A major snooze this year. I think the overwhelming amount of prognosticating has finally caught up with us. If you open the Entertainment Weekly from Jan. 8, you'll see just about all of the nominees laid out. The Academy's switch to ten nominees for Best Picture did little to make it worthwhile, but not enough damage (baring a weird winner) to have them switch it back. In fact, due to THE BLIND SIDE's Best Picture nomination as the only true surprise, I'm sure they're patting themselves on the back. But, if we just pull out the Best Director films as what might have been the top 5 Picture nominees: AVATAR, THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, PRECIOUS, UP IN THE AIR— it's a perfectly fine, well rounded list with big box office films too (clearly AMPAS' big concern following last year's THE DARK KNIGHT snub).
This year has easily been the least I've been excited about the Oscars since I started to follow them. I still can't quite get over how easily AMPAS doubled the Best Picture nominees with no public/Hollywood outcry, watering down the most important single award category in filmdom by a factor of 2. And yes the cottage industry that predicting the nominations has become is just crazy... I've tried to avoid it but it's utterly impossible now. Even the websites that devote themselves to that kind of thing seem to acknowledge that by the time the nominations come out it's the proverbial beating of the dead horse. This also has to do with the 2 week push back to Feb. for the noms (for the Olympics sake)... a Jan. announcement might have been less dull.
A slave to tradition, I offer my thoughts. I had to reduce my TOP TEN SHOCKS down to EIGHT because there just weren't any shocks!
TOP EIGHT BIGGEST SHOCKS (NOMINEES)— Not necessarily because I did or didn't like them, just surprising
1. THE BLIND SIDE for Best Picture
2. THE SECRET OF KELLS for Best Animated Feature
3. Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART
4. Penelope Cruz in NINE
5. DISTRICT 9 for Best Picture
6. THE MESSENGER for Best Original Screenplay
7. PRECIOUS for Best Film Editing
8. THE HURT LOCKER for Best Original Score
TOP TEN BIGGEST SHOCKS (SHUT-OUTS)— Again, not necessarily because I like or dislike them, just surprising
1. INVICTUS for Best Picture
2. Clint Eastwood for Best Director for INVICTUS
3. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER for Best Original Screenplay
4. Marion Cotillard in NINE
5. Julianne Moore in A SINGLE MAN
6. Sharlto Copley in DISTRICT 9
7. 2012 for Best Visual Effects
8. Diane Kruger for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
9. JULIE & JULIA for Best Adapted Screenplay
10. Christian McKay in ME & ORSON WELLES
TOP TEN MOST EXCITING NOMINATIONS (SOOO HAPPY THESE MADE IT)
1. Quentin Tarantino for Best Director INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
2. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS for Best Picture
3. Christoph Waltz in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS for Best Original Screenplay
5. Meryl Streep in JULIE & JULIA
6. THE HURT LOCKER for Best Picture
7. DISTRICT 9 for Best Picture
8. Penelope Cruz in NINE
9. CORALINE for Best Animated Feature
10. Christopher Plummer in THE LAST STATION (didn’t see it, but he’s never been nominated)
TOP FIVE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS— WISH THEY HAD MADE IT (HAD A DEFINITE CHANCE AT A NOMINATION)
1. Sharlto Copley in DISTRICT 9
2. Marion Cotillard in NINE
3. JULIE & JULIA for Best Picture
4. Christian McKay in ME & ORSON WELLES
5. JULIE & JULIA for Best Adapted Screenplay
TOP FIVE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS— WISH THEY HAD MADE IT (PERFECT WORLD NOMINATIONS)
1. WORLD’S GREATEST DAD for Best Original Screenplay
2. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY for Best Picture
3. Robin Williams in WORLD’S GREATEST DAD
4. I LOVE YOU, MAN for Best Original Screenplay
5. Rosamund Pike in AN EDUCATION
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