# Academy Award nominations (2009 for 2008 films) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452 "2009-01-22T14:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/61 "2009-01-26T18:35:21Z")
> [@Jester](#): > > And, of course, the Best Supporting Actor nod to Ledger now comes across as a pity nomination, not the warranted recognition that it deserved. And the only “edgy” choice was putting Downey Jr. on the list for _Tropic Thunder_, and that’s done just because Ledger is such a lock that there’s no actual “risk” that he’ll win and somebody could actually get an award for comedy. Seeing as Dark Knight didn’t get any direction or best picture nominations, I wonder if Ledger would’ve gotten his nomination if he didn’t die? I really hate the term “sympathy vote”, but it makes you wonder ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/62 "2009-01-26T18:54:05Z")
Just gpoes to show that some years are better than others. Last year’s _There Will Be Blood_, _No Country For Old Men_, and _Atonement_ were all better than anything nominated this year. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/63 "2009-01-26T19:05:51Z")
I haven’t seen many of the nominated Best Pictures (I tend to wait for everything to come out on Netflix), but I’m rather disgusted that Benjamin Button is in there. I’m _very_ disgusted that Brad Pitt got a nomination out of those endless hours of smug non-acting. And I normally like Brad Pitt. But I love it that Robert Downey Jr. got nominated for Tropic Thunder. The movie itself is extremely stupid (yet kind of funny), but he was amazing in it. ArchiveGuy, I found all your posts fascinating, especially the one dissecting the reasons why certain actresses won in certain years. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![JackofHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@JackofHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackofHearts)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/64 "2009-01-26T20:05:21Z")
My major complain is that almost none of the movies nominated in the big categories are available in major release. I live in a moderately decent sized city and Milk, Slumdog, et al, have yet to make an appearance. I happened to see them while at mom’s house over Xmas, but if I were a voter, this situation would immediately disqualify something from my consideration. If a movie can’t be seen by the majority of the country at nomination time, it shouldn’t qualify, in my purely personal opinion. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/65 "2009-01-26T20:31:23Z")
> [@JackofHearts](#): > > My major complain is that almost none of the movies nominated in the big categories are available in major release. I live in a moderately decent sized city and Milk, Slumdog, et al, have yet to make an appearance. I happened to see them while at mom’s house over Xmas, but if I were a voter, this situation would immediately disqualify something from my consideration. If you were a voter, you’d have a stack of DVDs in your living room of all the nomianted films, and you’d simply have to decide which to pop into your home theater system first. 😛 I sympathize with your suggestion, but if you limited the eligible films to wide-release ones, you’d essentially disqualify most of the best candidates in the first place. The only hope a _Wrestler_ or _Rachel Getting Married_ or _Happy-Go-Lucky_ has for a nation-wide release is to ride the buzz generated by the awards they accumulate. Should only the movies rich and mass-appealling enough to afford a huge distribution strategy be the ones to rake in the plaudits? (I won’t even discuss the unfairness this would have on current nominees like _In Bruges, The Visitor_ and _Frozen River_, which came out months ago and would never have a prayer for a release any wider than major metropolitan arthouses). ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/66 "2009-02-12T01:27:20Z")
The Scientific & Technical Awards were handed out already, and Ed Catmull from Pixar was awarded the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for his lifetime of technological contributions to the industry. Jessica Biel was this year’s hot young thing hosting. They always get an up and coming starlet to host as a consolation prize for a bunch of important but underappreciated nerds who only get a few seconds on the prime time broadcast. [Here’s a complete list of winners](http://www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/winners.html). Oscars are Sunday February 22. Since **Slumdog Millionaire** has won all the major Guilds so far it would be a major upset for it to not win Best Director and Best Picture. Here are my predictions, totally IMHO of course, and subject to change because I’m wishy-washy that way. **Best Picture** Will win: Slumdog Millionaire My preference for the win: Milk \*\* Best Director\*\* Will win: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire My win: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire **Best Actor** Will win: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler My win: Sean Penn - Milk **Best Actress** Will win: Kate Winslet - The Reader My win: Melissa Leo - Frozen River (should have been nominated: Catinca Untaru - The Fall) **Best Supporting Actor** Will win: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight My win: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight **Best Supporting Actress** Will win: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona My win: Viola Davis - Doubt (should have been nominated, if they didn’t want to put her in Lead: Catinca Untaru - The Fall) \*\*Animated Feature \*\*Will win: WALL-E My win: WALL-E **Best Foreign Language Film** Will win: Waltz with Bashir (I don’t know, because…) My win: Waltz with Bashir (it’s the only one I’ve seen) **Adapted Screenplay** Will win: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire My win: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire **Original Screenplay** Will win: Dustin Lance Black - Milk My win: Martin McDonagh - In Bruge (would also be thrilled with a Milk win) **Original Score** Will win: A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire My win: A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire (should have been nominated: Krishna Levy - The Fall) **Original Song** Will win: “Down to Earth” - WALL-E My win: “O Saya” - Slumdog Millionaire **Cinematography** Will win: Anthony Dod Mantle - Slumdog Millionaire My win: Anthony Dod Mantle - Slumdog Millionaire (should have been nominated: Colin Watkinson - The Fall) **Art Direction** Will win: Donald Graham Burt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button My win: Donald Graham Burt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (should have been nominated: Ged Clarke - The Fall) **Costume Design** Will win: Michael O’Connor - The Duchess My win: Catherine Martin - Australia (REALLY\*\*\* REALLY\*\*\* should have been nominated: Eiko Ishioka - The Fall) **Film Editing** Will win: Chris Dickens - Slumdog Millionaire My win: Chris Dickens - Slumdog Millionaire **Makeup** Will win: Greg Cannom - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button My win: Greg Cannom - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (should have been nominated: - The Fall) **Sound Editing** Will win: The Dark Knight (though Slumdog might surprise) My win: The Dark Knight **Sound Mixing** Will win: The Dark Knight (though Slumdog might surprise) My win: The Dark Knight **Documentary Feature** Will win: Man On Wire (but really, I have no idea) My win: Man On Wire (it’s the only one I’ve seen) **Documentary Short** Will win: The Conscience of Nhem En (no idea here) My win: haven’t seen any of them **Live Action Short** Will win: Spielzeugland (Toyland) (chosen just because I like the name, but I have no idea) My win: haven’t seen any of them **Animated Short** Will win: Presto (come on, it’s Pixar) My win: haven’t seen any of them ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/67 "2009-02-12T01:52:25Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > From there, it was downhill, though _Cider House Rules_ still took home a couple and he was even able to score an inexplicable Best Picture nod for _Chocolat_. (!?!) After that, _The Shipping News_ (first-class Oscar bait) tanked and _Cold Mountain_ couldn’t manage a Picture nod despite his best efforts. A few other modest Academy successes (_Finding Neverland_) followed, but nothing that came close to the Big Enchilada. Actually, you forgot _Chicago_, another Miramax film to win B. Picture. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/68 "2009-02-14T04:45:20Z")
I AM SO FUCKING ANGRY! I want to hit, kick, scream! I’d start a Pit thread but that would only attract assholes who yawn at the Oscars anyway and then I’d want to hit, kick and scream at them. Peter Gabriel has [pulled out of the Oscars](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/13/peter-gabriel-pulls-out-o_n_166796.html) in protest, and I don’t blame him a bit. > [@](#): > > LOS ANGELES — Peter Gabriel’s minute in the Oscars spotlight will lack one important element: Peter Gabriel. > > The Academy Award-nominated singer won’t perform at the Feb. 22 ceremony to protest an apparently revamped presentation of best original song contenders. Gabriel says in a video on his Web site that he objects to the songs being shortened to 65 seconds apiece and made part of a medley. > > “It’s a bit unfortunate because the songwriters, even though they’re a small part of the whole filmmaking process, we still work bloody hard and deserve a place in the ceremony as well,” the 59-year-old singer said. > > Gabriel is nominated alongside Thomas Newman for “Down To Earth” from “WALL-E.” > > The British musician says he’ll still attend the Oscars, but is hoping a gospel choir will stand in for him onstage. > > Organizers have warned that this year’s ceremony will be full of new twists, including the way categories are presented. The academy did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment. They had a perfect chance to make this year’s Song category presentations be the most exciting, vibrant and interesting in Oscar history, but now they’re ruining it. WHY??? there are only 3 songs nominated this year! It’s not like the full songs would take up a _lot_ of time. Here are the nominated songs: [“O Saya”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHUQht1HRmY) from Slumdog Millionaire [“Jai Ho”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DciW_yuQGCw) from Slumdog Millionaire [“Down To Earth”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHBq-ZMj1f8) from WALL-E So now we just get slightly over a minute per song. And while I’m bitching, I really do NOT like the sound of that “…including the way categories are presented” which probably means the “lesser” categories are going to get shafted in some way. Those “lesser” categories are what make the Oscars worthwhile. These people work so hard and never get any thanks or recognition except during part of the awards season, from their own Guilds and at the Oscars. They deserve their momentary place in the sun and people who think those categories should be dropped can suck it. The producers shouldn’t cater to fair weather and casual Oscar watchers. It’s an INDUSTRY awards ceremony, respect the industry! ARGH!!! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/69 "2009-02-14T15:23:26Z")
It’s tough because there’s always the pressure to “improve” things so the telecast feels fresh and streamlined. But these numbers could’ve been arranged to maximize real showmanship, so why truncate them (especially with a reduced nominee slate) so dramatically? I can understand why they might turn both _Slumdog_ songs into an extended medly, but how in the world would they integrate the Gabriel tune, which is almost 180 degrees different in tone and style? I look forward to Jackman hosting and hope some of the other rumors (last year’s acting winners will not present the gender-opposite acting awards) aren’t true, but this decision by Condon & co. seens particularly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/70 "2009-02-14T15:27:59Z")
These picks are for what will win, not who should win. Either approach might get me 40% of the winners, so don’t use this as a guide or anything… for example, I have _Slumdog Millionaire_ becoming the first movie to win B. Picture while winning only music awards in support. (I do believe that there has been a film that won B. Picture without winning any other awards… _Grand Hotel_, I think. Something from that era). **Best motion picture of the year** : “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer **Achievement in directing** : “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant **Performance by an actor in a leading role** : Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features) **Performance by an actor in a supporting role** : Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) **Performance by an actress in a leading role** : Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company) **Performance by an actress in a supporting role** : Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight) Thereby proving the first wasn’t a fluke. **Best animated feature film of the year** : “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton **Achievement in art direction** : “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando **Achievement in cinematography** : “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda **Achievement in costume design** : “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor **Best documentary feature** : “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser **Best documentary short subject** : “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde **Achievement in film editing** : “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley **Best foreign language film of the year** : "Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel **Achievement in makeup** : “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom **Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)**: “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman **Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)**: “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam **Best animated short film** : “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland **Best live action short film** : “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont **Achievement in sound editing** : “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King **Achievement in sound mixing** : “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick **Achievement in visual effects** : “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin **Adapted screenplay** : “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley **Original screenplay** : “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/71 "2009-02-14T16:27:50Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > It’s an INDUSTRY awards ceremony, respect the industry! They may or may respect the industry. What they really respect is the fact that this one show provides the Academy with almost all of its yearly budget. If the show dies because of bad ratings, so does the Academy. Ratings have plummeted for years. The audience couldn’t care less about the industry. Never has, never will.\* They want to be entertained. So entertained they shall be. - They don’t care about Peter Gabriel either. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452/72 "2009-02-14T20:01:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > They want to be entertained. So entertained they shall be. Next year, Russell Crowe dons the gladiator garb and attacks the “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” household, in between announcements of each award. A new ratings record is set! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/academy-award-nominations-2009-for-2008-films/482452.md?page=3)