Oscar Nominations Announced for Films of 2009

The nominations came out this morning and there were few surprises.  I'm still not used to the 10 film rule for Best Picture and I still don't think it's needed.  My customary thoughts will follow.

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

 

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

James Cameron, Avatar

Lee Daniels, Precious

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

 

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

 

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Meryl Streep, Julia & Julia

 

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

 

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo'Nique, Precious

First things first, above will be the only place all season except for my picks post that spells out the entire title for Precious.  I cannot type that every damn time. 

Second, let's look at the nominations tally for each actor - and the first thing you must think is Streep...again?  Yes, it is her 16th nomination - the most for any actor or actress ever, and she is simply stretching the record as long as she can.  Thing is, she has not won an actual Oscar since 1982's Sophie's Choice (that was her 4th nomination and 2nd win.)  It's an honor just to be nominated, right?  Well, she was nominated twice in the 70's, 6 times in the 80's, 4 times in the 90's and now 4 times in the Aughts (and for a 3rd time within the last 4 years.)  If she wins, however, she still needs another to match Katherine Hepburn's 4 Oscars.

On the flip side, her other fellow actresses are all first timers save for Helen Mirren (her 4th) and Penelope Cruz (her 3rd.)  Both Mirren and Cruz each have one win.  Neither, nor Streep, will win another this year as I think Bullock gets Best Actress and Mo'Nique gets Best Supporting.  But I'll save full picks until later.

For the men, Best Actor features two 5 time nominees in Jeff Bridges and Morgan Freeman.  Freeman has a win as Best Supporting but not for Best Actor.  Jeff Bridges has never won.  In fact, this is his first nominations in 9 years.  His very first came in 1971.  The man has had an incredible career and I for one hope he walks home with one in March. 

Clooney is another multiple nominee. This is his third acting nomination and 5th overall (not counting producing.)  He does have an acting win under his belt however, unlike Matt Damon who while he owns an Oscar, it was for screenwriting.  This is Damon's 2nd nomination some 12 years after his first.  Woody Harrelson too is back on the ballot after a break of 13 years and this is his second nomination overall.  Firth, Renner, Tucci and Waltz are seeing there first nominations.  And so too is Christopher Plummer!  He's never been nominated.  Unbelievable.  The man's first movie was in 1958.  He wasn't even nominated for The Insider, which may be his best role.

For Best Director, we see a variety.  Cameron, Tarantino and Reitman have all been nominated before.  This is each one's 2nd nomination.  For Bigelow and Daniels, it is their first.  And for Bigelow, an even larger hill is there for the climbing as a woman has never won the Best Director Oscar.  In fact, this is only the 4th time a woman has even been nominated.  And she may well win.

The awards are March 7th and I'll put up a post before hand giving my picks.  I may even live-blog the event, if I can stay awake.  I like them long, no problem.  It's that they start so late.  Of course, it's early on the West Coast.  My only desire for the evening is to see Jeff Bridges take home an Oscar.  Everything else is gravy.  That is all.

Comments

[Erin]

Sandra Bullock for Best Actress? Love the girl, but not for that movie.

You know I'll be thrilled if QT wins anything, though I'm also pulling for Bigelow.

I'm still sorting out my picks. I'll be sure to text you during the show like last year (especially regarding the Martin/Baldwin co-hosting thing).

[AL Hurd]

I'll add your texts to my live-blog if I can keep it up.

I think the top six above awards are pretty much settled for me, at least as far as conventional thinking. There is always a surprise and if one category can do such a thing, it is BSA - Mo'Nique may have to pull an Eddie Murphy this year, but I'll probably still pick her.

I'd love to see Tarantino at least take screenplay and that is a tough category - Hurt Locker, Up...he could pull that one out. Bigelow wins Best Director. I'm calling it now.

I am looking forward to Martin and Baldwin. Good pairing even if it's a blatant advertisement for It's Complicated, starring Meryl "16 Nominations" Streep. ;)