2009 Oscar Nominations
by Big Hollywood
The science-fiction sensation “Avatar” and the war-on-terror thriller “The Hurt Locker” lead the Academy Awards with nine nominations each, including best picture and director for former spouses James Cameron and
Kathryn Bigelow.
For the first time since 1943 the Oscars feature 10 best-picture contenders instead of the usual five.
Best Picture
“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”
Best Director
James Cameron — “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow — “The Hurt Locker”
Quentin Tarantino — “Inglourious Basterds”
Lee Daniels — “Precious”
Jason Reitman — “Up in the Air”
Performance By An Actor In a Lead Role
Jeff Bridges — “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney — “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth –“A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman –“Invictus”
Jeremy Renner — “The Hurt Locker”
Performance By An Actor In a Supporting Role
Matt Damon –“Invictus”
Woody Harrelson –“The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer — “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci — “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz — “Inglourious Basterds”
Performance By An Actress In a Lead Role
Sandra Bullock — “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren — “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan — “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe — “Precious”
Meryl Streep — “Julie & Julia”
Performance By An Actress In a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz — “Nine”
Vera Farmiga — “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal — “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick — “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique — “Precious”
Best Animated Feature
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“District 9” — Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” — Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” — Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious” — Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” – Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Original Screenplay
“The Hurt Locker” – Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” – Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” — Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” — Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” — Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Full list is here.
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153 Comments
How is it all the reviews of Avatar I have read said besides the special effects the actual movie sucked yet it is cleaning house during the awards season?
good question
The Hurt Locker wasn't great but I would like to see Kathryn Bigelow win for best director…just because it would be a huge blow to Cameron's ego.
Remember, the true test of a film's longevity isn't awards or even money… it's time.
Having said that, it's nice to see Up on the Best Picture list. I just watched it for the first time two nights ago and I thought it was great. I don't know if I'd call it Pixar's best but the first reel is a tear-jerker and some of it (the dogs) is actually pretty funny.
Nice to see Star Trek get recognized, even if it's just for four technical categories (which are the ones I usually pay attention to anyway).
It made lots of Money
Here's my pics, if you'll pardon the pun:
Best (Anti-American) Picture: AVATAR
Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow – She's a woman.
Best Actor – George Clooney – Yawn.
Best Supporting Nazi – Christoph Waltz – A make-up for glaring Ralph Fiennes oversight in SCHINDLERS' LIST.
Best Actress – Anyone but Christian Mom Sandra Bullock.
Best Supporting Actress – Mo'Nique – PRECIOUS – Social Justice AND she's black!
Best Animated Feature – UP – They may as well name the animated Oscar the PIXAR Award.
Best Adapted Screenplay – AN EDUCATION – I heard it's anti-Semitic. Sounds like Oscar gold to me.
Best Original Screenplay – A SERIOUS MAN – Hollywood LOVES the Coen Heads! Never understood 'em.
As for the rest, don't know, don't care, won't be watching. Wasted enough youth already
When you have this many nominees you dillute the product. Just like with Major League expansion teams. The fewer you have, the better quality.
Side note: I'm screening Wolfman in about an hour.
The Star Wars prequels made tons of money, had ground breaking special effects, but the plot and character development was non-existent yet Hollyweird ignored those movies.
Yeah, but you do realize that Maggie was in Dark Knight, and that movie made a bazillion dollars. Considering that Avatar is the most successful film in history in terms of box office, were people REALLY that offended by it?
Either way, Hurt Locker wins because the voters will really admire how much bang Bigelow got out of her movie on a microbudget.
Probably the same reason Milk got Sean Penn and award.
Morgan Freeman's a lefty? Crap.
Never forget that "Shakespeare in Love" beat out "Saving Private Ryan." The Academy Awards have been a cruel joke for decades.
Yep. Avatar will definitely win. It's the most politically correct of the bunch. Slam dunk.
"Up" gets my vote. It plucked at my heartstrings and delivered a rollicking good time. I took my children to see it and didn't have to worry about any messaging embedded in it. Family friendly and a great story, that pretty much sums up my definition of "Best Picture."
Heck I gave up on the Academy when Kevin Spacey won best actor over Denzel Washington's performance in the Hurricane.
I don't know what his politics are and I've never read anything either way.
Hurt Locker is definitely the front runner (judging by sneaking in a Best Actor and Best Score nomination), however it has been pointed out that Inglorious Basterds has enough nominations in the techs and overall to potentially pull the ambush for Best Picture (especially since Waltz is a lead pipe cinch).
Denzel got robbed of his Oscar because Michael Medved and others in the conservative entertainment media launched an incredibly negative campaign against the Hurricane, claiming all sorts of factual distortions.
Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow – She's a woman.
Yes, because whenever a woman has been nominated in the past (Sofia Coppola?) she has won.
Best Actress – Anyone but Christian Mom Sandra Bullock.
Have you seen any other of the nominated performances?
Best Adapted Screenplay – AN EDUCATION – I heard it's anti-Semitic. Sounds like Oscar gold to me.
Best Original Screenplay – A SERIOUS MAN – Hollywood LOVES the Coen Heads! Never understood 'em.
Don't you realize the contradiction in what you're writing? The next film, "A Serious Man," is about a Jewish man and is written and directed by Jews. If the Oscars are anti-Semitic how the hell can that win Best Original Screenplay?
I've been saying that for years. Hollywood hates Lucas because his companies have made a ton of money after he turned his back on the Guilds.
Actually, many in Lucas' generation had a problem with the studios simply abandoning the kind of films that were made pre-Star Wars and heading straight for massive tentpole franchise films. Without the opportunity to spin off video games and toys, would films like the Godfather, Last Picture Show, Cuckoo's Nest, Nashville, etc even get greenlit in this dynamic? Rightly or wrongly, Lucas gets the brunt of the blame for this shift in dynamic. Peter Biskind has chronicled this in his book Easy Riders and Raging Bulls.
screening.
Actually Morgan Freeman is not a lefty. He is more independant. He supports hunting and gun ownership and has done radio and television ads supporting preserving wetlands for hunting. He is also a proponent for free speach and the 2nd amendment.
It was tongue in cheek. Lighten up, Francis.
Why doesn't McDonalds give an award for Best Merchandising Cross-Promotion?
I can say I havent watcht he Oscars in over 15 years. The panel of judges are elitist snobs who don't even see the movies in the theaters they have to send them copies on DVD to watch. At least the peoples choice awards is a better representation of actual America.
I completely agree … wouldn't it be great to see the look on Cameron's face!
When you're done screening Wolfman, you have to post your thoughts. I'm dying to see it but am worried they screwed the pooch.
"Up" from Disney-Pixar nominated for five: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Animated Feature, Best Music-Original Score, Best Sound Editing.
"The Princess and the Frog" from Disney is nominated for three: Two for Best Music-Original Song, and one for Best Animated Feature.
Disney is nominated for eight Oscars, but since double-nominated in two categories can only win a max of six.
Go, Disney, and Geaux Saints!
I finally saw District 9 yesterday, and I thought it was very good.
But, if the Academy was going to throw a bone to the sci fi folks I would have nominated Star Trek instead.
Can't help it. I'm a fan.
Oh STFU already….
It's a double-eged sword if Bigelow wins, the film is simply he prop for Hollywood promotion of a female director of a "military" film.
The U.S. Army did not endorse this film for a reason, notwithstanding, the obvious holes in the story are frustrating. It just seems like Hollywood wants to say "SEE WE DIDN"T BURN A FLAG".
But up against the message of Avatar, I'll hold my nose and cross my fingers for Hurt Locker.
The Oscars are a joke. Ask the people who never won one: Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Alfred Hitchcock, Edward G. Robinson, etc., etc.
This is just another event for the beautiful people to congratulate themselves.
I'll reply to this thread around noon. (LA time)
MATT DAMON
I never watch any of those awards shows. It's boring to watch the rich and famous congratulate each other for being rich and famous. I'm happy for the people that work behind the scenes and get recognition for their work, but I can't take the celebutards anymore.
I really don't care who wins in any category except Best Supporting Actor: If Christoph Waltz doesn't walk out of the Kokak Theatre with an Oscar, I'll be mighty disappointed. Unlike Ralph Fiennes, who played Amon Goeth as pure evil, Waltz brings a charm and giddiness to the "Jew Hunter" that makes him doubly frightening.
On second thought, I'd really like to see Colin Firth win Best Actor. He really immersed himself into the character and did an outstanding job.
Hollywood goes all a-twitter at this stuff. The rest of the country not so much. Network news went to hell when they started reporting weekend box office receipts. I mean, who gives a fig?
Well, that's better. Thanks.
I'm with you, Hank. The smug levels (thank you, South Park) at those shows are bad for my health, but I will be rooting for "Inglourious Basterds".
I embarrassed to admit I do like the fashion wrap up shows from the following day with their endlessly catty remarks. Joan Rivers is a hoot! What can I say? I'm a girl.
Nomination for Best Pregnant Love Scene….John Edwards
Looking forward to it. Want to see it and hope they don't muck it up!
I used to watch the Oscars every year. I'd wait for the nominations to come out and then try and go see the ones I'd missed. (Yeah, I used to have way more time on my hands.) Now I couldn't care less. Every time I watch any of these award shows, they just make me sick. Such a self-congratulatory lovefest, patting themselves on the back because they can recite words on a page, like they just discovered a cure for cancer.
Hooray. Movies are dead.
All you need are special effects :/
I´d love to see that. Perhaps not everybody knows that Bigelow and Cameron were married. Divorced in 1991. Whatever you think about Near Dark, Strange Days, Point Break or K-19, they all represent very powerful, full-blooded filmmaking. There is a rare level of passion and energy in these movies. That´s why I had high hopes for The Hurt Locker.
The first 10 minutes of UP are better than all the other movies combined.
Avatar? Really? Where was the nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Antonio Ribisi? The absolute worst bit of acting ever.
Please do!
I cannot tell you how much I don't care about this (not to mention all the rest) exercise in ego stroking.
I loved "The Princess and the Frog" too. Best line had to be, "Y'all from Shreveport?!"
Hell, before Shakespeare in Love beat out SPR, there was the 1991 travesty that was Dances with Wolves beating out Goodfellas! Talk about a joke!
Isn't it Giovanni Ribisi? Or am I thinking of somebody else?
I have no interest in that movie. Or much of anything else Clooney does, I don't think he can carry a movie by himself.
How can Avatar be nominated for best cinematography? Most of the film is CGI
Because you are reading all those reviews from places like this which have no base in reality. They are just propaganda pieces meant to keep you from attending the movie.
Avatar is cleaning house for a reason. It's because it actually is a good movie, and it's capturing people's hearts. Try actually watching it instead of reading the spin about it and you might just see what I mean.
I hope Avatar cleans house! "YEAH YEAH GET SOME!"
Which is obviously why you felt compelled to come here and say that……. Riiiiiiight!
"If Avatar wins, I'm giving up on the Oscar's forever."
Psst! It's going to win.
No, you're right, and Teaboo's comment about his acting can be applied to everyone in Avatar. Just a really stupid movie….
You mean because The Hurricane was a murderer? He was.
The whole premise of the 'Academy Awards' (ha! There IS no academy!) is bogus, because it's ludicrous to set an arbitrary number of nominations and one winner for each category, because there can be no objective measure, unlike a track and field competition (stop watch and measuring tape). The awards were created just to help sell more tickets, and they are often voted on a silly basis of personality politics, and/or on the basis of the voters wanting to make a statement about their virtuous sentiments and values…
The only way such an awards show could hope to have (more than merely sporadic) validity would be to let the number of nominations and winners fluxuate with each year's output, and then name winners in each category who achieved 'excellence' (admittedly a subjective judgement, but more reasonable than saying one is "the best"). This could be several winners, or none (in a very weak year, if people were honest).
I'd say these comments apply to the Emmys and the Grammys as well …
That's the explanation for the countless complaints about all the greats who never won…
Avatar sucked as a movie – i give it oscar for special effects but that's it !!!! I mean most everyone was fake in the movie !!!!
Please do not give it to Avatar …..
How come all movies now no one has seen nor heard of ????
UP was a great movie … but again it's a family movie so it will not win …..
C'mon, the movie itself completely sucked. If it weren't for special effects it would've bombed. Bad acting, lame story….
Capturing peoples' hearts…..you mean like those idiots that want to kill themselves because Pandora doesn't exist?? This movie is weaksauce…..
You can never out do Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman.. Now that's how you made movies … do with what you got
Yep –
Precious (what can happen if government has control over your life)
Blindside (what happens when kindness and personal responsiblity takes over)
You did see it right? What did you think of the movie?
"Capturing peoples' hearts…..you mean like those idiots that want to kill themselves because Pandora doesn't exist??"
I would say it's a pretty powerful movie if it moves people that much. Thanks for destroying your own argument for me.
Hmmm … no "Stoning of Soraya M." Not surprising
Now, Hank, remember the rules. It's only wrong to be a crowd-following, lowest-common-denominator, hoi polloi sheeple when a "conservative" movie is involved. When people turn off their brains for a "liberal" movie, it's considered a "movement," not a mindless herd.
It's obvious you just don't get it. It might help if you recall the immortal (paraphrased) words of Obi-Wan Kenobi: "Think with your Feelings, Luke!" That pretty much says everything you need to know about popular entertainment.
Sometimes I think people have trouble with the language. The Coens seem to love words to the extent that they write lines for their characters that real people would probably never use. Not just any words – quirky, personal, regional, even impossible ways of expressing themselves verbally. It can be a bit jarring to hear someone like H.I. McDunnough talking like a hillbilly Shakespeare. Not realistic, but fun. Not for everyone, though.
I was thinking the same thing. That first half was amazing. By itself, it probably would have won Best Animated Short Film or something.
I'll give them this much, at least I recognize these movies. I think I had heard of only one of them last year.
It's making me wonder where the nomination was for Spy Kids. Just as much CGI and about as much plot.
Yes I did see it. I thought the visual effects were awesome. I thought the story was lame, the acting terrible (possibly because the script was bad) and it was way too long for a cartoon infused movie.
"I would say it's a pretty powerful movie if it moves people that much"
Rather this movie moves mental midgets, I'm sure you're familiar with them….
I went into Wolfman expecting it to fall short. But it was excellent. Acting all around was top notch with the exception of Del Toro. He was lifeless but that's how he is in all his movies. Maybe he got the role because he looks like Lon Chaney. (if he was wearing his Phantom of the Opera make-up)
Special effects were very good. Not too much CGI. Although at the end it was a bit heavy. The Wolfman himself pays homage to the Chaney version. Very real looking. They went pretty heavy on the gore and graphic violence, I think to appeal to a younger audience.
Story/script gets an A+. Everything moves at a good pace. I heard they cut the hell out of it and thats probably a good thing. Runtime = 1:42
Anthony Hopkins steals the show as you would expect. The love story seems forced but thats because of the time restraint. Overall, I'm happy to say its a winner.
Because it's a high tech liberal wet dream.
Excellent!!!
You made my day, thanks for the info.
"Avatar is cleaning house for a reason. It's because it actually is a good movie"
Right, like how Transformers and Indiana Jones Part 4 were great movies. Can't make a lot of money and be a bad movie. No way.
Me too. I love the whole gang in the original series, so I was apprehensive about the prequel, but I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the whole thing. I didn't even get huffy at the end when Spock was apparently in two places at the same time — figuring if anyone could do it, it would be Spock.
yes lighten up, or Sgt Hulka with the big toe is gonna see how far he can shove it your ass..
I love that movie!
"Denzel got robbed of his Oscar because Michael Medved and others in the conservative entertainment media launched an incredibly negative campaign against the Hurricane, claiming all sorts of factual distortions."
Since when did Academy voters listen to Medved?
WHy is Matt Damon nominated? What did he do in that movie? Once again, a completely wooden performance. You'd think people would start to notice that he constantly plays soulless characters: the psycopath in Talented Mr. Ripley, the amnesiac in the Bourne Movies, the tight-lipped super-agent in The Good Shepherd, the secret criminal in The Departed, etc. Now, in Invictus, he plays the captain of a rugby team who is either hiding his respect for Mandela in front of his family and teammates or being nervous and tight-lipped in front of Mandela himself. Once again, Damon conveniently doesn't have to show much emotion. Coincidence? or does he choose roles that require him to be a robot on purpose?
It's also a mindless, silly movie….
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Dont forget best movie happy meal prize.
I'd like 'Up' to win best picture, but not best animated feature. That'd be an interesting one.
Still can't quite figure out how 'In the Loop' is an adapted rather than an original screenplay, but there you go.
Are you really surprised. The fix is in, these sheep have no sense.
That's as good a take on the Coens as I've seen in a while. It's amazing to think that once upon a time one of the big knocks on them was that their camera pyrotechnics overwhelmed their stories and dialogue. Even their worst films (save for Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty) have something that a film geek can really latch on to. I mean, Burn After Reading was kind of an indifferent mess, but Brad Pitt just cracked me the heck up.
Hmm…the box office disagrees with you
Avatar, Blind Side, UP, District 9 and Inglorious Basterds all cleared over $100 million
Up deserves to win. It's got amazing acting, a great story, even better values, and the first five minutes can make a grown man cry.
Unfortunately, it will be beat out by Dances With Smurfs, since apparently loincloths, tentacle-insertions, and hatred of America are what fuel the box office. Go figure.
amen sister!!! Hit the nail ont he head… they (hollywood) has to feel good about itself … they lothe all over each other
Actually, Hurt Locker has won many of the major guild and critics awards. I think the fact that it tied for most nominations means that it's actually the frontrunner and not Avatar. Think Annie Hall vs. Star Wars redux.
And the Politically Correct Awards are:
Best Picture – Avatar – Slammed America better than any film in the last twenty years. You go, Jim.
Best Director – Avatar – Only a true believer could come up with a film that blasts Global Warming, Blood for Oil, the Military AND Iraq. Jim, you rock.
Best Actor – Cutesy George C. Looney, of course. He's so cute – the way he bats his eyes and ducks his head – And wow can he beat up on the Republicans. Morgan might squeak by, but he's not nearly vocal enough about how bad America sucks.
Best Supporting actor – Matt Damon – Invictus – mainly because cutesy George beats out talented Morgan, but also because we here at BH think Damon is a joke. He has all the creds: blasts Bush, blasts America, politically correct and no talent.
Best Actress — Meryl Streep – Julie and Julia – Who else could slip in an anti-Republican statement in a movie about cooking?
Supporting Actress – This one goes to Maggie for the same reason Matt gets the Supporting nod. These are Hollywood favorites because of their politics, but the redneck, gun totin', prayer sayin', fools of a public just won't pay to see her movies. So hey, let's give her the Oscar just to show 'em how good she is.
Time was when I'd seen every film and every performance nominated — I did see "District 9" and "Inglourious Basterds". "District 9 was an excellent, disturbing film with many layers. Halfway through, I wanted to take a bath. It was so original, it even managed to get in all the politically correct beats without using a wrecking ball.
"Inglourious Basterds" showed that Brad Pitt can act. He should be on the list. It was the first an only Quentin Tarantino film I didn't feel like walking out on. Too politically incorrect to win. Brad and company did not once tell the Nazis that it was America's fault that they (the Nazis) were such bad-asses and apologize to them. (Maybe BO should have done a cameo).
What's not to understand about the Coen Brothers? No Country for Old Men was pretty straightforward thriller stuff. Same for Fargo. Miller's Crossing might have been one of the better mafia movies ever. O Brother had an amazing soundtrack. Those guys have been cranking out top drawer films for twenty five years now.
As far as I'm concerned, the Star Trek guys can continue screwing with the space-time continuum as long as the movies are good.
$11M Budget right? That's not micro-budget, sorry. You can arguably say an independently financed film in the $1M-$3M is in the low budget range. People are doing amazing things with micro-budgets, films under the 6-figure level…please don't move the perception of micro-budgets to financing levels as high as the Hurt Locker.
Don't care about the Oscars. I will say this: Up in the Air is a dog turd. Anyone else who wastes their time on that boring pile of dung has my sympathies.
I agree that "District 9" was excellent, but it's no less of a "statement" movie than AVATAR. The only difference is that it was filmed in South Africa. So I guess it's okay to enjoy a sci-fi movie unless it depicts corporate Americans as the bad guys?
BTW, AVATAR will win so I guess you better used to not watching the Oscars ever again. How lame!
Amazing how folks on here will bash AVATAR, but overlook the fact that "District 9" (which was very good) was basically the same as AVATAR when it comes to corporate bad guys going after an alien species.
Even though I'm a long time fan, Star Trek sucked.
How stupid – if that's all it takes, then go make one, genius.
It goes to show that all you AVATAR bashers really do bash without having a clue. AVATAR’s CGI motion capture system is the first time the nuances of an actor’s performance can be translated to a computer generated image, that's why.
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