the Best Actress category for her work in the hardly noticed
Frozen River. Gasps where audible as Whitaker announced her name to the packed house.
As each new nomination swept the auditorium, the mounting tension almost seemed too much to bear for some. Publicists flittered about in a state of panic, and the photojournalists in attendance got quite snippy with one another as they blocked each other's shots. The excitement was conspicuous, and nearly all of the ten categories presented live offered a bombshell of some sort. While the crowd was pleased that Robert Downey Jr. had actually managed to snag a nomination for his supporting role in
Tropic Thunder, a small group actually squealed out loud when Michael Shannon's name was read for
The Reader. And there were some in the audience that seemed more excited about Taraji P. Henson getting a mention for her supporting role in
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button than all
The Dark Knight fanboys squealing in delight for Heath combined.
There were no shocking revelations held within the confined space of the Best Animated Feature category. All three films were a lock from the word go, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that
WALL-E will dominate over the less proficient
Bolt and the "nominated because they had little else to choose from"
Kung Fu Panda. The category for Live Action Motion Picture is quite a different story, though. Out of the five nominated films, there isn't a definite favorite.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Frost/Nixon,
Milk,
The Reader, and
Slumdog Millionaire are all on equal ground. At least the 81st Annual Academy Awards telecast, which takes place Sunday, February 22, 2009 on ABC, will be a tension filled raced. And it will actually be fun to see who the eventual winners are.
Here are the following nominees from this mornings announcements:
Performance by an actress in a supporting role | Performance by an actor in a supporting role |
Performance by an actress in a leading role | Performance by an actor in a leading role |
Achievement in directing | Original screenplay |
Adapted screenplay | Best foreign language film of the year |
Best animated feature film of the year | Best motion picture of the year |
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Amy Adams
Doubt Penelope Cruz
Vicky Cristina Barcelona Villa Davis
Doubt Taraji P. Henson
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Marisa Tomei
The Wrestler Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Josh Brolin
Milk Robert Downey Jr.
Tropic Thunder Philip Seymour Hoffman
Doubt Heath Ledger
The Dark Knight Michael Shannon
The Reader Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Anne Hathaway
Rachel Getting Married Angelina Jolie
Changeling Melissa Leo
Frozen River Meryl Streep
Doubt Kate Winslet
The Reader Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Richard Jenkins
The Visitor Frank Langella
Frost/Nixon Sean Penn
Milk Brad Pitt
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke
The Wrestler Achievement in directing:
David Fincher
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard
Frost/Nixon Gus Van Sant
Milk Stephen Daldry
The Reader Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire Original screenplay:
Courtney Hunt
Frozen River Mike Leigh
Happy-Go-Lucky Martin McDonagh
In Bruges Dustin Lance Black
Milk Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, & Pete Docter
WALL-E Adapted screenplay:
Eric Roth & Robin Swicord
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button John Patrick Shanley
Doubt Peter Morgan
Frost/Nixon David Hare
The Reader Simon Beaufoy
Slumdog Millionaire Best foreign language film of the year:
The Baader Meinhof Complex - Germany
The Class - France
Departures - Japan
Revanche - Austria
Waltz with Bashir - Israel
Best animated feature film of the year:
WALL-E Kung Fu Panda Bolt Best motion picture of the year:
Milk The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Reader Frost/Nixon Slumdog Millionaire And the rest of the nominations are as follows:
Achievement in art direction:
Changeling The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight The Duchess Revolutionary Road Achievement in cinematography:
Changeling The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight The Reader Slumdog Millionaire Achievement in costume design:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Australia The Duchess Milk Revolutionary Road Best documentary feature:
The Betrayal Encounters at the End of the World The Garden Man on Wire Trouble the Water Best documentary short subject:
The Final Inch Smile Pinki The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306 Achievement in film editing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Milk Slumdog Millionaire Frost/Nixon Achievement in makeup:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Hellboy II: The Golden Army Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
Alexandre Desplat
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button James Newton Howard
Defiance Danny Elfman
Milk A.R. Rahman
Slumdog Millionaire Thomas Newman
WALL-E Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song):
"Down to Earth" from
WALL-E "Jai Ho" from
Slumdog Millionaire "O Saya" from
Slumdog Millionaire Best animated short film:
La Maison en Petits Cubes Lavatory - Lovestory Oktapodi Presto This Way Up Best live action short film:
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) Manon on the Asphalt New Boy The Pig Spielzeugland (Toyland) Achievement in sound editing:
The Dark Knight Iron Man Wanted WALL-E Slumdog Millionaire Achievement in sound mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Wanted Slumdog Millionaire WALL-E Achievement in visual effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Iron Man Be sure to watch the 81st Academy Award Ceremony when it airs Sunday, February 22nd, only on ABC.
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1 Comments
74 Comments
{But, don't let this comment detract from the subject, unless we want to go way of topic like usual...}
As you were...
But don't worry! Wall-E now shares Beauty and the Beast's record of 6 nominations, the most nominations for any animated film, and stands a good chance of winning the most awards for an animated film ever (Beast only won 2 of 6).
If anything, the animation genre is the most underrated in hollywood.
Animation IS moving ART!
Gosh, people treat those masterpieces like garbage, I just hope filmmakers would stop trying to make only money,and actually try to paint some thing gracious & extrordinary
best picture: benjamin button
best actor: brad pitt
supporting actor: heath ledger
best actress: angelina jolie
supporting actress: marisa tomei
best director: david fincher
adapted screenplay: bejamin button
original screenplay: milk
best animated movie: wall e
art direction: benjamin button
cinematography: benjamin button
best editing: dark knight
best makeup: hellboy
best score: defiance
visual effects: benjamin button
i dont care about the other catagories.i just know slumdog will when a lot of awards that it does Not deserve.and what the hell happened to dark knight. why isnt it gettin nominated for director, best picture or best score???oh well.theres has been plenty of oscar flaws and stupid choices in the past:goodfellas not winnin best picture, american gangster not even gettin nominated for best picture or director.hopefully they wont screw up as much this year, but they probly will
(However, don't be surprised if he's snubbed; the way the Academy runs; I wouldn't doubt it.
But, my nod's definitely for you, Heath...)
Best Motion Picture-Slumdog
Best Actor-Mickey Rourke
Best Supporting Actor-Heath Ledger
Best Actress-Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actress-Penelope Cruz
Achievement in Directing-Danny Boyle
Adapted Screenplay-Peter Morgan
Original Screenplay-Martin McDonagh
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year-Kung Fu Panda
Achievement in Art Direction-The Dark Knight
Achievement in Cinematography-Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in Costume Design-Albert Wolsky
Best Documentary Feature-Man on Wire
Best Documentary Short Subject-The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306
Achievement in Film Editing-Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year-Waltz with Bashir
Achievement in Makeup-Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
Original score-A.R. Rahman
Original song-A.R. Rahman
Best Animated Short Film-Presto
Best Live Action Short Film-Auf Der Strecke
Achievement in Sound Editing-Richard King
Achievement in Sound Mixing-Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Achievement in Visual Effects-Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber.
TDK would have been nominated and won everything