Oscar snubs, surprises and no brainers
This morning the nominations for Hollywood’s most prestigious awards were announced and there are plenty of snubs, surprises and no brainers to talk about. “There Will Be Blood” and “No Country for Old Men” led the field with eight nominations each. “Atonement” and “Michael Clayton” were close behind with seven a piece. “Ratatouille” picked up five (go ahead, count them) nods while “Juno” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” grabbed four each.
Let’s start with the surprises. Again, “Ratatouille” was nominated for FIVE Oscars (best animated feature film, original screenplay, sound editing, sound mixing and original score), behind only four other films this year. This is a huge achievement, especially for an animated film.
We all knew “Juno” had a chance to get in the best picture category and Ellen Page had a chance to grab the best actress nomination for that film. Well, they beat out all the other films and actresses who had a chance to get in those categories and snagged a best director nomination for Jason Reitman on top of that.
As always, there were some big snubs this morning, not the least of which was Keira Knightly for her performance in “Atonement.” That film had three acting nominations at the Golden Globes, only one of which translated into an Oscar nomination.
Tim Burton (”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” ) and Ridley Scott (”American Gangster” ) were shut out of the directing category. While Burton was a sure thing for the Golden Globes, it’s not a huge surprise to see him left out at the Oscars as his dark style might turn some voters away.
“American Gangster” was also shut out of the best picture category, as was “Into the Wild.” Denzel Washington was snubbed in the acting category for his portrayal of Frank Lucas in “American Gangster.”
On the other hand, plenty of nominations were announced just as they should have been. “Atonement’s” nominations for best picture, cinematography and original score were no brainers. The film may not win best picture but it should pick up the latter two. “No Country for Old Men’s” best picture and director (Ethan and Joel Coen) nominations couldn’t have surprised anyone. Likewise for “There Will Be Blood’s” best picture and actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) nods.
It was no shocker to see “Juno” and “Lars and the Real Girl” in the best original screenplay category, just as “Atonement” was no surprise for best adapted screenplay. The musical “Once” picked up a well-deserved nod for best original song for “Falling Slowly.”
Here is a rundown of the big categories, for a full list of nominations head to the Oscar’s official Web site.
Best Picture
“Atonement,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Juno.”
Best Actor (lead)
Daniel Day-Lewis (”There Will Be Blood), George Clooney (”Michael Clayton”), Viggo Mortensen (”Eastern Promises”), Johnny Depp (”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” ) and Tommy Lee Jones (”In the Valley of Elah”).
Best Actress (lead)
Julie Christie (”Away From Her”), Cate Blanchett (”Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), Laura Linney (”The Savages”), Ellen Page (”Juno” ) and Marion Cotillard (”La Vie En Rose”).
Best Director
Julian Schnabel (”The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”), Ethan and Joel Coen (”No Country for Old Men”), Jason Reitman (”Juno”), Tony Gilroy (”Michael Clayton” ) and Paul Thomas Anderson (”There Will Be Blood”).
Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem (”No Country for Old Men”), Casey Affleck (”The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (”Charlie Wilson’s War”), Tom Wilkinson (”Michael Clayton” ) and Hal Holbrook (”Into the Wild”).
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett (”I’m Not There”), Saoirse Ronan (”Atonement”), Amy Ryan (”Gone Baby Gone”), Tilda Swinton (”Michael Clayton” ) and Ruby Dee (”American Gangster”).