The 81st Academy Award Nominations were released this morning, and I have a few thoughts on the nominations, as well as a few T-Rex sized bones to pick with the Academy. How well did The Dark Knight make out? Join me after the jump and find out.
1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
I was making it my personal mission this year to make it out to the theaters and see each of the five best picture nominees before the awards were given out. Before today, I’d run through a few of the films I’d assumed had the best chances of snagging noms: “Gran Torino”, “The Wrestler”, “The Dark Knight”, and “Doubt”. I thought at the very least I would be right on the first three, as they’ve been at the top of most reputable critics’ best of the year lists. This shows how good of a prognosticator I am, because none of those films made the list. I’m not surprised “The Wrestler” didn’t make the list, since, despite being a great film, the subject matter is a tough sell and there were some better movies released last year. But I’m shocked that “Gran Torino” didn’t make the list. Clint Eastwood has been an Oscar favorite for years, and it’s one of his best films. And nothing for “The Dark Knight”? What the hell? I know the Academy has a bias against anything not high brow or British, and genre films are apparently the redheaded stepchildren of Hollywood in there eyes, but how could a movie that was universally hailed as one of the best of the year not be recognized? Especially since it made a killing at the box office, which, let’s be honest, is an occasional factor in the Academy’s eyes? I call shenanigans. Shenanigans!
2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”
No Clint Eastwood? I might have a bias towards him, since I’ve been a big fan for years, but I really thought he was a lock for a nomination for “Gran Torino”. I don’t know whose place he would take amongst the nominees, though, since “The Wrestler” is the only movie on the list I’ve seen. I am really happy to see Mickey Rourke made the cut, since he did turn in a truly fantastic performance. He’ll have some pretty tough competition from Sean Penn, I think.
3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”
I don’t really have much to talk about here, except that Angelina Jolie deserves the nomination even though “The Changeling” was just an average movie. And Meryl Streep’s turn as a scary, hardass nun makes me glad I’m an atheist.
4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”
I would like to have said that Heath Ledger is a lock to win, but considering how badly “The Dark Knight “was screwed out of a Best Pic nod, I’m not too sure now. I still think he will and should win, since his portrayal of the Joker is going to go down in the annals of motion picture history as one of the best movie villains ever. But don’t discount Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s turn in “Doubt”. It’s a brilliant performance by a brilliant actor. Also, I’m a little surprised to see Robert Downey Jr. make the list for “Tropic Thunder”. I don’t think it’s undeserved, but I would have thought that Tom Cruise would have been a more likely candidate. I can’t remember the last time a movie performance has made me laugh as hard as Cruise’s foul-mouthed, rug-cutting movie producer. I guess that shows you what happens when the immovable object of Cruise’s bad press meets the irresistible force of Downey Jr.’s career resurgence.
5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”
Marisa Tomei was fantastic in “The Wrestler”, but I’m calling my shot: Bet the house on “Doubt’s” Viola Davis to walk home with the tiny, golden, bald guy. If you haven’t seen the movie you likely have no idea who she is or what was so great about her performance, so let me put it this way: Davis makes a short appearance in one scene with Meryl Streep, but she rips the scene out from under Streep’s feet, places it in a little burlap sack with a dollar sign painted on it, and hauls ass away from the scene of the crime like Professor Zoom. She. Is. AMAZING.
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
It’s yet another reason why I think the Oscars are full of crap.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I’m also a little peeved that “The Wrestler” by Bruce Springsteen–which has not only been nominated but actually WON just about every major critical award this year for original song in a motion picture–isn’t even on the list…AND there’s only three songs, so it’s not like there was an embarrassment of riches. WTF, Academy?
I feel like Springsteen and Eastwood are both suffering from having been Academy favorites so often that the Oscars are trying to appear as though they aren’t just giving it to their friends and neighbors–but when they’re the best there is at what they do, a snub is a snub.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Yeah, the omission of The Wrestler from best original song was one of the bigger snubs in my eyes.
I have to disagree with you on Cruise, though. While Cruise was definitely entertaining in Tropic Thunder, Downey Jr. took what was potentially the most offensive and inflammatory part of the movie and made it by far the best part of the script. That he took a part that could have devolved into a grotesque racial caricature along the lines of Eddie Murphy playing an Asian in Norbit in the hands of a lesser actor and managed to actual do something tasteful with it is a true testament to his skills as an actor. Cruise was funny, but his performance was a fairly one-note, scenery-chewing part in comparison to Downey Jr.
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
You really need to see Frost/Nixon.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I haven’t seen all the movies but I think Gran Torino should of been in the top and Dark Knight too. I was surprised to see The Reader in there since it didn’t get great reviews.
I was surprised by Downey being in there and if Ledger doesn’t win it’d be great to see him win for a comedy. I wasn’t impressed by Doubt, the acting was good but the movie wasn’t amazing. I hope best actor goes to Frank Langella, I liked Rourke in the Wrestler but Langella’s Nixon was amazing.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
The Dark Knight wasn’t “screwed” out of a best picture nod. There’s no big conspiracy to keep it shut out. If you really take a look at the movie, the lead character wasn’t even the best thing in the movie- not even close. I think that Christopher Nolan deserves something as director, because he did a phenomenal job with this movie, but I think that The Dark Knight falls short of best picture.
That doesn’t matter, though. I don’t care what the academy thinks is a good film. The Dark Knight is still a grand example of how to do not only a comic book film, but any action/drama as well.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Dave: Excellent post. You’ve convinced me that Downey Jr deserves the nomination more, though I’m still surprised he got the nomination over Cruise.
Julian: Yeah, I do want to see it, though I really want to see Revolutionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire more. I’m going to have to get to the theaters a little more often than usual, I guess.
Zoink: I agree that Doubt wasn’t an amazing film. There’s barely a plot at all. The acting was pretty damn great, though I really don’t think Amy Adams deserves her nomination. She wasn’t that impressive.
YV: I think “conspiracy” might be a little bit of an exageration, but I do think that the Academy has a bias against certain types of films like genre films and comedies.