Oscar Nominations Announced

[frogboy4]

Oscar Nominations
2008 Year in Film​

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

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

ANIMATED FEATURE:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

ACTOR:
Richard Jenkins – The Visitor
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

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

ACTRESS:
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Melissa Leo – Frozen River
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kate Winslet – The Reader

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler

WRITING – ADAPTATION:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

WRITING – ORIGINAL:
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E

FILM EDITING:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

CINEMAPHOTOGRAPHY:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

VISUAL EFECTS:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

MAKEUP:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

SCORE:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E

SONG:
“Down to Earth” – Wall-E“Jai Ho” – Slumdog Millionaire
“O Saya” – Slumdog Millionaire

SOUND EDITING:
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted

SOUND MIXING:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted

COSTUME DESIGN:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 206

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir

ANIMATED SHORT:
La Maison En Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

LIVE SHORT:
Auf Der Strecke
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland

Here's the list. I highlighted my personal picks. I am disappointed the Dark Knight was shut out of the Picture and Director categories and for some reason I’ve been too uninspired to see Slumdog (I'll get around to it) because of the heightened hype. Viewing it could change my mind. Also the Best Song category seems to be missing many entries. I personally liked Danny Elfman's "Little Things" for Wanted better than those other forgettable tunes listed. Anyway, your thoughts?

 

[CensoredAlso]

I've heard Slumdog is really good from a friend, so I wouldn't mind if that won. I'd also vote for Milk or Wall-E. Not so much for Frost/Nixon. They're great actors, but that's not how Nixon sounded.

 

[frogboy4]

I like Slumdog's director, but the marketing was force-fed to us here in San Francisco. I don't hold that type of grudge for long and wouldn't be upset if it wins. I will, however, be upset if Button wins when Knight didn't even receive a nomination. Benjamin Button just appears to be a three hour long manipulative tear-jerker. I’ll wait for NetFlix so that I can watch it at my own leisure. I do love Kate Blanchett.

I think there's Hollywood backlash against the near-billion dollar worldwide grosser. By the way, The Dark Knight will be released in Imax theaters again tomorrow and that will ultimately push it over the 1B box office mark. I just have so much respect for that film because it was much better than it needed to be and pleased most critics and audiences alike without taking the cheap and easy road. Few films can claim that.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yeah hype tends to turn me off too (part of the reason I didn't read The Da Vinci Code). Benjamin Button sort of falls into that category, even if it is good.

 

[Winslow Leach]

Personally, I want Milk to win Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Josh Brolin was absolutely fantastic in this; he continues to amaze me with his choice of roles, and I think he's really deserving of the award (although Ledger will probably get it). IMO, Milk was the best film I saw all year.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

I'm mixed at odds with Ledger. A lot of the teenagers and early 20year old wackos are going nuts crying that The Dark Knight should have been nominated for best picture, best screenplay, the whole yin yan. I think I've been hanging around imdb.com for to long.

 

[frogboy4]

I'm mixed at odds with Ledger. A lot of the teenagers and early 20year old wackos are going nuts crying that The Dark Knight should have been nominated for best picture, best screenplay, the whole yin yan. I think I've been hanging around imdb.com for to long.

Aw, I feel it should have at least been nominated. The film merits picture, director and screenplay nods as much as (and in some cases more than) the ones listed. I think this is a voter backlash for TDK's popularity with critics and the audience members alike. I can understand that, but I really don't agree. TDK wasn't just a great Batman film, it was a great film in general and my favorite film last year. I was also on board with Ledger since the time of his casting. He's not my favorite actor, but I could see he had what it took for the role more than the incorrect camp associated with past actors (as fine as they were).

The Academy wonders why viewership of the Oscars decline every year…well that’s because most moviegoers don’t feel their tastes are acknowledged and that social politics plays a greater role than actual entertainment. I think we can have both, but ultimately I like to be entertained. Leave the preaching to late night cable programming when I’m fast asleep.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

The Academy wonders why viewership of the Oscars decline every year…well that’s because most moviegoers don’t feel their tastes are acknowledged and that social politics plays a greater role than actual entertainment. I think we can have both, but ultimately I like to be entertained. Leave the preaching to late night cable programming when I’m fast asleep.

In the end, who's going to remember what movie got what on oscar night by next year or 5 years from now? I know some people get mad because their favorite movies (may not be good movies) don't get nominated for something and get mad at movies like Doubt, Froxt/Nixon, and others that get nominated and just scream out on message boards saying "no one cares in seeing these movies"!

You can't please everybody and let's face it, the Oscars are not that abomination of the MTV movie awards which actually give awards to all the really "cool" movies people like. (I really hate MTV!)

But hey, a lot of those art house/independent movies are tons better than a lot of the mainstream junk Hollywood dishes out. Hotel Rwanda and About Schmidt were really good films. I also thought Open Range with Kevin Costner that came out in 2003 was really good (if you like slow but good story telling).

 

[chrisfason]

benjamin button = forrest gump

 

[frogboy4]

In the end, who's going to remember what movie got what on oscar night by next year or 5 years from now? I know some people get mad because their favorite movies (may not be good movies) don't get nominated for something and get mad at movies like Doubt, Froxt/Nixon, and others that get nominated and just scream out on message boards saying "no one cares in seeing these movies"!

You can't please everybody and let's face it, the Oscars are not that abomination of the MTV movie awards which actually give awards to all the really "cool" movies people like. (I really hate MTV!)

But hey, a lot of those art house/independent movies are tons better than a lot of the mainstream junk Hollywood dishes out. Hotel Rwanda and About Schmidt were really good films. I also thought Open Range with Kevin Costner that came out in 2003 was really good (if you like slow but good story telling).

You're right. Nobody remembers the winners and few recall the snubs. It's just rare that I enjoy such a lengthy and hyped film like the Dark Knight. The fact that it has substance too impressed me. Most movies these days aren't very good. They're made to be good enough. Nolan doesn't follow the pack and I felt he put his lower cost production roots to use in the storytelling for this expensive blockbuster.