The nominations for this year’s Oscars were announced today, and boy are they unsurprising. For the most part, I didn’t love anything that came out this year, and I refuse to see Avatar because, well, I’m just one of those jerks who refuses to pay fourteen dollars to see a movie just because everyone’s talking about it. What did I see and love? I saw Precious and I can tell you that one definitely deserves to take home all the trophies as far as I’m concerned. Even the in categories that it’s not nominated. Best Editing?! Precious! Best Wardrobe?! Precious! And Mo’Nique should get two awards, one for her and one for that flawless skin.
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
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
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
So I’m going to leave it up to you to battle out in the comments who you think deserves (and definitely doesn’t deserve) to win on Oscar night. One thing for sure mentioning? Seeing more than one female name nominated for directing. More of that, Hollywood.
[For the full list of nominees, if you care about sound editing and stuff, check out the official Academy Awards site.]
I thought District 9 was by far the best movie this year, but I’m in the minority and there’s no doubt it’ll go to Avatar based on box office alone.
But honestly, Avatar wasn’t that good. The plot was derivative, there was no suspense whatsoever because everything was so telegraphed out, the acting awful, and the preaching so heavy handed even the actors seemed embarrassed to say some of those lines. Not to mention Jake’s Avatar looked like a young Brendan Frasier and I kept hoping he’d morph into Frasier, because at least there would be some humor.
Yes, it was pretty. But giving Avatar the Oscar for being pretty is like giving Charlize Theron an Oscar for getting ugly. . .oh, wait.
Charlize Theron was downright amazing in Monster.
Yes!
You’re just jealous because you didn’t get an Oscar for getting ugly.
She could have easily said Nicole Kidman for the Hours. It’s not like Theron was really all that great in Monster. Ricci kicked her ass.
If inglorious basterds get an award I’m gonna commit suicide
And the winner is, not Inglorious Bastards. Now do us all a favor and follow through.
Swing and a miss
I thought Inglorious Basterds was one of those movies you can’t dislike because it’s OMG TARANTINO and PITT and VIOLENCE and NAZIS.
District 9 was very good! I’m glad to see it nominated. For a second I thought “Up” wasn’t nominated in the animated category and almost threw a fit.
inglorious basterds was ok, but nothing all to special. but i found christoph waltz as this ss-guy really, really good. i think he deserves that thing.
totally! He was so scary, but really funny too. I think it shows real talent when an actor can demand the screen as a villain and comic relief in the same movie.
I hope he wins.
kudos to Molls for a film post!
Are there usually TEN films nominated for Best Picture? That seems a little excessive.
No, there’s usually five, which is how it should have stayed. For some reason the academy was all, “Hey guys, let’s double the category so we can nominate something people have seen before and maybe they’ll care about us again!” It’s like the nerdy kid getting NKOTB to come to their birthday party so all the cool kids reluctantly show up.
Too bad Avatar and Inglorious Basterds would have been nominated anyway if they had just kept it at 5. Instead they doubled it and the bullshit that was the Blindside somehow lucked into being able to put “Oscar Nominee for Best Picture” on their DVD cover along with a picture of that heart-wrenching negro fellow wearing a tall T and getting hugged by his shiny, new white family.
I am in complete agreement. Also, it messes up the voting. No one’s going to win by a large margin if so many films are nominated. It just waters everything down.
Precious and District 9 all the way. I would be happy if either of these win BP but unfortunately the race is kinda between Avatar and The hurt locker, two of the most overrated movies of all time and so mediocre. District 9 has what these two movies have and done much better : sci-fi, drama and lots of tension. And, most importantly, a story, character development and good acting. Precious is probably the best drama of 2009, and Gabourey and Mo’nique should both win for lead and supporting actress.
The blindside getting a BP nomination is preposterous.
Hear! Hear!
I think Precious should win for “Most Upbeat Happy Film”
Totally! I haven’t seen The Hurt Locker, but Avatar was totally overrated! It was pretty – that’s it.
Can I just say… I feel so comforted to know I am not the only person on the planet who down-right refuses to see Avatar. I know one person not seeing it doesn’t really hurt it’s box office success, but I’ll take a stand where a stand is due.
More to the point, I think it’s a weak year in cinema, so a repeat of the Globes seems likely. And where is Samson and Delilah in the Foreign Film category? It was a great year for Australian cinema and still little overseas credit. Oh, well the Camera d’Or will have to do then.
I want Hurt Locker to sneak up on the awards, but I have a bad feeling it won’t because it was modest in comparison to Basterds (which I loved) and Avatar (awesome visuals, terrible script). District 9 was by far the most creative (think Avatar, but a lot less contrived and a much better script/direction).
I also can’t believe 10 films are nominated.
Wow, Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron are both nominated for directing!? They are ex-husband & wife, you know. How interesting!!
Yeah No Australians nominated in the Big Categories.
The Lovely Bones deserves more than just that one (which it doesn’t deserve). Also, My Sister’s Keeper much? Sophie Vassileva deserves best actress.
District9 was the only film worth a dam on that list but you can count on it not winning because the nigerians are “offended” that they were portrayed accurately so that means the pc pile of dung Avatar will win. Hollywood is so predictable.
District 9 should win, but im south african so im bias :)