Oscar Nominee List Announced

Rodney 60 Comments

The announcement was moments ago, and the Nominees were announced for the 82nd Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards – known as the Oscars to the rest of us.

The official list:

Actor in a Leading Role

* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

* Matt Damon in “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

* Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

* “Coraline” Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
* “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

* “Avatar” James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

* “Ajami” Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
* “Un Prophète” France
* “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

* “Avatar” James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
* “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture

* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

The biggest controversy I see on this list will be UP! being nominated for both Best Animated feature as well as having a presence on the expanded 10 nominees for Best Picture.

The category of Best Animated Feature was created in 2001 to showcase animated films and keep them as a separate category from Best Picture. Up now joins Beauty and the Beast as the only animated features to ever be nominated for a Best Picture.

Personally I think UP is going to take Best Animated, though it certainly has a shot at Best Picture, I suspect it won’t happen. I see Up in the Air, Hurt Locker or The Blind Side taking that.

I think that maybe expanding the Best Picture category to 10 nominations is just a publicity scam throwing in a few token films to “honour” during the show.

Avatar was amazing and I loved it, but Best Picture? I can see it cleaning up at the technical awards, and it is a landmark in film making. But I dont see it needing to be on the Best Picture category. Same with District 9. I think it was a good film but nothing that screamed Best Picture to me.

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60 thoughts on “Oscar Nominee List Announced”

  1. It’s a travesty that Sam Rockwell wasn’t nominated for his performance in Moon. I thought he was a shoe in for that one.

    Up in the Air is massively overrated. Come on guys! George Clooney is playing himself. How hard can it be?

    Avatar will probably win Best Picture. Not because it is the “best” picture but because it’s just groundbreaking cinema that is years ahead of anything we could ever have imagined.

    1. Agree about Rockwell.

      Agree about Up in the Air.

      Disagree about Avatar. I don’t know, I’m not seeing it… if this were the technical awards then ya, maybe but the story and execution of avatar wasn’t nearly as good as some of the others.

    1. District 9 was actually in my opinion an incredible film. But I guess to each his own. The Blind Side should NOT be there. It will not win.

      I think they should have done this with 2008 movies. There were so many great ones that a lot of people were upset over the nominees.

  3. Avatar should not win best picture. I have no doubt and it deserves to win all the effects awards but just like Titanic.. how can you be the best picture if you have no nominations for writing and acting??? and i dont think it should be nominated for cinematography either because it was all computered. art direction yes.. but not cinematography..

    Jeff Bridges has it in the bag
    So does Christoph Waltz
    Monique will win
    and I havent seen blind side but i just dont see what the big sandra bullock deal is… how can she be better than Meryl streep?

    Inglorious should be the best picture winner in my opinion. and it better win best original screenplay too. quentins best work to date

    1. Cinematography can mean the lighting of a scene or the color tone of the film. There is color tone in EVERY film. And how can you get best picture without acting or writing nominations? Well, same way you can get nominated for best actor when the movie you stared in isn’t in the final ten.

      It probably will win, but if it doesn’t, it’s no big. And even though I loved Inglourious Basterds, it probably won’t win.

  7. Of the overall nominees, hats of to all.

    It’s extremely tough to say who/what belongs and who does not. I can think of quite a number of films (Sunshine Cleaning, Me & Orson Welles, The Road, the animated film9) who are not here or films that didn’t get enough nominations (the musicalNine)

    However, I do have a problem with the expanded Best Film List. Yes, it was done this way because of various popular and critically praised films being under handed at the Oscars. The odd thing this time around is that it is clear that only five movies needed to be nominated.

    The weakest link is Up, for the reasons already discussed.

    Here’s what it should have looked like if there were only five:

    Avatar
    Hurt Locker
    Precious
    Up in the Air
    Inglourious Basterds

    Of course, that’s mostly guesswork. but a rule of thumb for me is to stick to those with director nominations. Majority of the time, they tend to go hand in hand.

    As far as my prediction goes, Hurt Locker will win Best Picture. District 9 hurts Avatar (both run along like themes) but Avatar will clean up most of the technical awards.

    I am happy to see the Academy honoring new /fresh face talent again…Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” and Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious”. WOW. I mean that in a *good* way.

  8. Have they announced BEST FOREIGN FILM nominees yet Rodney?

    Also; can’t believe there is no love for THE ROAD here. Viggo should win best actor for it, and the film should at least be nominated for best picture.

  9. Up definitely deserves at least its nomination for Best Picture. I have mixed feelings about the Best Animated Picture award just because up ’til now it’s shut out all animated movies from even being nominated for Best Pic. I really hope it can win but it probably won’t.

    Christoph Waltz is a lock for Supporting Actor, I think. …I hope.

  10. I am trying so hard to care about who wins, but really just can’t. The show itself is a fun little program for movie fans but the awards has long lost any relevance. Just by the track record of the Academy I fail to see how this award means anything. Most of the classics of cinema are ignored by the Academy. I understand an award can’t get them all. But the Oscar gets them wrong more often than right. A lot of politics and popularity contest determine the winner. But like I said, good show for movie fans. I really enjoy the segment where they show all the people that died the last year. The audience always cheer louder for the better known actors or person. I don’t know if that is because they are happier that the person is dead or sadder?

  11. Up was fantastic (the whole film) and deserves to be there in best picture.

    and I dont think they were scraping the bottom at all. I’m pretty glad they didn’t put a shitload of “Indies” on the list..The best indie flick(sort of) I saw last year was “Away We Go”

    haven’t seen Crazy Heart yet but I know if Bridges is in the lead it’s gotta be worthy (which of his films aren’t?)

    And Christopher Waltz………WOW what a performance. I’m still grinning from seeing his acting

    1. Thank you. I was wondering when someone was going to comment on that. It was nothing more than a formulaic sports movie. Yea, based on a true story. But best picture, come on…

    2. I have slightly mixed feelings about this one.

      The Blind Side was my 2nd favorite movie of 2009, and with Star Trek getting snubbed, The Blind Side is my personal pick (so far anyway; haven’t seen Hurt Locker or Up In The Air yet).

      But, it does seem strange that it got nominated for Best Picture when its only other nod is for Best Actress (which I think is deserved). Using the logic John Campea applied to Avatar’s Golden Globe win, it would make sense if a movie nominated & especially winning the top spot were also rewarded with nominations in other categories, particularly screenplay.

      Going back to my personal bias, I think The Blind Side was good enough to have been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay too. But, since it isn’t, the Best Picture nomination seems weird. I love it. But, I’m shocked by it.

  13. I really adored UP! thought it was cute a little film, but having in both the Best Picture and Animated categories doesn’t sit well with me. One or the other and personally I would leave it in the best animated pile. We know it won’t win Best Picture, but will win Best Animated though personally, Coraline was my favorite of last year.

    The rest of the noms aren’t of anything terribly surprising. I’m rooting for Kathryn though I would love to see Inglorious Basterds or Up In the Air walk away with the prize.

    I’m glad that song from Avatar didn’t make the cut – I’m sorry, but it’s plain awful and boring and way too reminiscent of that little Titanic ditty.

  14. My Two Cents…

    Best Picture: “UP” all the way!
    Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
    Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Waltz

    Don’t really care about the other categories.

  15. It seems to me that they were scraping for Best Picture. Though I loved them, District 9 and Inglorious Basterds shouldn’t be on that list. I don’t think Avatar deserves it either. It is very cool to see Up getting a nomination. I think it deserves it out of all those movies.

    We shall see.

    1. You think Up should be on there but not District 9 or Inglorious Basterds? Wow.

      Up was a ok movie but for the most part is 10 minutes of well done sentimentality followed by an hour or so of pure garbage. I know here at the movie blog ‘Up’ has the highest possible rating, but for me it’s one of the most overrated films of the year.

      1. I think District 9, Basterds, and Up were all put in because they needed to fill space. Due to the upset over The Dark Knight last year.

        Up was at least an original story.

        Avatar was in fact Dances With Wolves.

        District 9 was essentially Alien Nation: The Movie.

        Inglorious Basterds is a bloody remake for Christ’s sake.

        Mind you all of these were my favorite movies of the year, but best pictures? No.

      2. First off, Inglorius Basterds is NOT a remake. Although it borrows its name from another film, it is in no way connected to that film at all.

        Avatar was no more Dances with Wolves than it was Pocahontas or any other “guy turns against his own culture” film. Yes there are parallels, but its not the point. Was Zathura basically Jumanji in space? Yes. But its still its own movie.

        They didn’t put in movies just to make up for the “upset” over a film from last year. EVERY YEAR there is a chance the film everyone thinks could win… wont.

      3. I get what you’re saying Rodney. It just kind of seems they are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Mind you I enjoyed almost every movie on that list. Seriously though, District 9?

      4. Oh and when the academy made the announcement they were adding titles to the list, almost every film blog and critic out there said it was due to The Dark Knight and Gran Torino upset of last year. I believe even John said that on this website, but I could be mistaken.

      5. Robert, obviously you didn’t like D9 enough to find it worthy to be on the list, and that’s fine… but a lot of people do, including the academy.

        On Rotten Tomatoes it is far from the lowest rating on the list for best picture, in fact it beats out Basterds, Avatar, The Blind Side (by 20 points) A Serious Man, and ties Up in the Air.

        To me, it is my pick and yes, I have seen all of those other films. Again, I am biased just like everyone else is but to say it doesn’t deserve to be on the list is a little extreme.

  16. The only thing I think needs to be changed is that Up shouldn’t be on the list of best animated movie.
    Sense it’s already nominated for best picture, it shouldn’t be allowed to compete for best animated movie also.

    1. That’s correct- and a double edged sword at that. My concern is that it won’t get high votes for Best Picture because the attitude will be it will be a lock for the other category; but will it get those votes for Best Animated film- with people under the impression that it *could* win Best Picture?

  21. Wow…I thought it was just a typical Oscar list….Then I nearly fell out of my chair after reading the nominees for Best Picture and beyond. District 9, Inglorious Basterds, and UP vying for the top prize? Awesome films which deserved that honor; UP in particular for now becoming the second ever animated film to be nominated for Best Picture!

  22. I’m surprised the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus didn’t get more nominations–I thought it was fantastic.

    My choice for Best Animated Film would be the Fantastic Mr. Fox…..as well as Best Original Score.

    1. I’m not surprised that Parnassus didn’t get more thunder. Gilliam’s movies usually fly under the radar for the most part. He’s not very commercial and unless his audience consists of people who are familiar with his body of work…people who didn’t like Parnassus seem to know nothing about Gilliam or his style(or, familiar with him for that matter). I loved it too, though.

  23. I hope the Hurt Locker wins :-S It was an amazing, amazing film, so underrated :-S

    Avatar was awesome, but totally not Best Picture material…..haven’t seen Up In The Air yet…..Up was great, too.

    1. I’m in The Hurt Locker corner with Kathryn Bigelow as well. The film was incredible. It was the best film I saw in 2009 and I saw all but two of the others that are nominated for best picture as well. The Hurt Locker definitely has my vote.

  25. Avatar definitely will won the technical categories. But there are so many better movies in best picture part, at least in my opinion James C has a shot in director one. I really hope “Up’ will make a surprise though… Also, love to see Christoph Waltz get his nomination in Supporting Actor, one of the best villain in this decade, and how pleasant for us movie lovers to be treated with such memorable villainous characters for last couple of years.

  26. Oh, is anyone else upset about Moon being snubbed and not getting one nomination? For original screenplay at least? Sam Rockwell deserves a nomination but he’s deserved one since Confessions of a dangerous Mind and the academy clearly has it out for him.

  27. i really hope Avatar doesn’t win best picture as well, rodney. I mean the movie on a visual and entertainment standpoint, were definitely A+. But, there is more to a movie winning best picture than that. I just really hope their judgement isn’t clouded like it was when Avatar took the best picture at the golden globes. That was total bullshit. I think Basterds, Hurt Locker, Up In The Air, and Serious Man are the ones that really should be fighting over it. District 9 being nominated is really cool though. Oh, and seriously…fuck precious.

  29. I think Hurt Locker has a bigger chance for taking home the Best Picture trophy . But I won’t be surprised if it loses out to Avatar. Kathryn Bigelow wouldn’t mind losing to ex-spouse, James Cameron. For Best Director, it is hands down that James Cameron will get that award. For the 9 nominations that Avatar has gotten, I’d say it’ll probably end up around with 7 or 8 trophies, though it won’t surprise me if it swept all the categories it was nominated for.

    1. Hands down Cameron for best director? I’m sorry, I will disagree thoroughly with you. Kathryn Bigelow won the DGA award for best director, which practically locks her into winning the Oscar. It’s rare best director doesn’t win both awards.

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