Film School Rejects » Oscar Beat ‘08

Writers Guild, Cinematographers Announce 2009 Nominees

Neil Miller — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:34:40 +0000

Today brings a host of new awards nominations with both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ACE) announcing nominees for their respective 2009 awards. Up first, the 2009 Writers Guild Awards, most famous for the strike that killed all of your favorite shows, announced their nominees in over 15 categories spanning film, television and radio. The following are the three highest profile nominations in the film arena:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Burn After Reading – Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Milk – Written by Dustin Lance Black
Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Written by Woody Allen
The Visitor – Written by Tom McCarthy
The Wrestler – Written by Robert Siegel

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Screenplay by Eric Roth
The Dark Knight – Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Doubt – Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon – Screenplay by Peter Morgan
Slumdog Millionaire – Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story – Written by Stefan Forbes & Noland Walker
Chicago 10 – Written by Brett Morgen
Fuel – Written by Johnny O’Hara
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson – Screenplay by Alex Gibney
Waltz with Bashir – Written by Ari Folman

The 2009 American Society of Cinematographers Awards nominees include Roger Deakins for Revolutionary Road and The Reader, Chris Menges also for The Reader, Claudio Miranda for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Wally Pfister for The Dark Knight, and Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire. For Roger Deakins this makes 9 nominations in his storied career, while both Anthony Dod Mantle and Claudio Miranda earned their first nominations.

A very diverse set of nominees from both associations with deserved praise going to two of my favorite films of the year, Slumdog Millionaire and The Dark Knight. Personally I felt that cinematograpy and script were the strong points of both films. It would be great to see either of them win in either of their respective categories. In the original screenplay category, my personal favorite is The Wrestler, but Milk was also very strong. Vicky Cristina Barcelona seems to me to be the one that doesn’t belong.

Who would get your vote for adapted and original screenplay? Cinematography?

Producers Guild Noms Give Dark Knight Fans Oscar Hope

Neil Miller — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:25:59 +0000

When it comes to tracking the path to Oscar gold, your best bet is always going to be with the guilds (Producers, Directors, Actors, etc). The guilds are made up, for the most part, of voting members of AMPAS, giving them direct impact on how the Oscars might shake out. With that in mind, fans of The Dark Knight were pleased to find out that The Producers Guild of America (PGA) nominated it as one of the five best films of the year, right alongside Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Milk.

Have a look at the full nominations list below:

Producer of the Year Award In Episodic Television – Comedy
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
ENTOURAGE
THE OFFICE
30 ROCK
WEEDS

Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television-Drama:
BOSTON LEGAL
DAMAGES
DEXTER
LOST
MAD MEN

Producer of the Year Award in Non-Fiction Television:
DEADLIEST CATCH
FRONTLINE
KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST
60 MINUTES
THIS AMERICAN LIFE

Producer of the Year Award in Live Entertainment and Competition Television:
AMAZING RACE
THE COLBERT REPORT
PROJECT RUNWAY
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER
TOP CHEF

Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form Television:
24: REDEMPTION
BERNARD AND DORIS
JOHN ADAMS
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
RECOUNT

Producer of the Year In Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
MAN ON WIRE
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
TROUBLE THE WATER

Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E

Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

This is a good sign for The Dark Knight’s chances of getting a Best Picture nomination, though I would not be surprised to see a film such as Doubt or Revolutionary Road sneak in when push comes to shove. As well, you all know how I feel about Dexter, Mad Men and Weeds — once again it is great to see them getting continued recognition.

Academy Announces 7 Visual Effects Oscar Finalists

Neil Miller — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:13:48 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the names of the 7 finalist in the Visual Effects category. As you might remember, the Academy narrowed the list to 15 back on December 12, and have narrowed it further. On Thursday, January 15, all members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

The final seven films that will compete for the three spots are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Personally I am glad to see movies such as Hancock and The Day the Earth Stood Still get dropped off the list, though I would have liked to see the Academy keep The Incredible Hulk in the lineup. And as much as this may ruffle some feathers with the natives, but my personal pick in the category (of the films remaining) is Benjamin Button. Sure, The Dark Knight was a great film, but there was no visual effect in any of these other movies quite like the one David Fincher and team did in making Brad Pitt into a shriveled old man.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Which film would get your vote for Best Visual Effects?

Hollywood Trades are Clearly in the Tank for Frost/Nixon

Neil Miller — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:16:58 +0000

The photo above comes to us from The New York Times’ David Carr, known more fondly as The Bagger. In one of his updates today, Carr points out that both Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have been doing what they always do, allowing their covers to be used for big, loud “For Your Consideration” advertisements. But over the past two weeks, both THR and Daily Variety have been taken over by Universal and Imagine Entertainment’s Frost/Nixon, a serious Best Picture candidate.

As many of you may or may not know, it is customary for studios to throw large amounts of money at campaigns for their Oscar hopefuls. And as Nikki Finke pointed out yesterday, even though studios are in the midst of laying off large portions of their employees, they have continued to buy up FYC ad spots all over the place. The most egregious offender seems to be Paramount, who on the day Viacom took a hatchet to its staffing board, Paramount had a color gatefold ad in Variety for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Cost: $250,000, or as Finke points out “about 5 assistants’ salaries.”

But while many industry pundits, especially Ms. Finke, are calling on studios to be less showy during the economic crisis, my concern turns to the fairness of the Oscar race. The folks who read these trade papers are most often industry workers that make up the Academy. And as we’ve found so often in the box office world, good marketing can deliver results for a subpar movie. This is why Spider-Man 3 made so much on opening weekend, despite being the weakest of its franchise. That said, I’m always weary that films such as Slumdog Millionaire will somehow be overlooked because of a great marketing campaign in support of Benjamin Button or Frost/Nixon. Not to say that those movies aren’t deserving, but they should win on their merits as good films, not the merits of their publicity departments. My hope is that all of the organic buzz generated by Slumdog will be enough to carry it to a Best Picture win. But I suppose we’ll see.

Do you think that “For Your Consideration” advertising is a fair practice? Should the movie with the most money behind it have the best chance at Oscar gold?

The 14 Must See Movies of Awards Season 2008

Neil Miller — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:38:08 +0000

Are you an awards season junkie? Do you love to be able to sit there and look smart in front of your friends and family, most of whom only make it out to the movies once a year to see the latest Jim Carrey comedy, by being able to talk endlessly about all of the “important” movies of the year? Of course you are. How do I know this? Because we can smell our own — why do you think I run this here movie site? It isn’t for the tail, my friends. It is for the love of film, and more importantly my love of being able to appear smart to people who don’t know any better.

That said, I would like to take you along with me on a journey through the list of the important movies of 2008. These are the 14 films from the past year that become most relevant over the next few months as they will undoubtedly be nominated for — and even sometimes win — awards from critics organizations and industry guilds. These are the 14 Must See Movies of Awards Season, ranked from least important to most important. Consider this your awards season to-do list.

14. The Dark Knight

I know what you are thinking–and no, I didn’t get the order wrong. I’ve placed The Dark Knight so low on my list because well, $970 million at the box office tells me that just about anyone who cares has already seen it at least once. As well, there are only two reasons to see The Dark Knight for awards season: (1) you need to decide whether or not you’re going to be up in arms when it doesn’t win best picture; and (2) it will help you see that Heath Ledger’s acclaim for Best Supporting Actor isn’t just because he died, but because he gave one hell of a performance.

13. Milk

Our first of many films featuring a serious Best Actor contender is Gus Van Sant’s Milk. Sean Penn should earn his fifth Best Actor nom come Oscar time for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the country’s first ever openly gay elected official. And though the film is littered with other work worth talking about, including a supporting performance from Josh Brolin that could shake up a lot of awards ceremonies, this is Sean Penn’s show. And damn, that guy is still one of the greatest working actors of his generation.

12. Waltz with Bashir

Believe it or not, this is one of only three films on this list that I myself have not yet seen. But don’t worry, I will have them all in the bad before we begin our releasing our Year in Review articles. When that does happen, I suspect that Waltz with Bashir, an animated biography about a man remembering his time in the Lebanon War in the early 80s, could play well in one of three categories — animation, documentary and foreign film. As one of the few triple threats out there, this should be near the top of your To-See list.

11. Rachel Getting Married

As the season wears on, people will continue to talk about Anne Hathaway’s performance as a recovering drug addict returning home for her sister’s wedding in Rachel Getting Married. They’d be right to talk, as Hathaway gives the performance of her career in a movie that is sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking. The other performance to watch is that of Bill Irwin, who plays the Hathaway’s father in the film, as he could be a serious awards season sleeper.

10. Doubt

Set in 1964, Doubt centers on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him abusing a black student. He denies the charges, and much of the film’s quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality and authority. Based on a play by and directed by John Patrick Shanley, Doubt is the second of three films on this list that I have not yet seen. But with headlining performances from Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, it is obvious why this film has garnered so much buzz. As well, Doubt has already received Golden Globe nominations for its four principle actors — the aforementioned Streep, Hoffman and Adams as well as Viola Davis. And from what I hear, these are performances that are quite deserving of their nominations.

9. Gomorrah

I’ve already mentioned Waltz with Bashir as a serious contender in the foreign category, but its worth noting that there is another major candidate to bring home some hardware. In fact, Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah already has a truck-load of hardware from its travels in ‘08. It was honored with the Grand Prize at Cannes and was named Best Film at the European Film Awards. Cinematical’s James Rocchi called it “a sweeping, stirring film that has the shoot-and-loot tension of the best crime cinema but also has the scope and serious intent of great drama.” It is, without a doubt, the one film that I have not yet seen in 2008 that I am most looking forward to seeing.

8. Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road seems to me to be in the same that Letters from Iwo Jima was in during 2006. It’s not a war movie. In fact it is quite the opposite, telling the story of a young couple being consumed in their normal suburban lives by their own personal desires to break free. It is fully deserving of a shot at the Best Picture award, but will likely be steamrolled by films with way more momentum. Taking limited release on December 26th will do that to a film. And no measure of Sam Mendes, Leo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet star power is going to be able to save it. Though, for the purposes of discussion, this is definitely a film to see.

7. Tropic Thunder

Though there are plenty of other films that contributed more to the film world this year than Ben Stiller’s assault on the personas of Hollywood, but it is undeniable that everyone is talking about the performances from Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. Both nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe award, these are two of the most ridiculous and memorable performances in all of 2008. They’re not likely to win, but you just never know. That, and with all of the depressing movies that populate the rest of this list, you’ll need a good laugh at some point.

6. WALL-E

For the first time since the creation of the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2001, an animated film is being seriously considered as a Best Picture contender. And though my gut tells me that the Academy will put Pixar’s Wall-E into the “cartoons” category and let the adult movies play for Best Pic, I can’t argue that it is among the best films of the year. A truly masterful work, in which Pixar’s Andrew Stanton brings a machine to life with the precision and grace that few real life actors can achieve. It isn’t just about beautiful animation — though there’s plenty of that — Wall-E tells a wonderful love story and speaks volumes about humanity, paying homage in blips to some of the most famous science fiction films of all-time. All this from a movie created on a computer — who knew it was possible?

5. Man on Wire

In almost every category this year it is going to be a tight race. And documentary feature won’t be any different, though in my opinion it should be. James Marsch’s fascinating doc about Philippe Petit, a tight rope walker and dreamer who walked a tight rope between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. By himself Petit is an incredibly engaging subject, his accomplishments and their subsequently stunning photos only adding to the experience. Many pundits still call the Best Doc race a two horse race between this and Encounters at the End of the World, therefore you might to want to see both before the heavy hardware is handed out.

4. Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard’s latest film may not be as politically charged as you might expect from a film about Richard Nixon in an election year, but that doesn’t make it any less explosive. Like two prize fighters laying it all on the line, British talkshow host David Frost (Michael Sheen) and former President Richard M. Nixon (Frank Langella) battled it out in a series of interviews in the late 1970s. A faithful adaptation of Peter Morgan’s famous stage play, Frost/Nixon builds out the world around the interviews, and through two stellar performances from its leading men it delivers some of the most intense drama seen on screen all year. Langella is a favorite in the Best Actor category, one that is jam-packed with contenders.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher’s fantastic and inventive Gumpian tale of a man born old and forced to live life backwards is not only one of the most interesting films of 2008, it will also be one of the most talked about. Its captivating visual effects — which will likely bring in quite a few awards — are only the tip of the iceberg. Brad Pitt’s performance is noteworthy — though also snubworthy — as is Cate Blanchett’s. Above all, many believe that director David Fincher was really snubbed from nomination and award last year with Zodiac, and Benjamin Button is a more awards accessible film, leading me to believe that he’s got a shot at bringing home some serious acclaim.

2. The Wrestler

The resurrection of Mickey Rourke. Marisa Tomei very nude, very often. A gritty, incredibly well-crafted story of redemption and life’s hard lessons. These are just a few reasons why The Wrestler easily makes this list. Most importantly, this film is home to the leading actor performance (by Mickey Rourke) that will likely bring home Oscar gold in February. I know just as well as the rest of you that nothing is certain, but once you see the incredible work of Rourke in this one, you too will have little problem making such a prediction.

1. Slumdog Millionaire

It’s always a unique moment when you can walk out of a movie and know that what you just saw will be one of the definitive movies of the entire year. That is the feeling that so many audiences have been left with after seeing Danny Boyle’s Hollywood/Bollywood hybrid love story Slumdog Millionaire. Sad and real, yet energetic and full of life, Slumdog is a film that reminds us what great storytelling is all about. If you see any of the films on this list, make sure that this one is among the first.

Oscar Beat: 15 Finalists Announced for Visual Effects Oscar

Neil Miller — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:09:09 +0000

It would appear that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is all about announcements today. First came word that Hugh Jackman was being tapped to host the show, and now we find out the names of the 15 finalists for the Best Visual Effects award. They are as follows:

Australia
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Hancock
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Incredible Hulk
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Quantum of Solace
The Spiderwick Chronicles

In early January, the members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who voted the semifinalists, will narrow the list to seven.

On Thursday, January 15, all members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

And now, a few thoughts from yours truly: I would knock one shitburger off the list right away, The Day the Earth Stood Still. The effects in that movie have no business being regarding alongside films such as Iron Man or Iron Man. That said, my pick this year would be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. When you see it, you’ll know what I mean.

Which of these films would you pick for the Best Visual Effects Oscar? Also, are there any films that you feel were left off the list?

Breaking: Hugh Jackman to Host the Oscars?

Neil Miller — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:57:54 +0000

Several sources had contacted us earlier today to inform us that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was looking to find a host for this year’s Oscar ceremony that was “more straightforward and traditional” rather than go with another comedian. And according to reports from inside the Academy this afternoon, they will be officially announcing shortly that actor Hugh Jackman (Australia, Wolverine) will host the 81st installment of the famed awards show.

Jackman would be the first non-comedian host since 1988, when there was no host for the 61st Annual Awards.

UPDATE: More from Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily:

…while the 40-year-old Sydney-born thesp of English parentage has received the AMPAS offer and is very interested, I’m told that he’s not yet fully committed. Because there’s still a lot of negotiating ahead between his showbiz representatives and AMPAS. I’ve learned that the people around Jackman want to know exactly what would be expected of him, especially when it comes to opening the Oscar broadcast. One segment of the show which reps for Jackman are objecting to specifically is the joke-telling monologue. “I don’t want that for him,” an insider told me. “He is an actor with big movies behind him and one coming this summer. He didn’t work the last 20 years to suddenly be a stand-up comedian.”

UPDATE #2: Official Press Release from AMPAS:

Hugh Jackman to Host
81st Academy Awards®

Beverly Hills, CA –– Hugh Jackman will host the 81st Academy Awards® telecast, producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon announced today. This will be Jackman’s first time center stage at the Oscar show, although he has previously been a presenter.

“Hugh Jackman is a consummate entertainer and an internationally renowned movie star,” said Mark and Condon in a joint statement. “He also has style, elegance and a sense of occasion. Hugh is the ideal choice to host a celebration of the year’s movies – and to have fun doing it.”

Jackman stars in the current release “Australia,” directed by Baz Luhrmann. He will next be seen in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” having portrayed the title character in the previous three smash-hit “X-Men” movies. His other film credits include “The Prestige,” “Flushed Away,” “The Fountain,” “Happy Feet,” “Van Helsing,” “Kate & Leopold” and “Swordfish.”

A native of Australia, Jackman won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in “The Boy from Oz.” He has served as host of the Tony Awards ceremony and won a 2005 Emmy for that assignment.

Jackman’s other stage credits include “Carousel,” “Oklahoma!” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Beauty and the Beast.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

2008 Golden Globe Nominations: Ledger, Cruise, Dexter!

Neil Miller — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:08:42 +0000

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominees for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards today, laying out what is generally regarded as a relatively accurate precursor to the Academy Awards nominations.

Among the big winners of the day, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire continues its run through awards season with 4 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button led the way though, with 5 nominations, including Brad Pitt’s nomination in the Best Actor category.

Among the individual performers, both Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet scored two nominations. Streep received recognition in both Best Actress categories, Comedy/Musical and Drama, for her performances in Mamma Mia! and Doubt respectively. Winslet was nominated for Best Actress for her performance as the unhappy housewife in Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road (also nominated for Best Picture) and Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Nazi sex drama The Reader.

In the race for Best Motion Picture, The Dark Knight was curiously absent, while Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon and Stephen Daldry’s The Reader were among the surprise nominations. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was called an “American classic” this week by Steven Spielberg, Revolutionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire rounded out the nominees.

The major surprises in the film category included Tom Cruise’s Best Supporting Actor nom for his small role in Tropic Thunder, one of the most memorable roles of the entire year. As well, Martin McDonagh’s dark crime comedy In Bruges, which played to critical ravings at Sundance made its comeback with 3 nominations.

In the world of television it was Showtime that came out the biggest winner, with Dexter, Weeds and Californiation all recieving nominations in their respective categories. As well, HBO’s fledgling series True Blood scored two nominations, Best TV Series – Drama and Anna Paquin for Best Actress, TV Series – Drama.

The awards will take place Sunday, January 11, 2009, at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 PM (EST). You can see the full listing of nominees below.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas - I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Leonarod DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL•E

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden/Denmark)
Gomorrah (Italy)
I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Kate Winslet – The Reader

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare – The Reader
Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley – Doubt

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplate – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood – Changeling
James Newton Howard – Defiance
A.R. Rahman – Slumdog Millionaire
Hans Zimmer – Frost/Nixon

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Down to Earth” – WALL•E
Music by: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
Lyrics by: Peter Gabriel
“Gran Torino” – Gran Torino
Music by: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
Lyrics by: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
“I Thought I Lost You” – Bolt
Music & Lyrics by: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
“Once in a Lifetime” – Cadillac Records
“The Wrestler” – The Wrestler

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“Dexter” (Showtime)
“House” (Fox)
“In Treatment” (HBO)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“True Blood” (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Sally Field – “Brothers & Sisters”
Mariska Hargitay – “Law & Order: Special Victims”
January Jones – “Mad Men”
Anna Paquin – “True Blood”
Kyra Sedgwick – “The Closer”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Gabriel Byrne – “In Treatment”
Michael C. Hall – “Dexter”
John Hamm – “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie – “House”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers – “The Tudors”

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Californication” (Showtime)
“Entourage” (HBO)
“The Office” (NBC)
“Weeds” (Showtime)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Christian Applegate – “Samantha Who?”
America Ferrera – “Ugly Betty”
Tina Fey – “30 Rock”
Debra Messing – “The Starter Wife”
Mary-Louise Parker – “Weeds”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”
Steve Carell – “The Office”
Kevin Connolly – “Entourage”
David Duchovny – “Californication”
Tony Shalhoub – “Monk”

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
“A Raisin in the Sun” (ABC)
“Bernard and Doris” (HBO)
“Cranford” (PBS)
“John Adams” (HBO)
“Recount” (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Judi Dench – “Cranford”
Catherine Keener – “An American Crime”
Laura Linney – “John Adam”
Shirley MacLaine – “Coco Chanel”
Susan Sarandon – “Bernard and Doris”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ralph Fiennes – “Bernard and Doris”
Paul Giamatti – “John Adams”
Kevin Spacey – “Recount”
Keifer Sutherland – “24: Redemption”
Tom Wilkinson – “Recount”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Eileen Atkins – “Cranford”
Laura Dern – “Recount”
Melissa George – “In Treatment”
Rachel Griffiths – “Brothers & Sisters”
Dianne Wiest – “In Treatment”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Neil Patrick Harris – “How I Met Your Mother”
Denis Leary – “Recount”
Jeremy Piven – “Entourage”
Blair Underwood – “In Treatment”
Tom Wilkinson – “John Adams”

Los Angeles Film Critics Name WALL-E Best Picture

Neil Miller — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:06:20 +0000

Yesterday the Los Angeles Film Critics Association announced their 2008 awards, recognizing Pixar’s WALL-E as best picture. The also recognized director Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire and Sean Penn for best actor for his role in Milk. The also became the second consecutive critics association, the other being the D.C. critics, to award Heath Ledger the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in The Dark Knight, which continues to give momentum to a possible posthumous Oscar.

Also notable is James Marsh’s Man on Wire, which was named Best Documentary. Might I remind you all that Man on Wire is one of the best docs that I’ve seen, period. If you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend that you run out and get it on DVD. It hit shelves yesterday.

Check out the rest of LAFCA’s awards below:

Best Picture: Wall-E
Runner-up: The Dark Knight

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt

Best Screenplay: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York

Best Foreign-Language Film: Still Life
Runner-up: The Class

Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Runner-up: Waltz With Bashir

Best Animation: Waltz With Bashir

Best Cinematography: Yu Lik Wai, Still Life
Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Production Design: Mark Friedberg, Synecdoche, New York
Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, The Dark Knight

Best Music/Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

New Generation: Steve McQueen, Hunger

The Dark Knight Scores Some Oscar Eligibility

Adam Sweeney — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:03:59 +0000

The musical score from The Dark Knight is still getting play on my music list, now it’s going to get a chance at an Academy Award.

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard almost missed out on their chance at an Academy Award nomination for their work on The Dark Knight due to a technicality, but Variety is reporting that The Music Branch Executive Committee of the Academy has reversed its November 10th ruling of the score as ineligible for the 2008 Academy Awards.

The score was originally listed ineligible due to five composers’ names being on the music cue sheet. The committee finally looked over the information and concluded that Zimmer and Howard were the two parties responsible for the score. They were probably just afraid of a movie version of Milli Vanilli showing up.

Congrats to the members of the committee for getting this one right. Now if the Academy can give Heath Ledger the Best Supporting Actor Award I will have restored my faith in both the political and Oscar Award system.

Check out: The Dark Knight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Amazon]

What was your favorite theme of The Dark Knight score? Is The Dark Knight’s score Oscar worthy?

Oscar Beat: Slumdogin’ in DC, Heath Ledger, Man on Wire and Oscar Snubbery

Neil Miller — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:53:26 +0000

Not a necessarily large update from the awards season warpath today, but there are quite a few different stories to talk about. As the season wears on toward February, more and more critics associations will be chiming in with their lists of the best films and performances. Today we get updates from Time, the critics of the District and the folks down under, among others.

First up is Time Magazine’s Ten Best Films of 2008. Time’s critic Richard Corliss lopped some love all over Pixar’s WALL-E, giving the cute little bot the top spot. It was followed closely by Synecdoche, New York, My Winnipeg, 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, Iron Man, Speed Racer and Encounters at the End of the World. The notable omission was The Dark Knight, which should be good for some fanboy rage — not for the fact that TDK didn’t make the list, but for the realization that not everyone loved The Dark Knight more than their favorite Chewy doll. The interesting choice on Corliss’ list is Speed Racer, which he heralded as an “avant-garde FX masterpiece.” Sure, you could call it that, I suppose. [Time Magazine]

The Washington DC Area Film Critics announced their awards this week, becoming the second critics association in a row (with the NBR) to name Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire the best film of the year. The also honored Boyle as best director and gave nods to Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and Meryl Streep (Doubt) for Best Actor and Actress respectively. The supporting actor nod went to Heath Ledger for his performance in The Dark Knight. [WAFCA]

The WAFCA crew wasn’t the only association handing out posthumous praise to Ledger this week, as the NY Daily News reports the Australian Film Institute recognized Ledger’s performance with it’s top honor. [NY Daily News]

And finally in documentary news, the International Documentary Awards recognized both James Marsch’s Man on Wire and Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir as the best documentaries of 2008. On a personal note, Man on Wire is one of the most brilliant docs that I’ve ever seen — and I’m not just being hyperbolic. [Variety]

Also, we were tipped off today to a very interesting article from Film.com’s Dre Rivas. He is predicting that while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is going to be nominated and possibly win multiple Academy Awards (which having seen the film, I would agree with him). Though, the one who will get snubbed is star Brad Pitt, who undoubtedly delivers the films most important performance. This leads me to my Oscar Beat question of the week below. [Film.com via The Playlist]

Should Benjamin Button be nominated for and win multiple Oscars and Brad Pitt get snubbed (no nomination, no win), would it be a huge tragedy?

Oscar Beat: Tropic Thunder’s For Your Consideration Ads

Neil Miller — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:59:41 +0000

First order of business is to let you know that we did not make the following Oscar advertisements. They were handed down to us by the folks at Paramount Pictures, who continue to release faux marketing materials for Tropic Thunder, the year’s most outrageous and ridiculous comedy. As Oscar season ramps up, they are pushing the performance of Kirk Lazarus, played by Robert Downey Jr., for a Best Supporting Actor nod. Check out one of the ads below:

For You Consideration: The Most Acclaimed Actor of His Generation… Gives the Performance of a Lifetime. It’s just too much, really. While there have been rumblings about a potential run for Downey Jr. toward the Best Supporting statue, the Academy would be hard pressed to overlook performances such as Heath Ledger’s in The Dark Knight or Josh Brolin in Milk. Not to mention my personal favorite, dark horse Bill Irwin in Rachel Getting Married.

Just last week the National Board of Review chose Brolin as their Best Supporting Actor, but my Oscarometer — the device that I use to project the Oscars (it’s very secretive) — tells me that Heath Ledger is still the odds on favotire to win posthumously.

Keep it locked to my Oscar Beat column as we continue to wade through the silliness that is Awards season.

Oscar Beat: NBR Names Slumdog Millionaire Best Film

Neil Miller — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:04:38 +0000

It is that time of year again — time to kick the tires and light the fires on my Oscar Beat column, the official home of the chase for the little golden man. And no, we are not going to be chronicling the time that we painted Peter Dinklage gold, lubed him up and let him loose during the Golden Globes ceremony. That is a story for another day. This is all about who is going to win an Academy Award or two come February, so lets get to it.

The first major award-giving organization to chime in once again this year is the National Board of Review, the oldest organization in America dedicated to motion pictures as art and entertainment. The Board is made up of knowledgeable film buffs, academics, young film professionals, and students in the New York metropolitan area. This year the NBR has chosen Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire as the Best Film of the Year. As Dave Itzkoff over at The Carpetbagger appropriately asks, “How much longer can Slumdog Millionaire be classified as an Oscar longshot?” This win for Slumdog should help solidify its chances, showing that it could very well be this year’s Cinderella story. Last year the NBR was one of the first organizations to recognize No Country for Old Men as Best Film, only to see it go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

At this point though, the Oscar landscape is still so very crowded with many contenders, including Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road still awaiting their theatrical releases. Not to take anything away from the National Board of Review, but it is still anyone’s game.

Also receiving honors were Clint Eastwood for best actor for his portrayal of an elderly, bigoted widower who befriends his Asian immigrant neighbors in Gran Torino. Anne Hathaway earned best actress for her role as a troubled young woman overcoming her demons in Rachel Getting Married. David Fincher was named best director for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Josh Brolin and Penelope Cruz recieving best supporting performance awards for Milk and Vicky Cristina Barcelona respectively.

What is interesting is that many of these winners are the same as what I have been tracking, save for Clint Eastwood’s Best Actor win for Gran Torino. So far all of the buzz is leaning the direction of Mickey Rourke for his performance in The Wrestler, a film that did make the NBR’s list of the ten best films of the year. As it stands and as far as I’ve seen, Anne Hathaway has a commanding lead in the Best Actress category. Her performance in Rachel Getting Married is the stuff that great careers are made of.

For the full list of awards given by the National Board of Review, head on over to their website here. As I do every year, I will be keeping an eye on all of the happenings of Award season and will be reporting back to you often with all of my predictions. And if years past are any indicator, those predictions will likely miss the mark by mere inches.

For more check out the Oscar Beat ‘08 homepage.

14 Animated Films Put Up Their CGI Dukes for Oscar Gold

Neil Miller — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:19:29 +0000

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, better known to many of us as The Academy, has announced the 14 submitted films for the Best Animated Feature Award that will be handed out next February. Among the finalist are some of the usual suspects such as Pixar’s WALL-E and Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda as well as some long shots, including The Weinstein Co.’s Igor and Summit Entertainment’s Fly Me to the Moon.

Check out the complete list below:

Bolt
Delgo
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!
Dragon Hunters
Fly Me to the Moon
Igor
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
$9.99
The Sky Crawlers
Sword of the Stranger
The Tale of Despereaux
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir

At this point these are just the submitted films from the studios. The list of finalists will be announced sometime in late December/early January, so we have some time to stew over this list. And for those wondering about WALL-E’s Best Picture chances, check out this official rule: “Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.”

But if you had to choose right now, which film would you pick as the Best Animated Feature of 2008?

Discuss: Should Wall-E Shoot for Best Picture?

Dr. Cole Abaius — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:14:20 +0000

There’s no doubt that earlier in the year, Wall-E knocked us out of our theater seats with a brilliant story, the kind of animation we’ve come to expect from Pixar, and a new slew of characters to fall in love with. When the credits rolled, it was obvious that it would be up for (if not win) the Oscar in the coming year.

Now that we’re closer to the end of the year and to the nominations, our bff’s over at Slashfilm are reporting that The Mouse is going to be pushing for Wall-E to be a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Animated films have never gotten much of a fair shake in the major category with only one animated nominee in its history, Beauty and the Best, but the creation of the Best Animated Feature category created a double-edge pencil that gave credit to animated features while systematically boxing them out from major feature consideration.

What do you think? Does Wall-E deserve a shot at the top prize? Could it win? Are they in danger of splitting the votes and losing their inevitable Best Animated Feature Oscar?

Film School Rejects » Oscar Beat ‘08

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14. The Dark Knight

13. Milk

12. Waltz with Bashir

11. Rachel Getting Married

10. Doubt

9. Gomorrah

8. Revolutionary Road

7. Tropic Thunder

6. WALL-E

5. Man on Wire

4. Frost/Nixon

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2. The Wrestler

1. Slumdog Millionaire

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