# Pre-Oscar Season Skullduggery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 10, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578 "2008-12-10T17:33:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/61 "2009-01-09T18:39:20Z")

</div>

> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> **RickJay** , you could be right. The Academy seems to like to split Picture/Director. Except for Clint and Anne, those are the picks I’d like to see. I’d like to see Sean Penn win his 2nd Oscar, and I’m pulling for Melissa Leo even though I don’t think she has a chance (assuming she gets nominated, which I don’t think will be a problem). But yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that exact lineup. Maybe Meryl instead of Anne.

Of course I’m making predictions, you understand, not who I think should win.

I’m going with Hathaway for Best Actress because in the past the Academy has shown an extreme preference for giving awards to young, pretty actresses, especially for their first nomination; older winners, like Helen Mirren, are rare, at least in the last while. Meryl Streep has the disadvantage of not only being old, but having won (twice) before, which Helen Mirren never had.

Kate Winslet will take home the Supporting nod because (a) the “give it to the distinguished actor with a lot of nominations but no wins” sentiment is a real and strong one, and in Winslet’s case she’s been one of the greatest actors in the world for a long time, (b) she will likely be nominated for both Lead and Supporting and such actors almost always win one award or the other, (c) she’s young and pretty, an advantage here, and (d) she’s always been a good sport about her losing streak (Fun fact: Kate Winslet is the youngest actress to get a second nomination. And the youngest to get a third, a fourth, and a fifth.) Just too many positive indicators.

Heath Ledger will win, obviously, and to be honest I think he’d win even if he hadn’t died. It was a remarkably frightening and memorable performance.

I’m taking a bit of a risk in calling Boyle for Best Director, but I just have a feeling.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 9, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/62 "2009-01-09T20:55:06Z")

</div>

Hathaway will definitely win for _Rachel Getting Married._ I saw it last night, and I counted three separate scenes that would serve as Oscar clips. It seems almost deliberately constructed at the chemical level to highlight what a remarkable actor Hathaway has become.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/63 "2009-01-09T21:18:12Z")

</div>

> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> **RickJay** , you could be right. The Academy seems to like to split Picture/Director

Hello, there!

It doesn’t like it that much. Since 1960, Picture/Director has been split only eight times. Since 1990, it has been split slightly more often – four times:

In 1998, Picture was "Shakespeare in Love, Director was Spielberg for “Saving Private Ryan”

In 2000, Picture was “Gladiator”, Director was Soderbergh for “Traffic”

In 2002, Picture was “Chicago”, Director was Polanski for “The Pianist”

In 2005, Picture was “Crash”, Director was Lee for “Brokeback Mountain”

In all the other 14 cases since 1990, Picture and Director matched.

Ed

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/64 "2009-01-09T22:09:34Z")

</div>

> [@drm](#):
>
> I really think Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn, and Frank Langella deserve the award more. Clint has played that character before.

But he’s never won an Oscar for it. There’s been a tradition of tough guy veterans winning Oscars for reworkings (or even semi-parodies) of their iconic images–from Lee Marvin’s and John Wayne’s Oscars in the 60s to Sean Connery and Jack Palance a few decades later. The Academy loves Clint and there are enough reasons to revert to him (Rourke’s too troubled, Penn’s won too recently, Langella should be happy just to be nominated) that Clint’s not in a bad position to pull it off.

In fact, as long as we’re doing pre-nomination Winner predictions, here’s my guess:

Picture: _Slumdog Millionaire_  
Actor: Eastwood  
Actress: Winslet  
Supporting Actor: Ledger  
Supporting Actress: Cruz  
Director: Boyle  
Original Screenplay: _Milk_  
Adapted Screenplay: _Doubt_  
Cinematography: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Art Direction: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Editing: _Slumdog Millionaire_  
Costume Design: _The Duchess_  
Score: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Song: “The Wrestler”, _The Wrestler_  
Sound Mixing: _The Dark Knight_  
Sound Editing: _WALL-E_  
Visual Effects: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Make-up: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Animated Feature: _WALL-E_

Final Tally:  
5: _Button_  
3: _Slumdog_  
2: _Dark Knight, WALL-E_  
1: _Doubt, Duchess, Gran Torino, Milk, Rev. Road, VCBarcelona, Wrestler_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/65 "2009-01-09T22:13:04Z")

</div>

> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I’m going with Hathaway for Best Actress because in the past the Academy has shown an extreme preference for giving awards to young, pretty actresses, especially for their first nomination; older winners, like Helen Mirren, are rare, at least in the last while. Meryl Streep has the disadvantage of not only being old, but having won (twice) before, which Helen Mirren never had.

In all fairness, it’s been a quarter of a century since Streep won her last Oscar, a fact that becomes painfully obvious every time she gets nominated and doesn’t win (essentially, a bi-annual occasion). She will definitely win one again, and while this year’s not a certainty, it’s actually her best shot at it for quite a while. If _Doubt_ does score 4 acting nods, it means the largest branch of the Academy (the thesps) is strongly behind it, and that support alone may be enough in a field with no clear front-runner.

> [@](#):
>
> Kate Winslet will take home the Supporting nod because (a) the “give it to the distinguished actor with a lot of nominations but no wins” sentiment is a real and strong one, and in Winslet’s case she’s been one of the greatest actors in the world for a long time, (b) she will likely be nominated for both Lead and Supporting and such actors almost always win one award or the other, (c) she’s young and pretty, an advantage here, and (d) she’s always been a good sport about her losing streak (Fun fact: Kate Winslet is the youngest actress to get a second nomination. And the youngest to get a third, a fourth, and a fifth.) Just too many positive indicators.

All good points, but also equally valid reasons why she might win lead, which is what I’m guessing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 12, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/66 "2009-01-12T17:35:30Z")

</div>

More Guild nominations:

American Cinema Editors (ACE awards, aka Eddies)

**BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):**

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter

The Dark Knight  
Lee Smith, A.C.E.

Frost/Nixon  
Mike Hill, A.C.E. & Dan Hanley, A.C.E.

Milk  
Elliot Graham

Slumdog Millionaire  
Chris Dickens  
**BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL):**

In Bruges [YAY!]  
Jon Gregory, A.C.E.

Mamma Mia!  
Leslie Walker

Tropic Thunder [YAY!]  
Greg Hayden

Vicky Cristina Barcelona  
Alisa Lepselter

WALL-E  
Stephen Schaffer

=====================================

Art Directors Guild (ADG) nominations:

**Period Films**

CHANGELING  
Production Designer: James J. Murakami

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON  
Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt

DOUBT  
Production Designer: David Gropman

FROST/NIXON  
Production Designer: Michael Corenblith

MILK  
Production Designer: Bill Groom  
**Fantasy Films**

THE DARK KNIGHT  
Production Designer: Nathan Crowley

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL  
Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas

IRON MAN  
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES  
Production Designer: James Bissell

WALL E  
Production Designer: Ralph Eggleston  
**Contemporary Films**

BURN AFTER READING  
Production Designer: Jess Gonchor

GRAN TORINO  
Production Designer: James J. Murakami

QUANTUM OF SOLACE  
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE  
Production Designer: Mark Digby

THE WRESTLER  
Production Designer: Timothy Grimes  
The only ones left to announce nominations are the Visual Effects Society and Costume Designers Guild. There used to be a Hair and Makeup Guild but they kinda disappeared a few years ago, or at least, quit publicly announcing their awards.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/67 "2009-01-12T18:35:55Z")

</div>

> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> More Guild nominations:
> 
> American Cinema Editors (ACE awards, aka Eddies)
> 
> **BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):**
> 
> The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
> Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter
> 
> The Dark Knight  
> Lee Smith, A.C.E.
> 
> Frost/Nixon  
> Mike Hill, A.C.E. & Dan Hanley, A.C.E.
> 
> Milk  
> Elliot Graham
> 
> Slumdog Millionaire  
> Chris Dickens

Note that these are the same 5 PGA/DGA nominees, and no craft/“technical” category in Oscar history has paired up more often with the eventual Best Picture winner than Film Editing. At this point, any deviation from these 5 in the Picture slot will be a fairly big upset.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/68 "2009-01-12T19:03:01Z")

</div>

> [@ArchiveGuy](#):
>
> All good points, but also equally valid reasons why she might win lead, which is what I’m guessing.

Actually, Winslet for Revolutionary Road and Cruz in the Supporting category’s a reasonable prediction, I would agree.

It is mildly possible Winslet could win both, which would be funny as hell.  
\*\*  
Diogenes:\*\* Please tell me you’re kidding.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/69 "2009-01-12T23:26:05Z")

</div>

> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> Art Directors Guild (ADG) nominations:
> 
> **Period Films**
> 
> CHANGELING  
> Production Designer: James J. Murakami
> 
> THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON  
> Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt
> 
> DOUBT  
> Production Designer: David Gropman
> 
> FROST/NIXON  
> Production Designer: Michael Corenblith
> 
> MILK  
> Production Designer: Bill Groom  
> **Fantasy Films**
> 
> THE DARK KNIGHT  
> Production Designer: Nathan Crowley
> 
> INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL  
> Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas
> 
> IRON MAN  
> Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
> 
> THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES  
> Production Designer: James Bissell
> 
> WALL E  
> Production Designer: Ralph Eggleston

Seriously? _The Spiderwick Chronicles_ got in the Art Directors Guild nominations, while _The Fall_ didn’t? It was both a great period film and the most astonishing fantasy film visuals I have seen since _Pan’s Labyrinth_. All I can say is there must not have been a single ad or screening for it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 12, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/70 "2009-01-12T23:50:13Z")

</div>

> [@gaffa](#):
>
> Seriously? _The Spiderwick Chronicles_ got in the Art Directors Guild nominations, while _The Fall_ didn’t? It was both a great period film and the most astonishing fantasy film visuals I have seen since _Pan’s Labyrinth_. All I can say is there must not have been a single ad or screening for it.

I know. It hurts to see it so ignored. I’m just assuming that Tarsem didn’t have the money to take out full-color ads in the trades and/or send out DVDs to voters.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/71 "2009-01-13T19:35:54Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Beverly Hills, CA (January 13, 2009) — Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards®. Sixty-five films had originally qualified in the category.
> 
> The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
> 
> Austria, _Revanche_, Gotz Spielmann, director;  
> Canada, _The Necessities of Life_, Benoit Pilon, director;  
> France, _The Class_, Laurent Cantet, director;  
> Germany, _The Baader Meinhof Complex_, Uli Edel, director;  
> Israel, _Waltz with Bashir_, Ari Folman, director;  
> Japan, _Departures_, Yojiro Takita, director;  
> Mexico, _Tear This Heart Out_, Roberto Sneider, director;  
> Sweden, _Everlasting Moments_, Jan Troell, director;  
> Turkey, _3 Monkeys_, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.
> 
> Foreign Language Film nominations for 2008 are being determined in two phases.
> 
> The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 65 eligible films between mid-October and January 10. That group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.
> 
> The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five 2008 nominees by specially selected committees in New York and Los Angeles. The committee members will spend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday viewing three of the films each day.
> 
> 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.

_Waltz with Bashir_ may become the first animated film to be nominated in this category (it is also eligible for the Animated Feature Oscar as well). _The Class_ won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and Jan Troell from Sweden is an Academy vet (he’s had 3 previous nominees in this category, as well as personal nods for Directing and Screenplay, but none of his films has ever won an Oscar…yet).

The big omission is Italy’s _Gomorra_ which won the (runner-up) Grand Prize at Cannes and 5 European Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/72 "2009-01-13T20:54:16Z")

</div>

> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> I know. It hurts to see it so ignored. I’m just assuming that Tarsem didn’t have the money to take out full-color ads in the trades and/or send out DVDs to voters.

What was the eligibility status opf the film? It was premiered for the first time in **2006** , and at various festivals and whatnot in 2006 and 2007. Perhaps it eliminated itself from eligibility by not being, technically, a 2008 film.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/73 "2009-01-13T20:57:59Z")

</div>

> [@RickJay](#):
>
> What was the eligibility status opf the film? It was premiered for the first time in **2006** , and at various festivals and whatnot in 2006 and 2007. Perhaps it eliminated itself from eligibility by not being, technically, a 2008 film.

[Here](http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/reminderlist2008_titles.html)’s a list of all 280+ eligible films in the feature length film categories. _The Fall_ is indeed one of them (since its first formal theatrical run was in the 2008 calendar year).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/74 "2009-01-21T18:41:15Z")

</div>

I know that he’ll probably get robbed, but I just saw Richard Jenkins in The Visitor and he was fantastic. One of my favorite acting jobs I’ve seen this year. Great film too…Honestly, this should really get some Supporting Actor attention as the entier cast is teriffic. I hope it gets a screenplay nod too. Anyone else see this? I’m thinking of starting a thread on it a little later.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/75 "2009-01-21T19:01:28Z")

</div>

As long as we’re at it, here are my modest predictions for the Nominations (which will be announced tomorrow morning):

**Best Picture**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Frost/Nixon  
Milk  
Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Director**  
David Fincher, _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
Christopher Nolan, _The Dark Knight_  
Gus Van Sant, _Milk_  
Danny Boyle, _Slumdog Millionaire_  
Darren Aronofsky, _The Wrestler_

**Best Actor**  
Clint Eastwood, _Gran Torino_  
Richard Jenkins, _The Visitor_  
Frank Langella, _Frost/Nixon_  
Sean Penn, _Milk_  
Mickey Rourke, _The Wrestler_

**Best Actress**  
Anne Hathaway, _Rachel Getting Married_  
Angelina Jolie, _Changeling_  
Melissa Leo, _Frozen River_  
Meryl Streep, _Doubt_  
Kate Winslet, _Revolutionary Road_

**Best Supporting Actor**  
Josh Brolin, _Milk_  
Robert Downey, Jr., _Tropic Thunder_  
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, _Doubt_  
Heath Ledger, _The Dark Knight_  
Dev Patel, _Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Supporting Actress**  
Amy Adams, _Doubt_  
Penelope Cruz, _Vicky Christina Barcelona_  
Viola Davis, _Doubt_  
Rosemary DeWitt, _Rachel Getting Married_  
Kate Winslet, _The Reader_

**Best Original Screenplay**  
_In Bruges  
Milk  
Rachel Getting Married  
Vicky Christina Barcelona  
WALL-E_

\*\*Best Adapted Screenplay \*\*  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
Doubt  
Frost/Nixon  
Revolutionary Road  
Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Animated Feature Film**  
_Kung Fu Panda  
WALL-E  
Waltz with Bashir_

**Best Foreign Language Film**  
_The Baader Meinhof Complex_, Germany  
_The Class_, France  
_Departures_, Japan  
_Everlasting Moments_, Sweden  
_Waltz with Bashir_, Israel

**Best Documentary Feature**  
_Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh  
I.O.U.S.A.  
Man on Wire  
Pray the Devil Back to Hell  
Standard Operating Procedure_

**Best Original Score**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Defiance  
Milk  
WALL-E_

**Best Original Song**  
“Down to Earth”, _WALL-E_  
“Jai Ho”, _Slumdog Millionaire_  
“Once in a Lifetime”, _Cadillac Records_  
“The Story”, _My Blueberry Nights_  
“The Wrestler”, _The Wrestler_

**Best Art Direction**  
_Australia  
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Fall  
Revolutionary Road  
Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Costume Design**  
_Changeling  
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Duchess  
The Fall  
The Other Boleyn Girl_

**Best Makeup**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
Hellboy II: The Golden Army  
The Reader_

**Best Cinematography**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Flash of Genius  
Revolutionary Road  
Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Film Editing**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Frost/Nixon  
The Reader  
Slumdog Millionaire_

**Best Sound Mixing**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Iron Man  
Slumdog Millionaire  
WALL-E_

**Best Sound Editing**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull  
Iron Man  
WALL-E_

**Best Visual Effects**  
_The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  
The Dark Knight  
Iron Man_  
Tally  
12: _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_  
9: _The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire_  
6: _Milk, WALL-E_  
5: _Doubt, Frost/Nixon_  
4: _Revolutionary Road_  
3: _Iron Man, Rachel Getting Married, The Reader_  
2: _Changeling, The Fall, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Waltz with Bashir, The Wrestler_  
1: _Australia, Cadillac Records, Defiance, The Duchess, Flash of Genius, Frozen River, Gran Torino, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, In Bruges, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Kung Fu Panda, My Blueberry Nights, The Other Boleyn Girl, Tropic Thunder, The Visitor_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/76 "2009-01-22T14:26:49Z")

</div>

The nominees:

**Performance by an actor in a leading role**  
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)  
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)  
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)  
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)  
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

**Performance by an actor in a supporting role**  
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)  
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)  
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)  
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)  
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

**Performance by an actress in a leading role**  
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)  
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)  
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)  
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)  
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

**Performance by an actress in a supporting role**  
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)  
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)  
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)  
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)  
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

**Best animated feature film of the year**  
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard  
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne  
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

**Achievement in art direction**  
“Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando  
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway  
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

**Achievement in cinematography**  
“Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister  
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

\*\*Achievement in costume design  
\*\*“Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West  
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor  
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker  
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

**Achievement in directing**  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher  
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard  
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant  
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

**Best documentary feature**  
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath  
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser  
“The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy  
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn  
“Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

**Best documentary short subject**  
“The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki  
“The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant  
“Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan  
“The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

\*\*Achievement in film editing  
\*\*“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith  
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley  
“Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

**Best foreign language film of the year**  
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany  
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France  
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan  
“Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria  
“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  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan  
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

\*\*Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)  
\*\*“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat  
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard  
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman  
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

**Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)**  
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel  
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar  
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

**Best motion picture of the year**  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers  
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers  
“Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers  
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

**Best animated short film**  
“La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato  
“Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit  
“Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand  
“Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland  
“This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

**Best live action short film**  
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi  
“Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont  
“New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie  
“The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh  
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

**Achievement in sound editing**  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King  
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers  
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood  
“Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

**Achievement in sound mixing**  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty  
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt  
“Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

**Achievement in visual effects**  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron  
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin  
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

**Adapted screenplay**  
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord  
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley  
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan  
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare  
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

**Original screenplay**  
“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt  
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh  
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh  
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black  
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

\*Dark Night \*not nominated for Best Picture. No Leo. Kate gets Best Actress nom for _The Reader_, not _Revolutionary Road_. Discuss.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/77 "2009-01-22T15:21:14Z")

</div>

**The Dark Knight** got robbed. So did Christopher Nolan. How did _The Reader_ get nominated? Winslet is good, but the rest of the movie is pretty average. It definitely didn’t merit a directing nomination.

Glad to see RDJ get a Supporting Actor nom. Glad to see _Wall-E_ not get a Best Picture nom (overrated, IMO) . Glad to _Slumdog_ getting lots of love. I now think it’s the frontrunner to win Best Pic.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/78 "2009-01-22T15:23:06Z")

</div>

There is a new thread now just to discuss the nominations, which I didn’t know when I posted them here. See you over there.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/79 "2009-01-22T17:50:16Z")

</div>

> [@Jester](#):
>
> **Best Picture Noms**  
> _(In order of inevitability)_
> 
> **Milk** : Haven’t seen this one yet (really want to, but haven’t made it), but I can’t imagine a world where it doesn’t get a nomination. Probably the only absolute, rock-solid foregone conclusion on the list for me. Sean Penn’s performance, a social-minded progressive message, a biopic, and all the Prop 8 drama to boot means it’s perfect Oscar-bait.
> 
> **The Dark Knight** : Second most likely. In this, the Academy gets a fan favorite, a box-office smash, a fantastic movie, a dead leading actor, and even a bit of edgy street-cred for choosing a movie based on a comic-book. Maybe even a frontrunner for Best Picture, who knows. Will definitely be shocked if it’s not on the ticket.

Well, this didn’t quite work out.

Everyone seems surprised. I’m not shocked, but a bit surprised.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jester/32/8223_2.png) [@Jester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jester)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578/80 "2009-01-22T17:58:48Z")

</div>

Hah. Yeah, I got pretty well pwned. I guess I grossly underestimated the Academy’s love for limited-release Nazi movies.

Ah, well. A boy can dream.

Edited to add: Jesus Christ, I just looked back on my complete OP and I couldn’t really have been more off the mark. In my defense, this was before I’d really heard of _Slumdog Millionaire_, and I do maintain the right to be shocked at _The Wrestler_ getting shafted.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-oscar-season-skullduggery/476578.md?page=3)