Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards. The Oscar race is led by James Cameron's Avatar and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, with nine nominations each. This year, ten movies fight for the best picture award, four of which are already out on Blu-ray and five others will be soon.
The following pictures got four or more nominations:
Avatar (9): Art direction; Cinematography; Directing; Film editing; Original score; Best picture; Sound editing; Sound mixing; Visual effects
The Hurt Locker (9): Actor in a leading role (Jeremy Renner); Cinematography; Directing; Film editing; Original score; Best picture; Sound editing; Sound mixing; Original screenplay
Inglorious Basterds (8): actor in a supporting role (Christoph Waltz); Cinematography; Directing; Film editing; Best picture; Sound editing; Sound mixing; Original screenplay
Up in the Air (6): Actor in a leading role (George Clooney); Actress in a supporting role (Vera Farmiga); Actress in a supporting role (Anna Kendrick); Directing; Best picture;
Adapted screenplay
Precious (5): Actress in a leading role (Gabourey Sidibe); Actress in a supporting role (Mo'Nique); Directing; Film editing; Best picture; Adapted screenplay
Up (5): Best animated feature film; Original score; Best picture; Sound editing; Original screenplay
District 9 (4): Film editing; Best picture; Visual effects; Adapted screenplay
Nine (4): Actress in a supporting role (Penélope Cruz); Art direction; Costume design; Original song (“Take It All”)
Star Trek (4): Makeup; Sound editing; Sound mixing; Visual effects
Nice to see two sci-fi flicks in there (Avatar and District 9). And since when does animation get nominated along with live action? They'd made a category specifically for animation. The last time an animated film was nominated in the overall best picture category was back in 1992 if memory serves (Beauty and the Beast).
TheManInBlu - Since when? Since the Academy expanded the nominees to 10 this year. I actually prefer that they go back to five and pick the RIGHT five (unlike when they snubbed TDK last year in favor of The Reader). Having 10 nominees just dilutes the meaning of "Best Picture Nominee".
DAMN IT!!! I like the turn out list... but god damn it how could Moon not get in there for Best Picture? Does anyone know if Sam Rockwell atleast got a nom for best actor?
I'm really happy to see Star Trek on that list! I just watched it for the second time on saturday and it blew me away (even more than the first time). It is undoubtedly one of the best movies I've seen in the past few years.
My choice for Best Picture is Avatar or Inglorius Basterds. I don't understand why an animated film UP (great movie) would also take a spot away from another possible Best Picture nomination when it should only be nominated in the animation category. It's like giving one movie the chance at two Best Pictures (very dumb IMO). Also, I agree with dmarvin 10 Best Picture nominations dilude the category's significance. The Academy says that they wanted to include other movies that might not be recognized otherwise - well then why not open all the field categories up to 10 nominees? Don't ever try to make sense of the AMPAS sorta like the federal government!
Just noticed something funny; at the top of the article it is said that the Oscar race is led by "James Cameron's Avatar and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker". Cameron and Bigelow used to be married in the late 80s And Star Trek should have been nominated for Best Pic, no fair
:sigh: Ponyo got snubbed for a best animated feature award :/
Yay, at Up getting nominated for Best Picture - it probably won't win though. Can you imagine all the idiots who'd get all psycho if an animated film would actually win the best picture award.
They need to do away with Best Picture all together. Take a cue from the Golden Globes and subdivide, so you're comparing apples to apples: Best Animated Feature, Best Comedy/Musical, Best Drama. Avatar and Up are fun and beautiful movies, but fantasy cartoons are not comparable with live action and never should be.
I'm glad to see that Star Trek cheesefest got no more than it deserved.
The Blind Side's Best Picture nomination leads me to believe that Sandra Bullock will win Best Actress over Meryl Streep -- and if that happens, there really is no justice in the Academy. Meryl has 16 nominations, of which she has won two (early in her career) -- not only was her portrayal of Julia Child the year's best performance, but she deserves to be recognized for her entire history of stunning performances.
>>>but fantasy cartoons are not comparable with live action and never should be.
But what do you do about movies like Avatar? In essence, much of the movie is a fantasy cartoon. There is so much CGI today even in non-SciFi and Action flicks that it's becoming increasingly hard to tell what's not been "animated."
My prediction is that within ten years, the technology will advance to the state where motion capture is no longer necessary - they'll be able to animate actors in the computer without capturing them first because they'll be a large library of movements stored. At that point, we'll see actors who license their likeness for use in such films, but the real-life human actor will never actually appear and at a much lower cost to the film studios. Film studios have always wanted to eliminate actors from their movies. Motion capture is still very expensive, because rendering takes so long. But as processors continue to advance and memory costs continue to decline, we'll eventually see essentially real-time rendering.
@ZoetMB: Not only are you right, but that's largely why the SAG Awards ignored Avatar--they're afraid it'll put them out of work in the next few years. Same with the acting Oscars, since the acting branch nominated them. They may favor THL as a vote against Avatar; even now, Avatar makes more money in one weekend than THL did in its ENTIRE box-office run.
I was dragged out to see 'An Education" and was surprised by this great little movie, including an amazing first time leading role turn by Carey Mulligan - who is nominated for Best Actress.
Up is easily the best movie this year and I'm thrilled to see it in the running. I think Avatar is a visual wonder and THL is riviting, but if they vote on emotion and character development, I think Up actually has a real chance.
As for how an animated film gets noms in both categories, it's no different than a documentary or foreign film also being up for best picture as well as it's own slot. It doesn't happen often, but it's eligible for both.
I was disappointed that "Partly Cloudy" was not nominated for animated short. That was the stork and cloud cartoon shown before Up in theaters. It's a testament to the Pixar folks about their craft that those opener cartoons are always without dialogue, forcing them to develop the characters and tell the story through animation alone.
So I guess I'm the only guy in the world that thought Public Enemies should have gotten nominated! Since it's not, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To me the Academy Awards lost their validity ten years ago, when they did not award SW Ep.I at all, nor any of the other Prequels, since G L is independent of Hollywood. This year it once again shows, that everything is primarily based on business decisions.
Avatar for Best Picture? Yeah, people are fooled way too easily! Best score? It's so bad it's not even funny anymore. But whatever! Who cares!?!?
The Academy will find some historical drama to give the award to. As for Avatar, if it does win, the people that wrote Disney's Pocahontas will be very angry. LOL
Sam Rockwell in ''Moon'' - should be nominated for best leading actor
Brad Pitt in ''Inglorious Bastards'' - should be nominated for best leading actor
but the Academy award nominates Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” and Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”... that's bullcrap !!!!!!
The Hurt Locker is a good movie and Jeremy did a good job but he did not deserve the nominee more than Sam Rockwell and Brad Pitt.
Moon should be a best picture nominee,,,, but no!!! lets nominate District 9 ,, fuck that !!
I have no fate left in the Academy.
;(
Here is my predictions, and I am usually 80% right from previous Oscars, although those are not my choices, but my feeling is that those will be the winners:
Best Picture: Avatar
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique
Animated Feature Film: Up (that's obvious)
Art Direction: Avatar
Cinematography: Avatar
Costume Design:The Young Victoria
Directing: James Cameron or Kathryn Bigelow (50/50)
Film Editing: Avatar
Makeup: The Young Victoria
Music (Original Score): Up
Music (Original Song): The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)
Sound Editing: Avatar
Sound Mixing: Avatar
Visual Effects: Avatar (DUH!!)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Up in the Air
Writing (Original Screenplay): The Messenger
The foreign films and other categories, I am not familiar with.
And Star Trek should have been nominated for Best Pic, no fair 
