Oscar Nominations!

[cqb101]

81st Oscar Nominations


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 Petits 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



Thoughts? Opinions? I'll be back a little later with mine.

[Raph's Girl]

Lesse.. Heath Ledger will win his nomination, Wall-E will win the animated film and music (I LOVE Down To earth) and everything else will either go to The Wrestler, Doubt or Benjamin Button.... *shrugs*

No clue about the Foreign language, short film and documentary stuff....never even heard of any of those.

[Cure]

I heard on the radio that it's been a year to the day since Heath Ledger died, so good on him to get nominated.

Also, even with 8 nominations, people over at the SuperHeroHype (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=8005) boards are not happy about TDK not getting nominated for Best Picture and it's hilarious.

I still need to see Milk and Frost/Nixon, but I'm cool with the nominees.

[Drtooth]

Also, even with 8 nominations, people over at the SuperHeroHype (http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=8005) boards are not happy about TDK not getting nominated for Best Picture and it's hilarious.

When was the last time one of those films even got nominated, period? Usually the Oscars go to the psuedo "Indie" films (you know, the ones with the word "Classic" in the label of the film's distributor that have big name stars play the leads) and talk about social issues which are dealt with years after it's acceptible and safe. I know, I know... but I once heard something from an indie film maker that made me think. How the true indie films always handle the difficult material when it's still difficult.

I really hope Slumdog Millionaire trounces all the competition. I've heard positive things about that one, and I actually want to see it.

That said, no surprises for anything... Bolt I gotta see at some point. I hear much better stuff about it than I thought, but it will go to Wall*E... no question. Kung Fu Panda is one of Dreamworks' finest film, as it wasn't a nonstop pop culture fart joke fest.

[The Stryker]

Mickey Rourke deserves that Oscar. The Wrestler was great and it was 95% because of him.

[Mr. Snackpants]

I'm not seeing The Wrestler until Saturday, but I was surprised to not see it nominated for Best Picture.

Any thoughts on this?


Lesse.. Heath Ledger will win his nomination, Wall-E will win the animated film and music (I LOVE Down To earth) and everything else will either go to The Wrestler, Doubt or Benjamin Button.... *shrugs*

No clue about the Foreign language, short film and documentary stuff....never even heard of any of those.

lawl. Have you ever heard of Slumdog Millionaire?

[joe-eyeball]

What? No Punisher War Zone!!! Oh man someone screwed up.

[The Stryker]

What? No Punisher War Zone!!! Oh man someone screwed up.

Don't even try to be sarcastic. That movie was awesome!

[Cure]

What? No Punisher War Zone!!! Oh man someone screwed up.

That movie at least deserves some applesawce!

[ThirdMarioBro]

I really hope Slumdog Millionaire trounces all the competition. I've heard positive things about that one, and I actually want to see it.

I like the movie and all and I was a big fan of Millionaire when it ran on ABC, but I really don't want to see a mass farming of Hollywood jobs going straight to India. The last thing we need is every movie ending with a musical number.

That said, no surprises for anything... Bolt I gotta see at some point. I hear much better stuff about it than I thought, but it will go to Wall*E... no question. Kung Fu Panda is one of Dreamworks' finest film, as it wasn't a nonstop pop culture fart joke fest.

Jeffrey Katzenberg can suck my balls. I've got a good friend who has works closely with Walt Disney Animation, so excuse the bias, but that man is the purest definition of a cooperate whore.


The Oscars have fallen into a pit of mediocrity that is equaled by few, and last year's ratings drop shows the public agrees with me. It's all backslapping and pandering. Now, I never expected the Dark Knight to get any recognition outside of visual effects (which it probably won't win either because it's not drowning in CGI). Hollywood has an unwritten rule of not giving any more props than necessary to a film where the protagonist wears a cape. Who cares if it's most popular movie ever.

I also expect WALL-E to loose--even though the film is so damned good that it could be used to teach art fifty years from now. I mean, they gave an award to fu*king Shrek against Monster's Inc. That's when I realized Oscar awards are nothing more than a internal system of ass-kissing where Hollywood talent and the buddy system ranks over writing and heart.

But I'm really rooting for Mickey Rourke. That performance was just tragic, and he needs the work. That man can act. I also want PRESTO to win. Pixar apparently still known how to make a theatrical cartoon. I laughed like I used to laugh at Warner Bros. shorts when I was little.

[Peanut]

I haven't even heard of 3/4 of these movies, and aside from a few, I've only heard of the rest because of Cure. Lawlz0rz

[Drtooth]

I like the movie and all and I was a big fan of Millionaire when it ran on ABC, but I really don't want to see a mass farming of Hollywood jobs going straight to India. The last thing we need is every movie ending with a musical number.

I get what you're getting at. I just don't want another preachy "What's happening now is an allusion to something that happened before, and after all these years we've courageously decided to make a movie about it." type film to win. I'm sure Milk and Frost/Nixon are great films and all, but I'm so sick of politics in film. We've had enough politics last campaign to last us through 8 more presidents, if you ask me. :trolleye:

BTW, anyone else loving the irony that Tropic Thunder gets an Oscar Nomination (for best Supporting Actor, though), considering what the movie was about, and the humongous stab at Sean Penn, when Sean is nominated for best actor again?

[The Stryker]

I also expect WALL-E to loose--even though the film is so damned good that it could be used to teach art fifty years from now. I mean, they gave an award to fu*king Shrek against Monster's Inc. That's when I realized Oscar awards are nothing more than a internal system of ass-kissing where Hollywood talent and the buddy system ranks over writing and heart.

The first Shrek was way better than Monsters Inc.

IMO, Dark Knight didn't deserve a best picture nod and thats why it didn't get it. Theres no big mass conspiracy, It just wasn't as good as the movies that were nominated.

[cqb101]

IMO, Dark Knight didn't deserve a best picture nod and thats why it didn't get it. Theres no big mass conspiracy, It just wasn't as good as the movies that were nominated.

Bingo. The Dark Knight didn't lose out on a nomination because it's a "super-hero movie", it didn't get nominated because it wasn't one of the 5 best. Sure, The Reader doesn't belong on that list, but The Wrestler, Gran Torino, and Revolutionary Road all deserve to be on that list before The Dark Knight does.

[Raph's Girl]

Have you ever heard of Slumdog Millionaire?

Yes....but it doesn't interest me.

[Spitfire]

Benjamin Button shouldn't have as many nominations. I saw it with two other people and we all came out of the theater with the same feeling "Eh". It wasn't bad but it wasn't that good either. Honestly I could think of other movies I'd rather see up there. As long as it doesn't win, I'm failing to see what people are raving about it. In my personal opinion it's a chick flick disguised as an art film. "Atonement" was the same story for me. I actually liked that better though. I take issue with movies that go "Here's the main character feel bad for them". It tries way to hard to fish for sympathy.

Anyways I hope "Slumdog" does well it was a great film. I still need to see "The Wrestler".

[Tabularasa]

Buttons def. does not belong on best motion picture. Especially since it was basically Forrest Gump without Tom Hanks and some nifty effects.

[cqb101]

Buttons def. does not belong on best motion picture. Especially since it was basically Forrest Gump without Tom Hanks and some nifty effects.

Except Forrest Gump sucks and Benjamin Button was pretty damn good.:P

[Cure]

Except Forrest Gump sucks and Benjamin Button was pretty damn good.:P

SNAP. You're lucky you live a healthy distance away from Peanut, haha.

[Tabularasa]

Except Forrest Gump sucks and Benjamin Button was pretty damn good.:P

Lol, I almost fell asleep in both of them.

[Buslady]

i dont care about the oscars...but it's cool Hellboy got a nom for make up. Animated movie should be Kung Fu Panda, that was good

[Barkworm]

Wall-E was dimensions above Kung Fu Panda. These movies shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.

[Sewer Bull]

I remember how people cried over "Kung Fu Panda" on these forums when it was announced, because it was going to cash in more than "TMNT 2007".

[Ra]

Ah, I remember that. Good times, good times.

I'm very happy looking at this year's list. Some years I wonder why some movies are on there, but this year has fantastic entries.

[cqb101]

Wall-E was dimensions above Kung Fu Panda. These movies shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence.

Yea. There really is no competition.