Here's a list of the nominees in the major categories of the 81st Academy Awards, to be handed out Feb. 22.
I'll have more thoughts after I've had some coffee, but some early reactions:
- Benjamin Button leads the pack with 13 nominations, followed by Slumdog Millionaire with 10 nods
- Bummed that The Dark Knight and Wall-E both got shut out of Best Picture and Best Director
- Very happy to see Frozen River's Melissa Leo and Courtney Hunt got some well-deserved attention
- Psyched that both Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were recognized for The Wrestler
- Strange that Kate Winslet's clearly superior performance in Revolutionary Road was snubbed in favor of her fine but lesser work in The Reader
- Annoyed that the overrated Frost/Nixon received five nominations
- Sad that Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino got completely shut out, although at least Changeling got some love
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Best Director
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Screenplay
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Mike Leigh, Happy Go Lucky
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
Dustin Lance Blank, Milk
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter, Wall-E
Best 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
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
Best Animated Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
Best Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Best score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Best song
Down to Earth, Wall-E
Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaire
O Saya, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted
Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted
Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT GRAN TORINO DID NOT RECEIVE A SINGLE NOMINATION?
I hereby boycott the Oscars.
Posted by: Jess | January 22, 2009 at 10:12 AM
I am so tired of the Oscars, really. What bothers me the most is that every year they pick 4 movies and use them for ALL of the categories.
Posted by: Colette | January 22, 2009 at 10:13 AM