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:
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
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
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
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.
The Dark Knight was released July 18th, 2008 and stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Monique Gabriela Curnen. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.
The Visitor was released April 11th, 2008 and stars Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Hiam Abbass, Marian Seldes, Maggie Moore, Michael Cumpsty, Bill McHenry. The film is directed by Thomas McCarthy.
Frozen River was released August 1st, 2008 and stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott, Michael O'Keefe, Mark Boone Junior, James Reilly, Jay Klaitz, John Canoe. The film is directed by Courtney Hunt.
Tropic Thunder was released August 13th, 2008 and stars Jeff Kahn, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Ruivivar, Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Eric Winzenried. The film is directed by Ben Stiller.
The Reader was released December 10th, 2008 and stars Ralph Fiennes, Jeanette Hain, David Kross, Kate Winslet, Susanne Lothar, Alissa Wilms, Florian Bartholomäi, Friederike Becht. The film is directed by Stephen Daldry.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released December 25th, 2008 and stars Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Faune A. Chambers, Elias Koteas, Donna DuPlantier, Jacob Tolano, Earl Maddox, Ed Metzger. The film is directed by David Fincher.
WALL-E was released June 27th, 2008 and stars Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, MacInTalk, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton.
Bolt was released November 21st, 2008 and stars John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader. The film is directed by Byron Howard, Chris Williams.
Frost/Nixon was released December 5th, 2008 and stars Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones. The film is directed by Ron Howard.
Milk was released November 26th, 2008 and stars Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco, Alison Pill, Victor Garber, Denis O'Hare. The film is directed by Gus Van Sant.
Slumdog Millionaire was released November 12th, 2008 and stars Dev Patel, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor, Rajendranath Zutshi, Jeneva Talwar, Freida Pinto, Irrfan Khan, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail. The film is directed by Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan.
Comments (74)
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Twisted Smile (The Untold Smile)
It is a shame that such a great and well done film as The Dark Knight would be cast aside for what the academy feels are more "artistc" films. The shear act of snubbing a film which took no less effort to make than the others(if not more)is just one more reason for me personaly to believe that these awards are no different than a highschool click. Give us realism and we will give you an award. What happened to imagination and adventure? If The Dark Knight is to be considered the reinvention of a more serious comic book film and does not make the cut how can we expect others to do so. I feel bothered by the fact that hard work and attention to detail does'nt get rewarded to all. If it was snubbed because of the source material I feel sorry for those who can not look past what a comic book is enough to look deeper into the stories of depth and beautiful artistc blends of writing,illustration,and color. You are sadly missing out on what should be a much more respected medium instead of a childs hobby.
3 years agoby @twistedsmileFlag
ZanyZap
On a completely random note concerning another Batman film, I think fellow nominee Michael Shannon could wear Heath's makeup as the Joker. There's a resemblance, and as seen with Revolutionary Road, he can definitely play the part of a "crazy man."
{But, don't let this comment detract from the subject, unless we want to go way of topic like usual...}
3 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
ZanyZap
I just saw the Reader, so now I can say I've seen all nominated films, and can judge them properly. It was an excellent, somber film, but my vote still goes to Slumdog Millionaire.
As you were...
3 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
Shelley
Maybe they did, his profile is still there, just zero comments.
3 years agoby @shelleyFlag
T.Clark
The staff might have deleted them, Shelley
3 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
Frost/ Nixon should win, I loved that movie, It was a true work of art, that staggerd with greatness and magestic buety, such a glorious picture that deserves all of it's nominations.
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
Shelley
I guess Mr.White decided everyone else was right and he was wrong, becasue he deleted all of his comments.
3 years agoby @shelleyFlag
HorrorHound
The Dark Knight Rules !!!! I Can't Believe It Wasn't In The Best Picture & Best Costume Categories...It's Like Everyone Is Saying The Ratings Will Be Way Down!!!! It's #2 All Time In Total Gross & Still Making Money, I Like The Re-Release Idea....I Hope They Put Together A Better Tribute For Heath Than The One At The Golden Globes, His Role In The Dark Knight Was SICK !!!!!It Sucks We Won't See Any More Of His Work Except For That One That He Did't Get To Finish That Will Be Out In The Near Future...R.I.P. Heath Ledger
3 years agoby @donnieFlag
spynet315
I don't think the "Academy" even bothers to view all of the movies that come out. They just pick a few movies that are boring and unimaginative and pick out their best pic from there. Who is this Academy anyway? sounds like some kind of secret and unholy organization bent on world domination.
3 years agoby @spynet315Flag
Diaigma
Not always, Rufio. Return of the King managed to win A LOT, and best picture. This is one of those years where the Academy are split thin, choosing a winner by a few votes instead of a landslide. This year's noms remind me of the awards that Crash and Shakespeare in Love won. Not exactly great films at all. For now, I'm only excited about the technical awards.
3 years agoby @diaigmaFlag
Rufio
So tired of The Academy Awards. It's a pretentious bunch of non-movie watching people that vote according to their taste rather than recogonize true greatness. I know there are some diamonds in rough of bad indie films that need a voice, but seriously are they better than some of the better received films? You want a sure fire way NOT to get an Oscar? Have a financially successful, critically praised and audience loved film (TDK, Wall-E, etc.)... Walla - you have the yet again lame Academy Awards. "I'd like to thank the Academy for their obvious lack of true cinematic taste, enabling me to be nominated. Thank you." (Signed any long, drawn out, foreign lame film)
3 years agoby @rufioFlag
Diaigma
ridgl, there were many who believed Beauty and the Beast should've won Best Picture in 1992 (and that's a toss up for me, because Silence of the Lambs deserved the win too, and did), but that's one of the reasons why the Academy created the Best Animated Film award, so animated films could have it's own little category. Shrek won the first.
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!
3 years agoby @diaigmaFlag
Oli
I mostly agree with the nominations. Although TDK should have gotten noms in BP and BD over The Reader.
3 years agoby @reviloleeFlag
ridgl
Why was the READER nominated for best picture while Wall-E has to sit behind. The Reader was crap compaired to Wall-E
3 years agoby @ridglFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
I see your point. Eagle Eye was a great film but it's the exact opposite of what motion pictures should be, It's an insult to the laws of physics and to the film industry. So I don't think it would be voted as the best film. As far as new Indiana Jones, fans & critics alike are ripping that film apart like they did with the Star Wars Prequels. So that wouldn't win either. When I think about it, I guess America might choose something like 21 or Vantage Point, all good films but films like these ignore what all motion picture should be. I suppose america has lost it's taste for films, I can't believe no one ever watches art anymore, all the films up on the Best Picture list never even came in 1st at the Box Office, I sure wish people would stop watches things like Saw V or The Hanc*ck, and Instead go see thinks like Frost/ Nixon or Milk.
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
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
ZanyZap
If we voted as a nation films like Indiana Jones and Eagle Eye would be contenders for Best Picture, not exactly the "formal" choosing. If you want to vote, and feel a part of something, stick with MTV. I do agree on The Dark Knight business, but the five films nominated are all excellent, well-made films. In my opinion, Slumdog Millionaire was not "carbage" CB, but a great film that deserves every award received, and every award it WILL receive in the future (aka On Oscar Night).
3 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
GK
GO THE DARK KNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 years agoby @indianajonesFlag
Molemanjoop
Bring it on !! Heath buddy, U got it !!!
3 years agoby @molemanjupeFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
Frost/ Nixon is the greatest film EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
Frost/ Nixon better win best picture and Heath Ledger better win best supporting actor or so help me god, I'll eat the living flesh off my fingers, and throw up in a freezer, then lock my self in side until the year 2099, then I'll buy a super advanced machine gun and shoot every single living sole in Hollywood, then set fire to Hollywood and escape to mars on a rocket ship.
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
CB Junior
why is slumdog millionaire mentioned here???that carbage is so overrated.i cant believe it won best picture at the golden globes,but who cares.the oscars are what counts.even if they dont make any since half the time.this is how the oscars should be this year in the catagories that actually matter!
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
3 years agoby @cbjuniorFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
Why the hell wasn't the Dark Knight nominated for Best Picture, Damn it, Who the Hell makes these f*ck'n decisions, this is america, we should all vote as a nation not just some little group of hippucritts & bureacrats, this is F*cked up, It's not that I want the Dark Knight win, I think it's a great movie that at least deserves a nomination, My vote for Best Picture goes too Frost/Nixon, that was an excellent masterpiece and I'm so thrilled that it got nominated. but gee at least they nominated Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. they didn't win but they were nominated, back then it could be anything Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy, But it had to be great, it had to be a masterpiece, a true work of art, It may be harder to make a masterpiece out of a comic book move then a drama, but if there's ever a comic book movie masterpiece, it's the Dark Knight. now days it's nothing but low budget dramas that have lots and lots of emotion. And that only seem good because you had no expectation's for it anyway.
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
PandemicWarZ0ne
Yes Heath Ledger made it! Wahoo!!! he did it, this is great, he better win
3 years agoby @pandemicwarz0neFlag
spynet315
TDK was a great movie, but that type of movie will probably never fit in to the Academy's definition of what it means to be a "Best Picture." I thought that it should at least be nominated for best director and not necessarily for best picture, but that would never happen either. The academy awards are an archaic ritual anyway. It's basically a competition that judges who can make the movie that makes the most people cry, ignoring all other considerations. Meanwhile really great movies (like Pineapple Express, Iron Man, or The Dark Knight) are almost completely left out of the mix because they focus more on comedy or action than pure emotion. I was surprised when Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was nominated for Best Picture in 2002, and I was even more surprised when "A Beautiful Mind" ended up winning. In my mind there is no comparison between those two films. I actually thought that A Beautiful mind was dull and boorish. I believe that the Academy Awards do not speak to my generation. As with most things I wonder who put those people in charge to determine something that is so dependent on personal opinion as declaring what the "best picture" of the year is? Who are they to say what the best movie is? There should be separate categories for best picture. It should be broken down into: best comedy, best drama, best action/thriller, and the overall Best Picture should be picked out of that group. I used to get excited about the Academy Awards... that was until I began thinking on my own.
3 years agoby @spynet315Flag
ZanyZap
Ironically, last year the day Heath Ledger died, the 80th Academy Award nominations were announced. Now, he is included in this years Oscar batch. It seems appropriate. Hopefully he will be rewarded on the Award Night for his excellent performance.
(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...)
3 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
outlaw Returns
I got too say that could'nt believe The Reader got the nod for Best Picture.And the Acadamy should know that they f*cked up not giving a nod to Nolan.Yeah its early,but here's my picks:
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 Doc*mentary Feature-Man on Wire
Best Doc*mentary 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.
3 years agoby @memo17Flag
killerman200
You know, i hate to admit it, because i'm kind of tired of hearing about it, but The Dark Knight should have been in the best picture drawing. I mean these nominations are very dull. Curious Case, come on now. If this should be nominated for anything, it's visual effects.
3 years agoby @killerman200Flag
J.A.Ottley.Writer / Director
Actually if it was based on money, Vis.
TDK would have been nominated and won everything
3 years agoby @chronicFlag
justice 23
hey hey hey mrwhite u need to go f*cking shoot urself heath leger totaly deserves that nomination and he is not a drugy he was taking painkillers and sleeping medication because he did such a fantastic job he scared the f*cking sh*t out of him self and gave himself nightmares.
3 years agoby @emokid23Flag
T.Clark
If it was based on money, TDK would've been nominated for best picture
3 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag