Originally Posted By DAR Best Picture "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "Frost/Nixon" "Milk" "The Reader" "Slumdog Millionaire" Actor Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor" Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon" Sean Penn, "Milk" Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" Actress Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married" Angelina Jolie, "Changeling" Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" Meryl Streep, "Doubt" Kate Winslet, "The Reader" Supporting Actor Josh Brolin, "Milk" Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder" Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt" Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road" Supporting Actress Amy Adams, "Doubt" Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Viola Davis, "Doubt" Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler" 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" Foreign Film "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany "The Class," France "Departures," Japan "Revanche," Austria "Waltz With Bashir," Israel Adapted Screenplay Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt" Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon" David Hare, "The Reader" Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire" Original Screenplay Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River" Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky" Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges" Dustin Lance Black, "Milk" Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E" Animated Feature Film "Bolt" "Kung Fu Panda" "WALL-E" Art Direction "Changeling" "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "The Duchess" "Revolutionary Road" Cinematography "Changeling" "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "The Reader" "Slumdog Millionaire" Sound Mixing "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Slumdog Millionaire" "WALL-E" "Wanted" Sound Editing "The Dark Knight" "Iron Man" "Slumdog Millionaire" "WALL-E" "Wanted" Original Score "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat "Defiance," James Newton Howard "Milk," Danny Elfman "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman "WALL-E," Thomas Newman Original Song "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam Costume "Australia" "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Duchess" "Milk" "Revolutionary Road" Documentary Feature "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" "Encounters at the End of the World" "The Garden" "Man on Wire" "Trouble the Water" Documentary (short subject) "The Conscience of Nhem En" "The Final Inch" "Smile Pinki" "The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306" Film Editing "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Frost/Nixon" "Milk" "Slumdog Millionaire" Makeup "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" Animated Short Film "La Maison en Petits Cubes" "Lavatory -- Lovestory" "Oktapodi" "Presto" "This Way Up" Live Action Short Film "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" "Manon on the Asphalt" "New Boy" "The Pig" "Spielzeugland (Toyland)" Visual Effects "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "The Dark Knight" "Iron Man" Academy Award winner previously announced this year Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis
Originally Posted By ecdc My overall thoughts: Lame! The Dark Knight belongs well ahead of both Frost/Nixon and Milk. I liked Milk plenty, but Dark Knight was better. And Frost/Nixon - ugh! It was a good movie, above average. But this is, by my count, Ron Howard's fourth 20th century historical film - Frost/Nixon, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and Apollo 13. Every one seems crafted to be a crowd pleaser/ Oscar winner, and every one, while an above average film, has left me underwhelmed and puzzled at the recognition. The Best Animated Feature category is a concession prize to Pixar when Wall-E belongs ahead of every Best Picture nominee with the possible exception of Benjamin Button, which I truly loved. The Oscars have always been about politics and campaigning, but this year seems more egregious than most in recent memory. The Wrestler is more than just a MIckey Rourke showcase, but nothing for directing or picture. Ditto Rachel Getting Married - Jonathan Demme deserves more than to live in Anne Hathaway's shadow. The one real pleasant nomination is Robert Downey, Jr for Tropic Thunder The film started out great and went downhill fast, but Downey never let up and was perfect, start to finish.
Originally Posted By mele I haven't gone to many movies in the past year so this just seems so boring to me this time around.
Originally Posted By DAR So there have been articles how the ratings have been down for the Oscars. And by nominating the Dark Knight it would be a boost in the ratings. Two of the higher rated shows over the last ten years or so was when Titanic and Return of the King were nominated for best picture. You think they would get the memo. As for Wall-E, I'm happy that it will likely win in the Best Animated category but it's a real shame that it doesn't get a shot at the best picture. Oh well maybe I'll watch Dark Knight and Wall-E when the ceremony is on.
Originally Posted By utahjosh It seems the vast majority of the "oscar-worthy" movies are full of sex, graphic violence, language, or all three. Not my cup of tea. (I don't really dig tea, either) My favorite movies of 2008: Kung-Fu Panda Australia Wall-E Iron Man Indiana Jones Kit Kittredge
Originally Posted By mawnck >>As for Wall-E, I'm happy that it will likely win in the Best Animated category but it's a real shame that it doesn't get a shot at the best picture.<< It does have a shot at best screenplay, though. Not holding my breath, but It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated. Fans of animation in general should also take special note of this development: Foreign Film "Waltz With Bashir," Israel I wasn't as crazy about this flick as most folks seem to be, but it's still great to see animation in there. (And also, IMHO, great to see Bolt bumping it out of the Best Animated Feature category - congrats Disney!!)
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 I'm sitting with mele Of anything nominated we saw WALL-E, Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder and DH also saw Hellboy. The thing is we did go see quite a few movies. I think we will go see Milk as we lived through the time here just north of San Francisco and maybe Frost/Nixon as we lived through that too. I'm hoping that Ursula's company is nominated for Sound Mixing or my nephews for Visual Effects or at least my neighbors for Visual Effects. I like rooting for people who aren't in Star or Us magazine
Originally Posted By Ursula <So there have been articles how the ratings have been down for the Oscars. And by nominating the Dark Knight it would be a boost in the ratings. Two of the higher rated shows over the last ten years or so was when Titanic and Return of the King were nominated for best picture. You think they would get the memo. > The people who vote don't really give a hoot about Oscar night "numbers" or about what is popular amongst real people. I know two nominees, amazed. I'm very not cool with Wall*E not being nominated for Best Picture.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>It seems the vast majority of the "oscar-worthy" movies are full of sex, graphic violence, language, or all three.<< Benjamin Button isn't. It's not to be missed.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <I'm very not cool with Wall*E not being nominated for Best Picture.> I thought the Best Animated Feature category was invented specifically because a lot of people who work in live-action were ticked off that Beauty and the Beast got a Best Picture nomination. So they invented that category so that that wouldn't happen again. What I don't know is if it's a RULE that animated pictures don't get Best Picture noms, or just a tacit understanding.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I thought the Best Animated Feature category was invented specifically because a lot of people who work in live-action were ticked off that Beauty and the Beast got a Best Picture nomination. So they invented that category so that that wouldn't happen again. What I don't know is if it's a RULE that animated pictures don't get Best Picture noms, or just a tacit understanding.<< Tacit understanding. And you have it just a little bit backwards. They knew it wouldn't happen again, so they invented that category rather than have animated features completely shut out.
Originally Posted By LadyKluck I agree with you completely ecdc about Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder! That movie was not that good at all and I would have probably turned it off except for him. He's always been one of my favorite actors and I'm so glad he's "back"! Haven't seen very many of the movies on the list at all. With 2 little ones I usually have to wait for movies to come out on DVD before I see them. Now WALL-E on the other hand I've easily seen 30 times because the kids love it!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <And you have it just a little bit backwards. They knew it wouldn't happen again, so they invented that category rather than have animated features completely shut out.> I know some folks in the industry, and they tell me the live action folks were livid to have one of "their" slots for Best Picture taken up by a mere animated movie. I think the "official" explanation is that they wanted to recognize excellent animated films, but if my friends are correct, it came about so that another excellent animated film (and why couldn't there be another one pretty much accepted as one of the 5 best of the year?) couldn't take one of the slots that supposedly ought to be for "real" films.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I know some folks in the industry, and they tell me the live action folks were livid to have one of "their" slots for Best Picture taken up by a mere animated movie. I think the "official" explanation is that they wanted to recognize excellent animated films, but if my friends are correct, it came about so that another excellent animated film (and why couldn't there be another one pretty much accepted as one of the 5 best of the year?) couldn't take one of the slots that supposedly ought to be for "real" films.<< Nope. Recognition of the unofficial boycott, followed by the creation of the new category. On this one you can trust me. I got it straight from the folks who proposed the category in the first place, and they are most definitely NOT people who would want animation shut out from Best Picture. They were just facing reality and proposing a practical solution. Your friends are quite correct about the reaction to B&tB, though. That's exactly what set the whole thing into motion.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby <So there have been articles how the ratings have been down for the Oscars. And by nominating the Dark Knight it would be a boost in the ratings. Two of the higher rated shows over the last ten years or so was when Titanic and Return of the King were nominated for best picture. You think they would get the memo. The people who vote don't really give a hoot about Oscar night "numbers" or about what is popular amongst real people. > And they shouldn't be concerned with ratings. They should be concerned with honoring the best films, performances, et cetera. Personally, I think "The Dark Knight" got the nominations it deserved. It is greatly overrated in my opinion, and I love comic book movies in general and Batman movies in particular. And now I'm going to duck ... - kch
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Nope. Recognition of the unofficial boycott, followed by the creation of the new category. On this one you can trust me. I got it straight from the folks who proposed the category in the first place, and they are most definitely NOT people who would want animation shut out from Best Picture. They were just facing reality and proposing a practical solution. Your friends are quite correct about the reaction to B&tB, though. That's exactly what set the whole thing into motion.> Well, then we're really saying the same thing. Livid reaction from live action people about an animated film getting a Best Picture nom, leads to "unofficial boycott" whereby an excellent, hugely popular and profitable film like "The Lion King" does NOT get a nomination, followed by a category for animated films so that at least the best animated film of the year could win THAT (with the tacit understanding that no animated films get a Best Picture nom).
Originally Posted By Ursula <And now I'm going to duck ... > No need to duck, I agree with you. But that's two of us. We should both duck.
Originally Posted By ecdc As an avowed Dark Knight defender, there's no need to duck If someone legitimately doesn't like the film, then hey, they don't like the film. I'd disagree and point out why I think someone's wrong, but that's that. But I have a distinct sense that the Dark Knight wasn't ignored by Oscar because they thought it was a lousy film, but because they thought a Batman movie wasn't worthy of their precious little award. It's not epic enough, not historical enough (4 out of the 5 Best Picture nominees are period pieces). Not that critics are always right, but here's a list of the top 10 films from Metacritic (I might miss one or two if they've been released on DVD and aren't on this list anymore): Wall-E Milk The Dark Knight Man on Wire Waltz with Bashir The Class Slumdog Millionaire Happy-Go-Lucky Tell No One Rachel Getting Married Obviously some of those (Tell No One, Waltz with Bashir) are going to end up in foreign language categories, if they get recognized at all. But a film is a film is a film. Quit splitting them up in genres. Wall-E was literally the best reviewed film of the year. You know what the best reviewed film of 2007 was? Ratatouille. You know the only modern major release film on Rotten Tomatoes to have a perfect 100 score? Toy Story 2. Pixar consistently knocks peoples' socks off and they get no respect because Oscar is about as modern as my grandma's couch. Man on Wire was literally the 2nd best reviewed film of the year. But they're relegated to these secondary categories. Again I call, "Lame!"
