Oscar Nominations

81st Academy Award Nominations--More Extensive Commentary to Follow

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Milk has the earliest release date of these films, with a Nov. 21st release. So this will only encourage the December backloading that occurs with release dates. At the same time, I'm happy to see two films from my personal top ten list (Milk and The Reader...I will post later today) make the shortlist. It makes me care about it that much more, I guess...This year is still boring. And I guess The Dark Knight really is John McCain.

Best Director

David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Steven Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Steven Daldry is 3/3. Good on him. And, hey two gay directors nominated in the same year for two good films.

Best 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

No Clint Eastwood. That makes me smile.

Best 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

The Academy rejects Winslet's bid for supporting and nominates her here for the better performance. And that makes it all the more difficult for her to win.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Thank God it's not Dev Patel...

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

This Amy Adams nomination irks me beyond belief, but worst things have happened. Now that Kate Winslet's out, it's pretty much down to Cruz and Davis for the win, right?

Best Original Screenplay

Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh - In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton - Wall•E

No Rachel Getting Married, which makes me furious. But good nominations for the most part. Dustin Lance Black is winning anyway, so it's all moot.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

This is the only category where I scored 5/5. Go me?