Oscar Buzz / Speculation Thread (nominations announced!)

[Yog]

It's Oscar season again, and time to discuss the candidates for Oscars! What are your favorites, predictions, and what is the latest oscar buzz and news?

HERE ARE THE NOMINATIONS!!!


OSCAR NOMS

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski "Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins


The schedule looks like:
Nov. 3 - European Film Award noms
Nov. 27 - Spirit noms; Gotham winners
Nov. 28 - BIFA winners
Nov. 30 - Satellite noms

Dec. 1 - European Film Award winners
Dec. 3 - Annie noms
Dec. 5 - NBR winners
Dec. 9 - LAFCA winners; Boston Film Critics winners
Dec. 10 - NYFCC winners
Dec. 11 - BFCA noms
Dec. 13 - Golden Globe noms
Dec. 14 - Chicago Film Critics winners
Dec. 16 - AFI winners; Satellite winners
Dec. 20 - SAG noms

Jan. 3 - BAFTA longlists; Scripter noms
Jan. 7 - BFCA winners; Visual Effects Society noms; ASC noms (?)
Jan. 8 - DGA noms; NAACP noms
Jan. 9 - Scripter winners
Jan. 10 - Cinema Audio Society noms; WGA noms
Jan. 11 - ACE Eddie noms; ADG noms
Jan. 13 - Golden Globe winners
Jan. 14 - PGA noms
Jan. 16 - BAFTA noms
Jan. 22 - Oscar noms
Jan. 25 - MPSE noms
Jan. 26 - DGA winners; ASC winners
Jan. 27 - SAG winners

Feb. 2 - PGA winners
Feb. 8 - Annie winners
Feb. 9 - WGA winners
Feb. 10 - BAFTA winners; Visual Effects Society winners
Feb. 16 - Cinema Audio Society winners; ADG winners
Feb. 17 - ACE Eddie winners
Feb. 19 - Costume Designers Guild winners
Feb. 23 - Spirit winners; MPSE winners
Feb. 24 - Oscar winners
Feb. 29 - NAACP winners

Golden Globe, Chicago Critics, SAG and various other nominees to follow..

[Yog]

Nominees and winners pre-Oscar. Winners will be marked in bold.

First up is Golden Globes (http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/index.html)

Best Motion Picture - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her
Jodie Foster – The Brave One
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley – Atonement

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy – Atonement
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington – American Gangster

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Across The Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
Ellen Page – Juno

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Casey Affleck – The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton

Best Animated Feature Film
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (France, United States)
The Kite Runner (United States)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen – No Country For Old Men
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Ridley Scott – American Gangster
Joe Wright – Atonement

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Atonement - Written by Christopher Hampton
Charlie Wilson's War - Written by Aaron Sorkin
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly - Written by Ronald Harwood
Juno - Written by Diablo Cody
No Country For Old Men - Written by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Grace Is Gone - Composed by Clint Eastwood
The Kite Runner - Composed by Alberto Iglesias
Atonement - Composed by Dario Marianelli
Eastern Promises - Composed by Howard Shore
Into The Wild - Composed by Michael Brook, Kaki King and Eddie Vedder

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"Despedida" – Love In The Time Of Cholera
"Grace Is Gone" – Grace Is Gone
"Guaranteed" – Into The Wild
"That's How You Know" – Enchanted
"Walk Hard" – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

[CMJ]

I've been following it for weeks. Obviously alot of stuff has already happened. I'll try and dig up some of the early awards.

[Yog]

Next is Screen Actors Guild (http://www.sagawards.org/nominations). This is an important indicator, since many of the voters here are members of the Academy. Put simply, if a movie is not nominated here at all, it is very unlikely it will win best picture. Furthermore, it is usually an uncanny accurate indicator for actors / actress nominations and winners. Last year, SAG got 19/20 nominees right.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
GEORGE CLOONEY / Michael Clayton – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Daniel Plainview – “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage)
RYAN GOSLING / Lars Lindstrom – “Lars And The Real Girl” (Sidney Kimmel Entertainment)
EMILE HIRSCH / Christopher McCandless– “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Nikolai – “Eastern Promises” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Queen Elizabeth I – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal Pictures)
JULIE CHRISTIE / Fiona – “Away From Her” (Lionsgate)
MARION COTILLARD / Edith Piaf – “La Vie En Rose” (Picturehouse)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Mariane Pearl – “A Mighty Heart” (Paramount Vantage)
ELLEN PAGE / Juno MacGuff – “Juno” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CASEY AFFLECK / Robert Ford – “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JAVIER BARDEM / Anton Chigurh – “No Country For Old Men” (Miramax Films)
HAL HOLBROOK / Ron Franz – “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
TOMMY LEE JONES / Ed Tom Bell – “No Country For Old Men” (Miramax Films)
TOM WILKINSON / Arthur Edens – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Jude – “I’m Not There” (The Weinstein Company)
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – “American Gangster” (Universal Pictures)
CATHERINE KEENER / Jan Burres – “Into The Wild” (Paramount Vantage)
AMY RYAN / Helene McCready – “Gone Baby Gone” (Miramax Films)
TILDA SWINTON / Karen Crowder – “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
3:10 TO YUMA (Lionsgate)
AMERICAN GANGSTER (Universal Pictures)
HAIRSPRAY (New Line Cinema)
INTO THE WILD (Paramount Vantage)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Miramax Films)


**********
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I will also post the Chicago Film Critics Association (http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57:No%20Country%20Best%20Picture&catid=3:newsflash&Itemid=65) winners, since it is a rather prestigous critics award, and because we want to see some winners..

BEST PICTURE – "No Country for Old Men"
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM – "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
BEST DIRECTOR – Joel & Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Diablo Cody for" Juno"
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Joel & Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"
BEST ACTOR – Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood"
BEST ACTRESS – Ellen Page for "Juno"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Javier Bardem for "No Country for Old Men"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Cate Blanchett for "I’m Not There"
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova for "Once"
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Roger Deakins for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
BEST DOCUMENTARY – "Sicko"
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – "Ratatouille"
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER – Michael Cera for "Juno" and "Superbad"
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER – Ben Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone"

[CMJ]

New York Film Circle

Best Foreign Film: The Lives of Others
Best Animated Film: Persepolis
Best First Film: Sarah Polley Away from Her
Best Documentary: No End in Sight
Best Cinematographer: Robert Elswit There Will Be Blood
Best Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan Gone Baby Gone
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men
Best Actress: Julie Christie Away from Her
Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
Lifetime Achievement: Sidney Lumet
Special Critics' Award: Charles Burnett Killer of Sheep

[CMJ]

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Best Picture: "There Will Be Blood"
Runner-up "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Runner-up: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”

Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Runner-up: Anamaria Marinca, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”

Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Runner-up: Frank Langella, “Starting Out in the Evening”

Screenplay: "The Savages" by Tamara Jenkins
Runner-up: “There Will Be Blood” by Paul Thomas Anderson

Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone" and “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”
Runner-up: Cate Blanchett, "I’m Not There"

Supporting Actor: Vlad Ivanov, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Runner-up: Hal Holbrook, “Into the Wild"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" directed by Cristian Mungiu
Runner-up: "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" directed by Julian Schnabel

DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM: "No End in Sight" directed by Charles Ferguson
Runner-up: "Sicko“ directed by Michael Moore

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Jack Fisk, "There Will Be Blood"
Runner-up: Dante Ferretti, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

ANIMATION: (tie) “Ratatouille" (Brad Bird) and “Persepolis” (Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi)

MUSIC: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, “Once"
Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, "There Will Be Blood”

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Janusz Kaminski, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Runner-up: Robert Elswit, “There Will Be Blood"

NEW GENERATION: Sarah Polley, “Away From Her”

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Sidney Lumet (previously announced)

INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL: “Colossal Youth” directed by Pedro Costa

[CMJ]

National Board of Review

Best Film
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Top Ten Films
(In alphabetical order)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
ATONEMENT
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
THE BUCKET LIST
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
THE KITE RUNNER
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
MICHAEL CLAYTON
SWEENEY TODD

Best Foreign Film
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

Top Five Foreign Films
(In alphabetical order)
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS
THE BAND'S VISIT
THE COUNTERFEITERS
LA VIE EN ROSE
LUST, CAUTION

Best Documentary
BODY OF WAR

Top Five Documentaries
(In alphabetical order)
DARFUR NOW
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
NANKING
TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE
TOOTS

Top Independent Films
(In alphabetical order)
AWAY FROM HER
GREAT WORLD OF SOUND
HONEYDRIPPER
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
A MIGHTY HEART
THE NAMESAKE
ONCE
THE SAVAGES
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
WAITRESS

Best Actor
GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton

Best Actress
JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor
CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Supporting Actress
AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone

Best Ensemble Cast
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
ELLEN PAGE, Juno

Best Director
TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd

Best Directorial Debut
BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone

Best Adapted Screenplay
JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men

Best Original Screenplay
DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl

Best Animated Feature
RATATOUILLE

Career Achievement Award
MICHAEL DOUGLAS

William K. Everson Award For Film History
ROBERT OSBORNE

Career Achievement in Cinematography
ROGER DEAKINS

The Bvlgari Award for NBR Freedom of Expression
THE GREAT DEBATERS and PERSEPOLIS

[CMJ]

Broadcast Film Critics Association Nominations

(All nominees listed in alphabetical order)
(Winners in Bold)


Best Picture
American Gangster
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood


Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises


Best Actress
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page - Juno


Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton


Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Catherine Keener - Into the Wild
Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton


Best Acting Ensemble
Hairspray
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
Gone Baby Gone
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead


Best Director
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Sidney Lumet - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright - Atonement


Best Writer
Diablo Cody - Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Nancy Oliver - Lars and the Real Girl
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War


Best Animated Feature
Bee Movie
Beowulf
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie


Best Young Actor
Michael Cera - Juno
Michael Cera - Superbad
Freddie Highmore - August Rush
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada - The Kite Runner
Edward Sanders - Sweeney Todd


Best Young Actress
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Dakota Blue Richards - The Golden Compass
AnnaSophia Robb - Bridge to Terabithia
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement


Best Comedy Movie
Dan in Real Life
Hairspray
Juno
Knocked Up
Superbad



Best Family Film
August Rush
Enchanted
The Golden Compass
Hairspray
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


Best Picture Made for Television
The Company
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Tin Man
The War


Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
La Vie en Rose
Lust, Caution
The Orphanage


Best Song
"Come So Far", Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley - Hairspray
"Do You Feel Me", Anthony Hamilton - American Gangster
"Falling Slowly", Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Once
"Guaranteed", Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
"That's How You Know", Amy Adams - Enchanted


Best Composer
Marco Beltrami - 3:10 to Yuma
Alexandre Desplat - Lust, Caution
Clint Eastwood - Grace Is Gone
Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Alan Menken - Enchanted


Best Documentary
Darfur Now
In the Shadow of the Moon
The King of Kong
No End In Sight
Sharkwater
Sicko

[Yog]

Well done CMJ, I think we got this well covered! I am very excited about this season, and really look forward to the Directors Guild nominees 8th of january :)

As for predictions, hard to say yet, but I think "No Country for Old Men" is looking good for some awards, most notable for Best Picture (I think "Into The Wild" is a threat though, that's quite a dark horse with all those SAG nominations). As for locks, I'd say "Transformers" is a lock for visual effects, Ratatouille for animated feature. Best documentary should be a fight between "No End in Sight" and "Sicko". "Atonement" and "Sweeney Todd" are in an uphill battle with no SAG nominations I think. We should get a much better idea with the guild noms. What do you think?

[CMJ]

You want a breakdown by category? :lol

This is definitely one of the more muddled seasons in many categories. For Best Picture I think there's only 1 lock at this point - NCFOM. Then we have about 6-7 vying for the other four spots. The DGA and PGA noms will help clear the big races considerably.

The other guilds will clue us in on the how those categories might go come Oscar morning.

Also very curious about BAFTA, as they are arguably the 2nd most important group since they also are an "Academy" - with many Brits also being in our Academy as well.

[Yog]

I think I found one more lock: Javier Bardem to win for best supporting actor. He bloody well deserves it too. Amazing unforgettable performance. Villain of the year.

But yeah, the field is very muddy at this point.

[CMJ]

Bardem is definitely a likely selection for Supporting Actor.

[Jedi Master Carr]

So is anybody going to show up at the Globes? The strike is getting become a huge problem now for the industry.

[Mitch]

Man, no love for 300, I see. Dang.

[Yog]

So is anybody going to show up at the Globes? The strike is getting become a huge problem now for the industry.

Well the Golden Globes will air no matter what. Frankly, it's getting a bit ridiculous. You can't have the entire Hollywood and all the TV networks stop for months because of this strike. I saw Jon Stewart will be hosting the show, so I guess he will improvise. He should do that well since he is professional standup comedian. Even without the jokes, how hard can it be saying "the winner is..." and the standard thank you speech with applause.

I hope the writers get what they want, they are way underpaid, but man this strike goes on my nerves.


Man, no love for 300, I see. Dang.

Well, it has a decent shot at visual effects nomination and maybe some technical category like sound editing or costumes. Cinematography, is not impossible either, although I doubt it. On that note, the shortlist for visual effects was announced yesterday:

“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“Evan Almighty”
“The Golden Compass”
“I Am Legend”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
“300”
“Transformers”

3 of these get to be nominees.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well there is this development
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080105/ap_en_tv/hollywood_labor;_ylt=AoDihLkNWfW4eQH4KIEiv7.s0NUE

Not sure who will be handing out the trophies if this thing goes on.

[Rutabaga]

I haven't seen a lot of the big critically acclaimed movies...I'll get them through Netflix when they're released...but for me, the best movie I saw all year was Sweeney Todd :).

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think Juno could be a film to watch out for. I think it might be between Page and Christie for Best Actress.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well the Globes are going to go on but as a reduced show.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080108/ap_en_ce/hollywood_labor_golden_globes;_ylt=Au6TJR8icT_wHho oK1Spnl6s0NUE

I don't really mind this at least we will find out who wins.

[Yog]

Yeah, well, a news conference is not exactly the same as an award show. My worry is they might mess about with the oscars show as well now.

[CMJ]

Directors Guild of America Nominations

Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Ethan and Joel Cohen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

[Jedi Master Carr]

Does it hurt Juno not getting nominated?

[CMJ]

I'd say so. It still has a decent chance, but I think this kills any shot at a win.

[Yog]

Yeah, if a movie is not on that list, I don't see how it could win.

At this point, it's very obvious that "No Country for Old Men", "There Will Be Blood" and "Into the Wild" will be nominated for BP. That is 3 locks I think. Michael Clayton looks about 80-90% probable, IMO. That leaves one more spot for which there are many possible candidates: Diving Bell, Jesse James, Juno, American Gangsters, Atonement etc.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think Juno will get nominated for BP beyond that I don't know. I would be shocked if Attonement doesn't get nominated.

[CMJ]

Well, with no DGA nomination, Atonement is on the fence. The DGA is the best sample of Academy taste there is. Not sure why exactly, but it is the "kingmaker". Always has been.

[CMJ]

WGA Nominations:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

JUNO, Written by Diablo Cody, Fox Searchlight

MICHAEL CLAYTON, Written by Tony Gilroy, Warner Bros. Pictures

THE SAVAGES, Written by Tamara Jenkins, Fox Searchlight

KNOCKED UP, Written by Judd Apatow, Universal Pictures

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, Written by Nancy Oliver, MGM

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Screenplay by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy, Miramax

THERE WILL BE BLOOD, Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Based on the Novel Oil by Upton Sinclair, Paramount Vantage

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, Screenplay by Ronald Harwood, Based on the Book by Jean-Dominique Bauby, Miramax

INTO THE WILD, Screenplay by Sean Penn, Based on the Book by Jon Krakauer, Paramount Vantage

ZODIAC, Screenplay by James Vanderbilt, Based on the Book by Robert Graysmith, Paramount Pictures


*****

[Yog]

I would be shocked if Attonement doesn't get nominated.

Actually, at this point, it looks very bad for Atonement. No SAG, DGA or WGA nominations spells bad news for that movie.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Attonment looks like a repeat of Cold Mountain from a few years back. I remember that got a bunch of golden globe nods but then it support fell apart. I still think Juno will get nominated it may not win but its box office run should help it. It is having incredible WOM. Plus they have to nominate one movie people have seen :p

[CMJ]

NCFOM has grossed 45M.

Juno has grossed 55M.

Not that huge of a difference really. People have seen NCFOM.

[Jedi Master Carr]

NCFOM has grossed 45M.

Juno has grossed 55M.

Not that huge of a difference really. People have seen NCFOM.

Well I didn't realize that NCFOM had made that much money. Still I think Juno has a shot at 100 million, I don't think NCFOM will do that. Still that is better than three of the possibilities. Michael Clayton disapointed big time, Into the Wild as made nothing and There will be Blood has done worse than that.

[Yog]

You can hardly blame There Will Be Blood for doing bad at box office when it has not gone wide yet. It's only playing in 51 theaters, but with a healthy $25K theater average. I hear people are interested in seeing it, so I am pretty sure it will do better than Into The Wild.

[Jedi Master Carr]

You can hardly blame There Will Be Blood for doing bad at box office when it has not gone wide yet. It's only playing in 51 theaters, but with a healthy $25K theater average. I hear people are interested in seeing it, so I am pretty sure it will do better than Into The Wild.

Well I don't think either will set the box office on fire. I think There will be blood the ceiling is 50 million. Into the Wild has been wide for a while so I don't think that will do much better with out an Oscar win. At the same time the writers strike could hurt all of these films from getting a box office jump. For example I think Juno could make 150 million with an Oscar win if it got the usual coverage. Right now I don't think the Oscars will help or hurt it.

[CMJ]

With Crash's win acouple years back, the BO correlation to BP may not be as mandatory as it used to be. Granted it was probably just a one year abberation, but that victory broke a streak going back to The Last Emperor. For, what....like 17 years, the BP winner finished in the top 25 at the BO for the year. You'd think that might point to a Juno win if it gets nommed, but I can't see it.

[Jedi Master Carr]

With Crash's win acouple years back, the BO correlation to BP may not be as mandatory as it used to be. Granted it was probably just a one year abberation, but that victory broke a streak going back to The Last Emperor. For, what....like 17 years, the BP winner finished in the top 25 at the BO for the year. You'd think that might point to a Juno win if it gets nommed, but I can't see it.
Actually I don't think that. I think it more helps it in getting nominated. It is very rare that they don't nominate at least one major hit. Juno will get nominated, I feel and I think the box office will help it. As for winning I don't think it will matter in that regard. I think it will hurt a film like Into the West or There will be blood. I think the Oscar will end up being between No Country for Old Men and Juno.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The fastest award show ever :p
surprises
Sweeny Todd and Attonement winning. I am not sure if either will even get nominated for the Oscar. Juno getting snubbed. I though sure it win something. I though Ellen Page would win honestly. I don't think it affects it getting nominated.

[Cat X]

The fastest award show ever :p




You mean BEST awards show ever!

[CMJ]

The fastest award show ever :p
surprises
Sweeny Todd and Attonement winning. I am not sure if either will even get nominated for the Oscar. Juno getting snubbed. I though sure it win something. I though Ellen Page would win honestly. I don't think it affects it getting nominated.

Sweeney Todd wasn't a huge shock to me. The Hollywood Foreign Press loves musicals. Marion Cotillard has been considered a heavyweight since La Vie en Rose was released, so similarly I'm not shocked she bet Paige...in fact I expected that result.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I guess this doesn't help decide anything in terms of the Oscars. I think it will be another year with the neither of the Golden Globe winners win Best picture.
Oh and I am surprised CMJ you didn't post this
http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117978994.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1

I think that almost assures Juno will get nominated along with Diving Bell and the Whale. I am still not covinced by Michael Clayton but I think it is almost certain unless Attonement knocks it off.

[Yog]

Let's review what we know. We know that there are 5 spots for best picture. 2 of them, I think we all agree are locks for nomination, "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will be Blood". That leaves 3 spots open.

The largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members (22 percent) of the Academy's are the actors. The members of the Screen Actors guild should be representative of that demographic (as statistics show). Well guess what, SAG nominated both "Michael Clayton" and "Into the Wild" in 3/4 of the acting categories. They are usually spot on who gets nominated for acting. That means they love those movies to death. It's very hard for me to imagine any movie getting nominated in 3/4 acting categories without getting nominated for BP. They also got nominated by the Directors Guild. That's why I think those two movies are more likely to get nominated.

Juno / Butterfly are the outsiders in this field, IMO. I think one of those will be nominated, but not both of them.

Edit: I also think The Diving Bell and the Butterfly got a better chance than Juno. So there :p

[CMJ]

The British Academy of Film and Television Nominations

(I'd argue this group is #2 in the prestige factor....and something like 500 members of it also vote on the Oscars, so it's a important one to look at)

FILM
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Brian Grazer/Ridley Scott
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Scott Rudin/Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – JoAnne Sellar/Paul Thomas Anderson/Daniel Lupi


BEST BRITISH FILM
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster/Joe Wright/Christopher Hampton
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Frank Marshall/Patrick Crowley/Paul L Sandberg/Paul Greengrass/Tony Gilroy/Scott Z Burns/George Nolfi
CONTROL – Orian Williams/ Todd Eckert/Anton Corbijn/Matt Greenhalgh
EASTERN PROMISES – Paul Webster/Robert Lantos/David Cronenberg/Steve Knight
THIS IS ENGLAND – Mark Herbert/Shane Meadows

THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD
for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film
CHRIS ATKINS (Director/Writer) – Taking Liberties
MIA BAYS (Producer) – Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
SARAH GAVRON (Director) – Brick Lane
MATT GREENHALGH (Writer) – Control
ANDREW PIDDINGTON (Director/Writer) – The Killing of John Lennon


DIRECTOR
ATONEMENT – Joe Wright
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Paul Greengrass
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Steven Zaillian
JUNO – Diablo Cody
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
MICHAEL CLAYTON – Tony Gilroy
THIS IS ENGLAND – Shane Meadows


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ATONEMENT – Christopher Hampton
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Ronald Harwood
THE KITE RUNNER – David Benioff
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Kathleen Kennedy/Jon Kilik/Julian Schnabel
THE KITE RUNNER – William Horberg/Walter Parkes/Rebecca Yeldham/Marc Foster
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann/Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
LUST, CAUTION – Bill Kong/James Schamus/Ang Lee
LA VIE EN ROSE – Alain Goldman/Olivier Dahan


ANIMATED FILM
RATATOUILLE – Brad Bird
SHREK THE THIRD – Chris Miller
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE – Matt Groening/James L Brooks

LEADING ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood
JAMES McAVOY – Atonement
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
ULRICH MÜHE – The Lives of Others

LEADING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
ELLEN PAGE – Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men
PAUL DANO – There Will Be Blood
TOMMY LEE JONES – No Country for Old Men
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Charlie Wilson’s War
TOM WILKINSON – Michael Clayton


SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There
KELLY MACDONALD – No Country for Old Men
SAMANTHA MORTON – Control
SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement
TILDA SWINTON – Michael Clayton


MUSIC
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Marc Streitenfeld
ATONEMENT – Dario Marianelli
THE KITE RUNNER – Alberto Iglesias
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Jonny Greenwood
LA VIE EN ROSE – Christopher Gunning


CINEMATOGRAPHY
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Harris Savides
ATONEMENT – Seamus McGarvey
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Oliver Wood
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Roger Deakins
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Robert Elswit


EDITING
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Pietro Scalia
ATONEMENT – Paul Tothill
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Christopher Rouse
MICHAEL CLAYTON – John Gilroy
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Roderick Jaynes

PRODUCTION DESIGN
ATONEMENT – Sarah Greenwood/Katie Spencer
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Guy Hendrix Dyas/Richard Roberts
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – Stuart Craig/Stephenie McMillan
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Jack Fisk/Jim Erickson
LA VIE EN ROSE – Olivier Raoux

COSTUME DESIGN
ATONEMENT – Jacqueline Durran
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Alexandra Byrne
LUST, CAUTION – Pan Lai
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – Colleen Atwood
LA VIE EN ROSE – Marit Allen


SOUND
ATONEMENT – Danny Hambrook/Paul Hamblin/Catherine Hodgson
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Kirk Francis/Scott Millan/Dave Parker/Karen Baker Landers/Per Hallberg
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Peter Kurland/Skip Lievsay/Craig Berkey/Greg Orloff
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Christopher Scarabosio/Matthew Wood/John Pritchett/Michael Semanick/Tom Johnson
LA VIE EN ROSE – Laurent Zeilig/Pascal Villard/Jean-Paul Hurier/Marc Doisne

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Peter Chiang/Charlie Noble/Mattias Lindahl/Joss Williams
THE GOLDEN COMPASS – Michael Fink/Bill Westenhofer/Ben Morris/Trevor Woods
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – Tim Burke/John Richardson/Emma Norton/Chris Shaw
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END – John Knoll/Charles Gibson/Hal Hickel/John Frazier
SPIDER-MAN 3 – Scott Stokdyk/Peter Nofz/Kee-Suk Ken Hahn/Spencer Cook

MAKE UP & HAIR
ATONEMENT – Ivana Primorac
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE – Jenny Shircore
HAIRSPRAY – Nominees TBC
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET – Ivana Primorac
LA VIE EN ROSE – Jan Archibald/Didier Lavergne

SHORT ANIMATION
THE PEARCE SISTERS – Jo Allen/Luis Cook
HEAD OVER HEELS – Osbert Parker/Fiona Pitkin/Ian Gouldstone
THE CRUMBLEGIANT – Pearse Moore/John McCloskey

SHORT FILM
DOG ALTOGETHER – Diarmid Scrimshaw/Paddy Considine
HESITATION – Julien Berlan/Michelle Eastwood/Virginia Gilbert
THE ONE AND ONLY HERB MCGWYER PLAYS WALLIS ISLAND – Charlie Henderson/James Griffiths/Tim Key/Tom Basden
SOFT – Jane Hooks/Simon Ellis
THE STRONGER – Dan McCulloch/Lia Williams/Frank McGuinness

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
(voted for by the public)
SHIA LABEOUF
SIENNA MILLER
ELLEN PAGE
SAM RILEY
TANG WEI

[CMJ]

Explanation of how they tabulate Oscar nominations.

**********
Oscar-watchers, this is for you.

The nomination ballots for the 80th Academy Awards are due this Saturday at 5 p.m. PST, at which point a team of about a dozen accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers will tabulate the votes. It will take seven days of counting to determine the nominees. It takes that long because the Academy uses the rather complicated preferential-voting system. Furthermore, the counting is done by hand. That's right — in an age of computers, the Oscar nominations are still determined by moving thousands of paper ballots into pile after pile after pile.

Since this process seems so contrary to public perception, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited a group of journalists to a demonstration of the voting procedure. Accountants Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas, who will lead the balloting process for the Academy this year (and, thereby, will be the only two people in the world to know the actual winners before the show airs), conducted a mock voting tabulation for the 1939 Best Actress race. We journalists voted for nominees and then observed what happened to our ballots.

The following is a detailed and yet hopefully clear description of exactly how the Oscar nominees are determined.


(1) The Academy is made up of approximately 6,000 members. Each member belongs to a branch — the directing branch, the writing branch, the cinematography branch, etc. You can't belong to multiple branches, so the Coen brothers are out of luck even though they direct, write, and edit their movies.

(2) Each branch votes within its own category: Actors vote for all the acting categories; directors vote in the direction category; and so on. Everybody gets to vote for Best Picture.

(3) Voters are asked to list up to five names, ranked in order of preference. The Academy instructs voters to "follow their hearts" because the voting process doesn't penalize for picking eccentric choices, as we will see. Also, listing the same person or film twice doesn't help their cause — in fact, it actually
diminishes the chance that the voter's ballot will be counted at all.

(4) A "magic number" is devised for each award category. This number is calculated by taking the total number of ballots received for that category and dividing it by the number of possible nominees plus one. So, for Best Actress, say that 600 ballots were received. There are always five nominees chosen for Best Actress, so you divide 600 ballots by six (five potential nominees plus one), which equals 100. That's your magic number.

(5) The magic number is important because as soon as a potential nominee reaches that number, they automatically become an official nominee. And so, the counting begins...

(6) The ballots are sorted into piles based upon each voter's first-choice selection. A nominee must have at least one first-choice vote to be eligible. If any nominee reaches the magic number based solely upon first-choice selections, they're in. So, for the 1939 race, let's say Bette Davis received 125 first-choice votes. She's now an official nominee, and all the ballots that listed her as a first-choice are set aside — those ballots are done.

(7) We now have four nominee slots left to fill. The actress who received the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and those ballots are redistributed to the other piles based upon those voters' second-place selections and another round of tabulations begin. Let's say Vivien Leigh started out with 98 first-choice votes, and now has received two more votes from ballots that were redistributed. She has reached the magic number (100) — she's in! All the ballots in Vivien Leigh's pile are set aside.

(8) This process is continued. The actress who has the fewest ballots in her pile has those ballots redistributed to other piles based upon the voters' second-choice selections, and if need be, their third-choice, fourth-choice, and fifth-choice selections. If a ballot runs out of selections, that ballot is voided and is no longer in play, which is why it's important for voters to list five different nominees.

(9) The magic number will drop as ballots are voided. For instance, if 12 ballots are voided, the new magic number becomes 588 divided by 6 = 98.

(10) Actresses continue to be eliminated and ballots redistributed until five nominees reach the most current magic number, OR until there are only 5 nominees left in the running.

And there you have it. What this process means is that it's better to have a small but passionate group of voters who love your film than a larger but less passionate group. And it explains how a small foreign movie such as City of God was nominated in four major categories — it inspired enough supporters who most likely placed it No. 1 or No. 2 on their ballots to let it squeak into the final five. Having a lot of No. 4 or No. 5 votes isn't as advantageous because most of those ballots will have already been counted toward another film.


And in case you're wondering, the procedure for choosing the Oscar winner is much simpler. Once the nominations are decided, the entire Academy can vote for every category. Each member gets one vote per category, and the nominee that receives the most votes wins. It takes the accountants only three days to determine those winners.

Academy voters are discouraged from voting in categories they don't fully understand (who knows exactly what sound editing is?), and from voting in categories in which they haven't seen all the nominees. But try convincing a member not to vote in a certain technical category — checking boxes is just way too much fun.

So, when the nominations are announced on the morning of Jan. 22, now you know how and why about 1,700 "person-hours" went into the effort. Let's hope there still is an actual Academy Awards show this year. At the voting demonstration, Sid Ganis, the Academy's president, said the show was on and that they are doing everything they normally would be doing right now. But, only time (and many disgruntled writers) will tell.

How much are you hoping the Oscars will go on this year? And please tell me that my explanation of the voting process made sense.

[Yog]

Excellent explaination of the voting process :)

.. and I would be very sad if there is no Oscar show this year. Even if I might not agree with them all the time, I still think it is an exciting event to watch.

[Yog]

Here is a breakdown of the voting members of the Academy (2002 numbers). I am posting it here for later reference, so I don't forget it. Thanks to CMJ for finding those numbers for me! :D

AMPAS Breakdown (2002):
5,803 Total voters

1,298 Actors
465 Producers
433 Executives
403 Writers
416 Sound
365 Public relations
366 Art directors
372 Directors
366 Members-at-large
307 Shorts
241 Music composers, lyricists
239 Visual effects
222 Film editors
182 Cinematographers
128 Documentarians

[Jedi Master Carr]

I don't think Into the Wild will get nominated for Best Picture. Its snub by the PGA really makes me doubt that. I think it will be
No country for Old Men
There will be blood
Juno
Michael Clayton
Diving Bell
I think they have nominate one other movie that was seen by the public. I mean if they don't this would be the least seen list since 97 when The English Patient won, maybe even worse than that since Diving Bell and Into Wild probably won't cross 20 million.

[CMJ]

OSCAR NOMS

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski "Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

[Yog]

Ah, Atonement actually got in. I guess it got a push after the Golden Globe. I think it also has something with the nomination process CMJ explained earlier. You either love it or you don't. I doubt it got a lot of the #2,3,4, and 5s on the nomination lists. Not a serious candidate for winning though. That race is between NCFOM and TWBB, and No Country for Old Men should win it.

[CMJ]

TWBB and NCFOM are the only 2 nominees to be up for Picture, Director, and Editing. Those have to be the favorites with Juno as the Boxoffice hit darkhorse.

[Yog]

"No Country for Old Men and "There Will Be Blood" earned eight nods each. "Michael Clayton" picks up nominations in five of six major categories.

Ratatouille picks up nomination for original screenplay. Impressive for an animated feature. I did not expect that one. (Five noms for Ratatouille!?)

Into the Wild only got 1 nommination, which totally conflicts with what the SAG thought. It must have lost a lot of steam. Edit: Oh wait, it was also nomminated for editing.

Further edit: Yikes, Transformers nominated in 3 categories. I love that :D

Golden Compass is no longer a total fiasco, only a moderate fiasco after getting a visual effects nomination, lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

I was right about Juno. I think that will be similar to what Little Miss Sunshine was last year. Not sure if it can surprise and take Best picture, I think it has like a 30% chance.

[Yog]

I was right about Juno. I think that will be similar to what Little Miss Sunshine was last year. Not sure if it can surprise and take Best picture, I think it has like a 30% chance.

You were both wrong and right, as was I:


Juno / Butterfly are the outsiders in this field, IMO. I think one of those will be nominated, but not both of them.

I thought Into the Wild would get the 5th nomination, not Atonement. Also, notice Diving Bell is nominated in categories like Cinematography and Editing, while Juno isn't. That makes Diving Bell a more valid candidate than Juno in my eyes.

[CMJ]

Any time you get nods in directing, screenplay, and acting you are a valid BP nominee. ;)

I actually think Juno has a decent shot at duplicating LMS's success last year. An acting win(Paige) and Screenplay seem doable.

[Yog]

Any time you get nods in directing, screenplay, and acting you are a valid BP nominee. ;)

Yeah, of course, Directing and Screenplay is huge, but Diving Bell also had those. The one category Juno did better was acting, with Ellen Page. Is not the whole popularity of the film based on Page, or is there some other mystifying element I am missing? A teen movie about getting pregnant?

(on the other hand, I was not too excited about Clayton (it was good, but not THAT amazing), or Atonement (I felt it was a little dull in the beginning, otherwise good I suppose). I heard Into the Wild was heartbreaking though, and based on a real story, and Diving Bell I heard a lot of good things about too.)

Guess I will have to watch Juno before I knock it any further :)

The one movie I am really disappointed about was Zodiac, no nominations at all. That makes me sad.

[CMJ]

I'm rooting for Kevin O'Connell(and Transformers)for Sound. He has been nominated 19 times previously and never won.

[Yog]

I'm rooting for Kevin O'Connell(and Transformers for Sound. He has been nominated 19 times previously and never won.

Oh, I hope you are right. It is about damn time. That movie had awesome sound too. It's fantastic on my 5.1 THX speaker system.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Juno being a comedy was going to have a hard time getting an editing or Cinemotography nod. Now that could work against it for Best picture too. I think it is a dark horse like LMS was last year.

[CMJ]

Just for reference here all of O'Connell's Sound Mixing nominations.

Terms of Endearment (1983)
Dune (1984)
Silverado (1985)
Top Gun (1986)
Black Rain (1989)
Days of Thunder (1990)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Crimson Tide (1995)
Twister (1996)
The Rock (1996)
Con Air (1997)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Armageddon (1998)
The Patriot (2000)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Spider-Man (2002)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Apocalypto (2006)

[Jedi Master Carr]

The only thing I was disapointed in was that Craig didn't get nominated again for Art Direction for Order of the Phoenix. He deserves an award for those films, of course they will probably give it to him for the last one.

[Yog]

LMS had tons of awards before the oscars. I could see Ellen Page winning though, she is obviously very talented.


Just for reference here all of O'Connell's Sound Mixing nominations.

I know.. insane...


The only thing I was disapointed in was that Craig didn't get nominated again for Art Direction for Order of the Phoenix.

That was a pretty tough field though. Also, is there not some kind of trend that the movies winning for art direction also usually wins for costumes? Or is it the other way around?

[CMJ]

Also, is there not some kind of trend that the movies winning for art direction also usually wins for costumes? Or is it the other way around?

Yes there is, but I can't remember the exact correlation. Something about if something is nommed for both it usually wins both or something. I'll have to try and dig that one up.

[Yog]

Yes there is, but I can't remember the exact correlation. Something about if something is nommed for both it usually wins both or something. I'll have to try and dig that one up.

I guess that makes Sweeney Todd and Atonement pretty strong in those categories.

[CMJ]

This info is like 10 years old(the site must've fallen into disrepair since it has no updates post 1997), so I'm sure it's even more so now. I know I've seen more updated lists in the past, but I couldn't find anything.

Categories last 5 years last 10 years Oscar history
Costume & Art Design winners 60% (3 of 5) 50% (5 of 10) 66% (33 of 50)
Art Design & Picture winners 40% (2 of 5) 20% (2of 10) 32% (23 of 70)
Costume & Picture winners 40% (2 of 5) 20% (2 of 10) 34% (17 of 50)
Costume, Art Design & Picture winners 40% (2 of 5) 20% (2 of 10) 26% (13 of 50)

[Yog]

Wow, are you saying in 33 of 50 cases, Art Direction winner and Costume winner were the same? That is impressive. 66% corelation.

Btw, Madame Tutli Putli is very good. It's inovative, mesmerizing and possibly the best animated short I have seen. Rooting for it big time.

Edit: Peter and the Wolf is also very good. Hmmm.. it's a strong field.

[CMJ]

Those stats are 10 years old, but I doubt the percentages changed much. They do seem to pair the two alot. If i get some time later I may take a look at the post '97 awards and see how often they matched.

[Yog]

Those stats are 10 years old, but I doubt the percentages changed much. They do seem to pair the two alot. If i get some time later I may take a look at the post '97 awards and see how often they matched.

Yeah, I seem to remember they matched pretty well in recent years too.

Here are some other random thoughts:

- Golden Compass, art direction?

- Persepolis, Four Months and The Diving Bell not getting nominated for foreign movie. Doh.

- 3:10 to Yuma, I wish SOME awards would recognize it, even though I did not expect it in this case. It's really great.

- Transformers will walk away with visual effects. It has 3 nominations looking very solid. Come on.

- I am happy No End in Sight and Sicko was nominated for best documentary. One of those should win. I think the former, because they don't want another oscar speech scandal, lol

- It's amusing how Cate Blanchett get's nominated despite bad reviews. I know CMJ likes it though.. ;)

- Three songs from Enchanted? Ok, I gotta listen to those songs. LOL about Hairspray not getting anything.

[CMJ]

It's amusing how Cate Blanchett get's nominated despite bad reviews. I know CMJ likes it though.. ;)

Well, to be fair, the negative reviews were (mostly)for the film, not her performance....which was widely acclaimed.

[Yog]

Well, to be fair, the negative reviews were (mostly)for the film, not her performance....which was widely acclaimed.

Oh, I did not know that. Still, it's very rare to see a movie with 34% rotten tomatoes rating (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/golden_age/) get nominated for best actress. In fact, don't think something like that ever happened. I am not shocked though, since she picked up nominations elsewhere.

[Yog]

Norbit oscar nominated? :lol

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/norbit/

Oh dear...
http://imdb.com/title/tt0477051/

[Yog]

Screen Actors Guild winners have been announced (also marked in bold earlier in the thread)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Daniel Plainview – “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JULIE CHRISTIE / Fiona – “Away From Her” (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JAVIER BARDEM / Anton Chigurh – “No Country For Old Men” (Miramax Films)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – “American Gangster” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (Miramax Films)

Interesting to note Ellen Page did not win. Her teenage antics are probably not to the taste of the vets in AMPAS. Javier Bardem is just further confirmed as an Oscar winner lock.

[CMJ]

Ellen Page was never considered the frontrunner? Not sure how interesting that is.

[Yog]

Ellen Page was never considered the frontrunner? Not sure how interesting that is.

Well, I thought she was the frontrunner, based on how Juno got nominated for best picture, plus the strength of that movie is based on her performance. Checking some of the awards, I realise it is Julie Christie who is the frontrunner for best actress.

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL I would say Page is more of a dark horse candidate. I never considered her the front runner.

[Yog]

LOL I would say Page is more of a dark horse candidate. I never considered her the front runner.

Well, earlier in the thread you posted:

I though Ellen Page would win honestly. I don't think it affects it getting nominated.

Maybe you were just referring to the Golden Globes?

[CMJ]

Page still has a decent shot. But I truly think the real race is between Cotillard and Christie. If all the Juno people get behind Page they could push her to an upset - but I'd put her in the lurking position.

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL I would say Page is more of a dark horse candidate. I never considered her the front runner.

Well, earlier in the thread you posted:

I though Ellen Page would win honestly. I don't think it affects it getting nominated.

Maybe you were just referring to the Golden Globes?

Whoops yeah I was referring to the Golden Globes and the comedic acting award. She was pegged as the front runner by main stream press. As I said I see her as a dark horse for Actress. I think if she does win it would spell a Oscar win for Juno. I am just curious when was the last comedy to win Best Picture? I know it has been a while.

Edit It has to be Shakespeare in Love right?

[CMJ]

I am just curious when was the last comedy to win Best Picture? I know it has been a while.

Edit It has to be Shakespeare in Love right?


American Beauty was sort of a dark comedy and Chicago was a comedic musical. But yeah, probably SIL was the last "true" comedy.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am just curious when was the last comedy to win Best Picture? I know it has been a while.

Edit It has to be Shakespeare in Love right?


American Beauty was sort of a dark comedy and Chicago was a comedic musical. But yeah, probably SIL was the last "true" comedy.

I didn't think about Chicago but I guess because I saw it as a musical. Comedy has a harder time at the Oscars at least recently.

[CMJ]

International Online Cinema Awards (of which I am a voting member - but only one of many)

PICTURE
There Will Be Blood

DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will be Blood

ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood

ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There

ENSEMBLE
No Country for Old Men

NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

ANIMATED FEATURE
Ratatouille

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Ratatouille

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James

EDITING
Atonement

ART DIRECTION
There Will Be Blood

COSTUME DESIGN
Atonement

ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement

ORIGINAL SONG
Once, "Falling Slowly"

SOUND MIXING
No Country for Old Men

SOUND EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum

VISUAL EFFECTS
Transformers

MAKEUP
La Vie en Rose

[Yog]

I approve of those selections, I think. Not sure if I would have given Atonement wins for costumes and score, but oh well.

[CMJ]

Here were the noms btw(bolded winners). This is the 6th year of the INOCA's, and my 5th year being a voting member.

BEST PICTURE
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
David Fincher, Zodiac
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright, Atonement

BEST ACTOR
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Sam Riley, Control

BEST ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Nicole Kidman, Margot at the Wedding
Anamaria Marinca, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Tang Wei, Lust, Caution

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men
Max von Sydow, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men
Samantha Morton, Control
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

BEST ENSEMBLE
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
Hairspray
I'm Not There
No Country for Old Men

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
Black Book (The Netherlands)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/US)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eastern Promises / Steven Knight
Juno / Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl / Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton / Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille / Brad Bird

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement / Christopher Hampton
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men / Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood / Paul Thomas Anderson
Zodiac / James Vanderbilt

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford / Roger Deakins
Atonement / Seamus McGarvey
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / Janusz Kaminski
No Country for Old Men / Roger Deakins
There Will Be Blood / Robert Elswit

BEST FILM EDITING
Atonement / Paul Tothill
The Bourne Ultimatum / Christopher Rouse
No Country for Old Men / Roderick Jaynes
There Will Be Blood / Dylan Tichenor
Zodiac / Angus Wall

BEST ART DIRECTION
Atonement / Ian Bailie and Sarah Greenwood
Elizabeth: The Golden Age / Guy Dyas
Ratatouiille / Harley Jessup
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street / Dante Ferretti
There Will Be Blood / Jack Fisk

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Atonement / Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age / Alexandra Byrne
Hairspray / Rita Ryack
Lust, Caution / Lai Pan
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street / Colleen Atwood

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford / Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
Atonement / Dario Marianelli
Lust, Caution / Alexandre Desplat
Ratatouille / Michael Giacchino
There Will Be Blood / Jonny Greenwood

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
American Gangster, "Do You Feel Me"
Enchnated, "That's How You Know"
Once, "Falling Slowly"
Once, "If You Want Me"
Ratatouille, "Le Festin"

BEST SOUND MIXING
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

BEST SOUND EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ratatouille
Transformers

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
300
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sunshine
Transformers

BEST MAKEUP
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Eastern Promises
Hairspray
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

[CMJ]

Me hanging out with some friends.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/CMJ01/P1100071.jpg

[Yog]

Cool. Where is that? :)

[CMJ]

It's at the complex which houses the Kodak theater. They have an Oscar exhibit right now. Included were acouple of old Oscars from the 40's, the process by which the statues are made, this years awards on display(what that picture was), as well as little displays for the major categories this year.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It's at the complex which houses the Kodak theater. They have an Oscar exhibit right now. Included were acouple of old Oscars from the 40's, the process by which the statues are made, this years awards on display(what that picture was), as well as little displays for the major categories this year.

That is very cool.

[CMJ]

FINAL PREDICTIONS

Best motion picture of the year
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

Achievement in directing
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Adapted screenplay
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Original screenplay
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody

Best animated feature film of the year
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird

Achievement in art direction
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Best documentary short subject
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes

Best foreign language film of the year
"12" Russia

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova

Best animated short film
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth

Achievement in sound editing
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

[Yog]

My predictions:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
- he seems to be the frontrunner.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"
- obviously.

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"
- my personal favorite, also probably a frontrunner now. Julie Christie is a big threat though.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"
- this one is a lottery. Leaning towards Cate Blanchett.

Best animated feature film of the year
"Ratatouille"
- it's a shoe in.

Achievement in art direction
"Atonement"
- I think it's between Atonement and Sweeney Todd since they are nominated for costumes and art direction. Atonement because it is loved by more.

Achievement in cinematography
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
- smelling an upset from France here. TWBB and NCFOM are strong posibilities though.

Achievement in costume design
"Atonement"
- matching art direction.

Achievement in directing
"No Country for Old Men"
- matching what I think will win best picture..

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight"
- Michael Moore is too controversial, despite the excellence of Sicko. And No End in Sight is very good.

Best documentary short subject
"Sari's Mother"
- I have not heard much about any of these, let alone seen them, so I am just copying CMJ's pick for this one.. :p

Achievement in film editing
"No Country for Old Men"
- director, editing, BP... see a pattern?

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
- The two best movies are not nominated, and Hollywood might like the subject matter.

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose"
- deserving winner.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement"
- because of the typewriter music?

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once"
- most likely I guess.

Best motion picture of the year
"No Country for Old Men"
- Hollywood loves the Coen brothers. And anyone who seen it, me included, think it belongs in the top 3.

Best animated short film
"Peter & the Wolf"
- it's pretty long for a short and well made.

Best live action short film
"At Night"
- just copying CMJ's pick again. I have no idea really.

Achievement in sound editing
"Transformers"
- it is so technically impressive.

Achievement in sound mixing
"Transformers" (Kevin O'Connell!)
- 20 times is the charm!

Achievement in visual effects
"Transformers"
- it would be crime if it did not win.

Adapted screenplay
"No Country for Old Men"
- this will be a big night for Coen brothers.

Original screenplay
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody
- Probably frontrunner. I'd prefer Lars and the Real Girl though.

[Yog]

Tonight is Oscar night! :D

Now to find some channels actually showing anything of that..

[CMJ]

We have a plethora of that in the States.

[Yog]

We have a plethora of that in the States.

Yeah, the problem over here is usually finding a channel which is willing to show the Oscars uncut, directly from Hollywood during the night, with full coverage from red carpet to analysis afterwards. Usually, they just send an edited cut down version of the show the day after. Which is not what I am looking for.

I will probably have to find a video stream of ABC.

Edit:

Here is how the schedule looks like..


6:00 PM ET: Evening at the Academy Awards: The Arrivals

Richard Roeper and George Pennacchio interview Oscar nominees and other celebrities as they arrive at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Also: Michelle Tuzee keeps an eye on the proceedings with fashion designer Randolph Duke.

8:00 PM ET: Oscar's Red Carpet 2008

Red-carpet arrivals and interviews with Oscar nominees and other Hollywood notables.

8:30 PM ET: 80th Academy Awards

Jon Stewart makes his second hosting appearance at the 80th annual ceremonies. Telecast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Presenters include Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren.

11:30 PM ET: Barbara Walters Special

Interviews with Miley Cyrus, Ellen Page, Harrison Ford and Vanessa Williams.

00:30 AM ET: Evening at the Academy Awards: The Winners

Richard Roeper and Marc Brown comment on the winners at the 80th Academy Awards. Also: Michelle Tuzee and Randolph Duke discuss celebrity outfits; George Pennacchio reports from the Governor's Ball.

[CMJ]

I got this off of another forum. The ceremony is timed at 3 hours and 29 minutes, with Denzel Washington slated to present the award for Best Picture.

Jon Stewart’s opening monologue will last 8 minutes and include a VTR of Oprah Winfrey. VTR segments throughout the evening will introduce “oscar Icons” such as Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones, Steven Spielberg, Paul Newman and Barbra Streisand.

The first prize will be awarded at 5:54 PM (PT): it will be the costume design and the presenter is Jennifer Garner.

AWARD #2
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
(Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway): 5:54 PM (PT)

AWARD #3
MAKEUP
(Katherine Heigl): 5:57

PERFORMANCE - SONG #1 (26) 6:03:09
“Happy Working Song”(2:07)
(Amy Adams-vocs, orchestra)

AWARD #4
VISUAL EFFECTS
(Dwayne Johnson): 6:09

AWARD #5
ART DIRECTION
(Cate Blanchett): 6:13

Here Jon Stewart will joke about Blanchett’s double nomination as Queen Elizabeth and as Bob Dylan.

AWARD #6
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Jennifer Hudson): 6:18

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:27
(Keri Russell)

PERFORMANCE - SONG #2 6:27
“Raise It Up”
(Jamia Simone Nash, Impact Repertory Theatre of Harlem [21],
Total Praise Community Choir [15], Orchestra)

AWARD #7
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
(Owen Wilson): 6:30

AWARD #8
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
(Barry B. Benson=VTPB): 6:36

AWARD #9
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Alan Arkin): 6:39

SCI-TECH AWARDS RECAP 6:49:20
(Jessica Alba)

AWARD #10
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
(James McAvoy, Josh Brolin): 6:50

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:57:38
(Miley Cyrus)

PERFORMANCE - SONG #3
“That’s How You Know”
(Kristin Chenoweth-vocs, Dancers [32],
Marlon Saunders-singer, Steel Drummer,
Kids [2], Tuba Players [4], Chorus [16]): 7:00

AWARD #11
SOUND EDITING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:06

AWARD #12
SOUND MIXING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:09

AWARD #13
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
(Forest Whitaker): 7:15

PERFORMANCE - SONG #4 7:27:43
“Falling Slowly”
(Glen Hansard-vocs, gtr, Marketa Irglova-vocs, piano,
Orch)

Here Jack Nicholson will present a montage of Best Picture winners over the last 80 years.

AWARD #14
FILM EDITING
(Renée Zellweger): 7:33

HONORARY OSCAR TO
ROBERT BOYLE
(Nicole Kidman, Randy Thomas VO-Live, Robert Boyle): 7:38

AWARD #15
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
(Penélope Cruz): 7:47

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE
(Patrick Dempsey)

PERFORMANCE - SONG #5 7:54:46
“So Close”
(Jon McLaughlin-vocs, Featured Dancers [4],
Ballroom Dancers [14], Band Member Extras [9],
Bill Conti-Conductor)

AWARD #16
ORIGINAL SONG
(John Travolta, Ballroom Dancer-Valentina): 7:55

Here Stewart will perform a comedy bit with a Wii console.

AWARD #17
CINEMATOGRAPHY
(Cameron Diaz): 8:04

IN MEMORIAM TRIBUTE (3:00) 8:11
(Hilary Swank)

AWARD #18
ORIGINAL SCORE
(Amy Adams): 8:15

(She will refer to the most famous musical phrases in movies, e.g: Jaws, Close Encounters and Rocky).

AWARD #19
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
(Tom Hanks, Special Guests [6] VTPB): 8:19

AWARD #20
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
(Tom Hanks): 8:22

AWARD #21
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
(Harrison Ford): 8:30

AWARD #22
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
(Helen Mirren): 8:37

AWARD #23
DIRECTING
(Martin Scorsese): 8:47

AWARD #24
BEST MOTION PICTURE
(Denzel Washington): 8:49

GOODNIGHTS 8:53:49
(Jon Stewart)

[Yog]

Watching the ABC coverage now. This will be one heck of a night. :eee

As a side note, I will mark the winners in the opening post with bold text, and post comments as the winners come in.

[Yog]

First oscar goes to Golden Age for costumes!

[Yog]

Costume design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Animated feature film: Ratatouille
Makeup: La Vie en Rose
Visual effects: The Golden Compass
Art direction: Sweeney Todd
Supporting actor: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Live-action short: Les Mozart de Pickpockets
Animated short: Peter and the Wolf
Supporting actress: Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Adapted screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Sound editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Sound mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Actress: Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Film editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Foreign film: The Counterfeiters, Austria
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from Once
Cinematography: Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood
Original score: Dario Marianelli, Atonement
Documentary short-subject: Freeheld
Documentary feature: Taxi to the Dark Side
Original Screenplay: Juno
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Directing: No Country for Old Men
Best Picture: No Country for Old Men

[Yog]

Transformers did not win for visual effects.. :thumbdown

O'Connell snubbed again :(

Very happy for Cotillard though. That was moving! :thumbup

Also nice to see No Country for Old Men win Director and BP. And then Daniel for actor.

[CMJ]

Only 13 for 24...this was one of my weakest years. :lol

[Yog]

My predictions sucked :x

[Jedi Master Carr]

Not a lot of surprised the media are going to call Tilda Swinson and Marion Cotillard's wins surprises though, although I wasn't shocked by either one. The Biggest surprises were Golden Compass winning best VFX, The Bourne Ultimatum winning 3 Oscars, and Sicko getting beat out.

[Jedi Master Carr]

My predictions sucked :x

That is why I don't predict :p I could never figure out most of the technical stuff most of the time.

[CMJ]

I'm usually decent with the tech categories, but they annhilated me this year.

[Mitch]

Hmm, not too happy with the awards this year. Transformers easily whomped The Golden Compass as far as visual effects went. TGC was okay, but not Oscar-worthy. The guys who did the effects will even admit to that. I know one of them.

Also, sound editing was given to the wrong film too.

[Droo]

I couldn't disagree more. I was thrilled with the amount of Oscars taken home by The Bourne Ultimatum. It really was an excellent film, especially in the technical aspects.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think Bourne deserved its Oscars. I had a suspicion it would take the sound ones home. I didn't see the editing one coming though. Also who thinks the best moment of the night was when John Stewart brought that winner of the song award back on stage to say thank you? I thought it was wrong of the guy to take up all their time like that.

[Mitch]

Bourne's sound < Transformers' sound.

And, I detested John Stewart as the host. I would have preferred... anyone else.

[Droo]

Regardless what you might think about the two films, I was quite satisfied that Transformers went away empty-handed, simply because I feel it was nowhere near as good as people think it was; in fact, vacuous effects and sound aside, I thought it was rubbish. No awards means no little golden Oscar on DVD packaging boosting sales for poor films. Then again, I better not speak too soon, The Golden Compass won one, but at least people weren't deluded it was good.

[Xanatos Etanial]

Regardless what you might think about the two films, I was quite satisfied that Transformers went away empty-handed, simply because I feel it was nowhere near as good as people think it was; in fact, vacuous effects and sound aside, I thought it was rubbish. No awards means no little golden Oscar on DVD packaging boosting sales for poor films. Then again, I better not speak too soon, The Golden Compass won one, but at least people weren't deluded it was good.

Disagreement in taste aside - personal views of a movie shouldn't discredit it from awards it was rightly placed in the running for. Golden Compass getting the oscar for effects over it is a travesty in all truth. I actually enjoyed GC, but the effects simply weren't up to the level of either of the other contenders, PoTC or TF.

Speaking of vacuous sound, I found Bourne's sound editing to be abysmal and would have been satisfied with any of the other nominees winning over it in that regard.

[CMJ]

I really thought all of the Sound and Sound Editing noms were good, so from that standpoint I'm fine with the Bourne wins. It was just a total shock. It's the first time that I can think of that a series in which the first two did not recieve one total NOMINATION between them then goes on to WIN multiple awards.

[CMJ]

Poor Kevin. :(

http://www.pastdeadline.com/2008/02/kevin-oconnell.html