81st Academy Award nominations.

[Flibster]

And I've seen next to none of the films nominated as normal. :D

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 and Maya 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



No Best Picture nomination for The Dark Knight *not that surprised* or Wall-E *very surprised*

Nice to see a nomination for Heath Ledger - honestly can't say if he deserves it as I haven't seen any of the other films in that category. Although seeing Robert Downey Jr's name there is a pleasant surprise.

[NokkonWud]

Disappointed to see Slumdog Millionaire get 10 nominations but none in the acting catagory as it was acted supremely well.

I think I could predict 75% of the winners. It's a great list and it's been presented by the awesome Hugh Jackman, so it could be a fantastic Oscars. No crap by Jon Stewart thankfully, he ruined 06 and 08 for me.

[Jhadur]

Think I've seen 5 of the films listed. :embarrassed:

[Mondo]

I've seen 6, only because Iron Man and wanted got mentioned in the more less grand nominations !

[Belmit]

Out of all those films I've only seen WALL-E, The Dark Knight, Hellboy II and half of Wanted. Are all of the rest even released over here yet?

[NokkonWud]

Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, Curious Case of Benjamin Button are all at the cinema.
Tropic Thunder has been out for ages.
Kung Fu Panda is on Sky these days.
Changeling was on, then off the cinema (though you might catch it at some chains), same with The Dutchess.
Frost/Nixon opens today I believe.
Australia has been out for a couple of weeks.
Man on Wire I've seen to download for quite a while.

[Belmit]

Even though I haven't seen Tropic Thunder I'm really glad RDJ is up for an Oscar. Rarely do the Academy recognise comedies as Oscar-worthy material. The last one I remember is Tom Hanks for Big, which wasn't even a flat-out comedy.

[Flibster]

Even though I haven't seen Tropic Thunder I'm really glad RDJ is up for an Oscar. Rarely do the Academy recognise comedies as Oscar-worthy material. The last one I remember is Tom Hanks for Big, which wasn't even a flat-out comedy.

I've just gone through the best picture winners over the last 8 awards - not one full on comedy.

A sadly neglected form. It's almost as if it's beneath them.

[Haly]

I've seen Tropic Thunder, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Wanted, Happy Go Lucky and In Bruges.
Going to see Frost/Nixon next week, want to see Milk, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Revolutionary Road. Want to see Defiance but nobody else does :(
I'll rent Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E, The Duchess, Man on Wire and Hellboy 2
I can't decide with Slumdog Millionnaire but I'll probably see it at some point.
Looking forward to the Oscars, makes a change to have seen some of the films as I don't normally go to the cinema as much :D

[Pheebs]

Echoing a good friend of mine, I'm massively annoyed Dark Knight hasn't been nominated for Best Picture.

I mean... seriously...what's on there!?!?!!

:angry::angry:

*edit* and Jen!! I want to see Defiance!! I'll see it with you!! There's a showing at The Vue 21:45 on Saturday and Sunday!!

[NokkonWud]

I've just gone through the best picture winners over the last 8 awards - not one full on comedy.

A sadly neglected form. It's almost as if it's beneath them.

Indeed, it's only good if you do a war movie, heart-breaking drama, black slave movie or 'one mans journey'.
It's annoying how it's the same kind of movies all too often, but then again the Oscar judges are known for getting things wrong...

... Like The Shawshank Redemption not winning a single Oscar.

[Pumpkinstew]

Sticking Heath Ledger in as Best Supporting Actor is a massive stitch-up. Who exactly was he supporting in Dark Knight? Christian Bale's lower jaw?

All it says to me is they don't think his performance was as good as Mickey Rourke and they didn't want to gyp the gig guy by giving it to Ledger posthumously. Ledger has to win something of course to ensure a close friend can gush effusively and sob on cue during the TV feelgood moment of the night.

And why is it called Best Motion Picture of The Year? All of those films were released within about 6 weeks of eachother at the end of 2008. The Academy have the collective memory of a goldfish!

[NokkonWud]

I actually agree with the supporting decision. Sure, he's the main bad guy, but after re-watching it he wasn't in it as much as I remember.

I also think if Heath Ledger had been put in best actor I would personally give the Oscar to Mickey Rourke.

On the topic of Batman not being in the motion picture nomination, it's a shame, but at the same time Slumdog Millionaire is in there, and without seeing the others, SDM is, for me, a far superior movie to The Dark Knight.

[Haly]

And why is it called Best Motion Picture of The Year? All of those films were released within about 6 weeks of eachother at the end of 2008. The Academy have the collective memory of a goldfish!

What would you go for from the first 6 months? Not having a dig, I've just got a rubbish memory of the first 6 months so can't remember anything :o

[Greenlizard0]

When do these take place?

[Haly]

Feb 22nd :)

[Greenlizard0]

Oh, fair, that's quite a bit away. I guess with this year being a really good year for films I've seen quite a few of them for once!

I'm hoping next year Transformers II will clean up the Cinemtography and Visual effects awards! :D

[Kell_ee001]

Seen 5 of them (although 2 are Disney :o ) but there a few others I intend to watch at some point :)

[Haly]

It's tonight for those with Sky Premier :D
Sky One has two hours of the Red Carpet.

[Pheebs]

Ooooooooooh so that's what sky 1 was doing! I was so sleepy I just couldn't stay awake after Ross Kemps Afghan series and kept thinking "noooooooo must watch further..."

I don't know any of what's happened... just googling to find out!

:)

[divine]

I was quite surprised at a few of the winners to be honest.

[iCraig]

Part of me always wonders if Ledger really deserves(ed) an Oscar, or whether his death made it "the right thing to do" in the circumstances. Which, a nice a gesture it is, isn't how you win them.

However, very little point wondering about it, we'll never know if he would have won if he was still alive. :)

[Davey_Pitch]

His performance as The Joker was amazing though. Granted, I don't think I've seen the other films from the same category so can't compare his performance, but I remember coming out of the pictures after seeing The Dark Knight and instantly thinking he'd be a contender for the Oscar.

[NokkonWud]

Part of me always wonders if Ledger really deserves(ed) an Oscar, or whether his death made it "the right thing to do" in the circumstances. Which, a nice a gesture it is, isn't how you win them.

However, very little point wondering about it, we'll never know if he would have won if he was still alive. :)

There was talk about his performance as the Joker being Oscar worthy LONG before he died and that alone was the reason people wanted to see it, again, before he had passed. Sadly it got to the point at the Oscars and it was so built up that he simply couldn't not get it for fear of an out-cry, but from what I've seen of the other candidates you'd have to say he was the right choice anyway.

On the topic of Heath Ledger though, why was he left of the Memoriam list 2008? I figured they're tribute it (the Oscar show) to him, but I never saw that either.

I thought the Oscars themselves were very good and that Hugh Jackman was absolutely brilliant and a much better choice than Jon Stewart and he proved to be the full package and a very confident host.

Only disappointment is that Slumdog Millionaire gets nominated in so many catagories, then completely ignored in all 4 acting catagories... surely the acting is pretty good, no?

[leowyatt]

did he do it drunk and naked? Jackman that is ;D

[Knipples]

Im gonna give a little YAY!! for Kate Winslet finally winning an Oscar :)

[Greenlizard0]

Edit - no it isn't her second one :o

[Knipples]

This is her second one?

Edit - yeap, she won one for part in The Reader.

Yes so its the first time shes won one? ;)

[Greenlizard0]

No, what I meant I thought it was her second Oscar win.

All those times she's been nominated as well. Good for her, I do rate Kate Winslet.

[Haly]

On the topic of Heath Ledger though, why was he left of the Memoriam list 2008? I figured they're tribute it (the Oscar show) to him, but I never saw that either.

He died in January 08 though so they put him on last year's Memoriam which made sense.

Entertaining show and good to see some surprise results. Was very glad to see Sean Penn win as from what I've seen of Milk, it's well deserved.

Hugh Jackman did well with his hosting imo.

[NokkonWud]

Nonsense, Jim Carrey is a brilliant actor. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show are phenomenal and he could have easily won an Oscar for either through acting merit.

They often say that comedy is the hardest form of acting because being funny isn't easy, but being able to do comedy and drama is an amazing skill that very few actors have the ability to do. Viggo Mortensen is a good actor, not a great one, personally I thought he was acted off the stage (so to say) by Sean Bean in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I really liked him in G.I. Jane though, he was brilliant in that.

[Belmit]

And don't forget Man on the Moon, which earned him a Screen Actor's Guild nomination.

[NokkonWud]

Barfmit[/b];277610']And don't forget Man on the Moon, which earned him a Screen Actor's Guild nomination.

Totally forgot the film (although I was sure there was another one). He was totally lost in that role that you aren't even aware you're watching Jim Carrey any more. Genius in that.

[Greenlizard0]

Agreed with Jim Carrey comments 100%. I remember seeing The Mask as a child, and a few films later Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He's pretty much played a very wide spectrum of characters and done them all brilliantly.

[Garp]

There are two sides to Jim Carey's acting.

The Goofy comedian that gets shown in Ace Ventura, Liar Liar et al. and then Jim Carey the actor who can also be funny.

The former annoys me intensely and gets avoided. The latter is superb. There can be a blend between the two but the strength of the actor part tends to make it okay. The Truman Show is superbly well done. He makes the character seem exactly as you'd imagine someone raised in a scripted world would be.

[Greenlizard0]

Another guy who I've thought has done quite a few different things and done them well, Tom Hanks?

What about Russel Crowe?

[divine]

I always find I generally get more drawn in by actors I don't know. I find it easier to let their character take the fore.

For example, despite being fairly similar I always preferred Band of Brothers to Saving Private Ryan because the guys in BoB were Easy Company to me. SPR was Tom Hanks does WW2 which I just can't get away from.

That's why I liked LOTR so much as for the most part, the actors were relative unknowns. I enjoyed the film for the film, not for being able to sit there going 'oh wow look there's so and so' every 5 minutes.

[Greenlizard0]

That is very true, I see films like that as well. Band of Brothers' first episode just had me in stiches. All I could see was an angry Ross from Friends lol.

Agree with LOTR. I didn't know any of them apart from Liv Tyler (, I didn't really see Sharpe and haven't seen Golden Eye, so didn't know Bean).

Not really a film, but it's why the first four series of Hustle was so favourable. They're all good in it, but nobody really took too much presence.

[NokkonWud]

I knew all of them pretty much in LOTR bar Merry, Pippin and Legolas. I'd seen all the others and was putting them together all the time "Oh look, it's 'x' from 'z'" etc.. There were many well known actors in that.