Against my better judgement, I always get excited about the Oscars. Maybe I fit the stereotype that calls them the female answer to the Superbowl. They never fail to disappoint, however, from inexplicable nominations and wins, to the movies that aren’t even recognized. This year looks to be no different, but–for the first time in as long as I can remember–I haven’t seen any of the major nominations. The Dark Knight is the exception.
Here’s a list of the nominees from some of my favorite categories. For the complete list of nominees, check out the (very good) official website. The Academy Awards air on February 22, 2009, at 8 p.m. EST, on ABC.
Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader; Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt (Frozen River); Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky); Martin McDonagh (In Bruges); Dustin Lance Black (Milk); Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, and Pete Docter (Wall-E)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button); John Patrick Shanley (Doubt); Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon); David Hare (The Reader); Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Director: David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button); Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon); Gus Van Sant (Milk); Stephen Daldry (The Reader); Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Foreign Film: The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany); The Class (France); Departures (Japan); Revanche (Austria); Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married); Angelina Jolie (Changeling); Melissa Leo (Frozen River); Meryl Streep (Doubt); Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best Actor: Richard Jenkins (The Visitor); Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon); Sean Penn (Milk); Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button); Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best 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)
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (Milk); Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder); Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt); Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight); Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
I’d love to hear your reactions to the nominations in the comments section.