January 22, 2008
Oscar Loves Michael Clayton, Blood, Old Men, Juno
Photograph of Kathy Bates and AMPAS President Sid Ganis announcing the nominations by Chris Pizzello/AP
While the writers' strike continues and prospects of an awards ceremony are unclear, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences went ahead and announced the contenders for their 80th annual back-slapping ceremony. Oscar-winning friend of the academy Kathy Bates was on hand to announce this year's golden picks. From Bob Dylan to Michael Clayton, many of the nominations were familiar after this awards season, though some surprises emerged. Nominees from the main categories are after the jump, but here are some NYC nomination notes:
- NYU-alum Tamara Jenkins for best original screenplay for The Savages
- Michael Clayton, a mostly New York production, earned a total of seven nominations
- New York-based actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney - and co-stars in The Savages- were recognized for their work in Charlie Wilson's War and The Savages respectively
- Perhaps the big surprise (besides Juno getting nominated for Best Director and Best Picture) was Ruby Dee for her work in American Gangster (its only other nomination was for art direction)
- Angelina Jolie wasn't nominated for A Mighty Heart
- The Academy had less Anglophilia this year, as Atonement was shut out of Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor
- The critically acclaimed Zodiac was shut out
- "Falling Slowly" from Once was nominated (yay!)
- Jonny Greenwood is ineligible for his work on the There Will Be Blood score (boo!)
- Four of the five documentaries nominated are related to the Iraq war (the fifth is Michael Moore's Sicko);
- If the axiom about Best Picture winners having a film editing nomination is true, than No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood are the two Best Picture front runners
Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett: I'm Not There Ruby Dee: American Gangster Amy Ryan: Gone Baby Gone Saoirse Ronan: Atonement Tilda Swinton: Michael ClaytonThe full list of nominations are here.Best Supporting Actor
Case Affleck: The Assassination of Jesse James ...
Javier Bardem: No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook: Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson: Michael ClaytonBest Actress
Cate Blanchett: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie: Away From Her
Marion Cotillard: La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney: The Savages
Ellen Page: JunoBest Actor
George Clooney: Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp: Sweeney Todd, Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones: In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen: Eastern PromisesBest Director
Julian Schnabel: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Wrightman: Juno
Tony Gilroy: Michael Clayton
The Coen Bros.: No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson: There Will Be BloodBest Original Screenplay
Diablo Cody: Juno
Nancy Oliver: Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy: Michael Clayton
Brad Bird, with story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird: Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins: The SavagesBest Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton: Atonement
Sarah Polley: Away From Her
Ronald Harwood: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ethan & Joel Coen: No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson: There Will Be BloodBest Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
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I hope the writer's strike reduces the Oscars to just an announcement. I get annoyed every year about the overblown ceremony.
On a more positive note, I'm pretty much in love with Sweeney Todd. I hope they get what they deserve. Poor Atonement. =/
Ratatouille got robbed. It was the best reviewed movie of 2007. It should replace Juno. It drinks Juno's milkshake!
One thing for sure, as long as there's no strike settlement, no Live-blogging by Gothamist!?
Oh yeah, Johnny Greenwood got screwed, too.
I'm with you Pharmer...
What about Into the Wild???
Oh wait, Johnny Greenwood wasn't eligible? Never mind.
Wish there was a category for indie films. Agree with your "yay" for Falling Slowly. "Once" was a charming, intelligent flick. Should get more credit through awards, but it was a low-budget, indie.
ratatouille = most overrated movie of the year. didn't believe the love story, the voices of the two main characters were grating, and the whole plot was, eh - not so great.
i was so unimpressed with the film that i might cease to eat the meal.
I was worried that Falling Slowly wouldn't be eligible, because I think some of the songs had been on Glen Hansard's album.
And #3, I will liveblog the announcement of the winners one way or another!!! It's in my blood to talk about the Oscars.
Just to be clear, no live-blogging to me, is a good thing.
Knocked Up wuz (cradle)robbed.
Ok, Jen, I anxiously await your witty comments on Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell kissing the winners' asses.
#9, a crushing blow to the tomato, zucchini, and aubergine farming industries.
I am also hoping that the writers strike basically eliminates all the hype and nonsense with the Oscars. Anyway the awards are really just Hollywood patting themselves on the back and you get all sorts of strange winners for bad films. Take the example of Rocky which beat out actually good movies like Network, All the President's Men and Taxi Driver.
I was psyched about "Falling Slowly" too. I saw The Swell Season peform in November and Glen Hansard was talking about how overwhelming the response has been to his music (and how grateful he was for it). I do hope they get a chance to perform at the Oscars somehow! Also, even though I loved "Enchanted," I'm hoping the 3 song noms cancel each other out (and "August Rush" got terrible reviews so I don't see it as a contender)...
The Oscars are so completely pointless. No one in the Academy even sees most of the movies they are voting on, outside of the really huge, popular catergories. Most of the others (best doc etc.) sometimes have votes in the single digits! It's all politics, and no merit is given to films that are great works of art. There are publicists who specialise in lobbying academy members for votes. It's almost as bad as the presidential race.
Oy, oy, oy. The Oscars, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Tonys, the Grammys, the People's Choice Awards, the ESPYs........whatever. How silly.
Football, on the other hand, may be silly but it's a GOOD silly.
yeah, the oscars are kinda bullshit (especially considering the majority of the academy are in nursing homes and dont see movies [which is why ed norton didnt win best actor for american history x, he refused to campaign in nursing homes]), but they're still fun to follow and make predictions. compared to years past, i think this year has a great crop of nominees.
one fun fact... roderick jaynes is nominated for editing for no country...roderick jaynes is a psuedonym for the coen brothers. it'd be great if they won picture, director and editor.