2008 Academy Award Nominations

[Critical]

The 2008 Oscar nominations were announced this morning. Discuss!

The major noms:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah”
Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild”
Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie in “Away from Her”
Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose”
Laura Linney in “The Savages”
Ellen Page in “Juno”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee in “American Gangster”
Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement”
Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton”

Best animated feature film of the year
“Persepolis”
"Ratatouille”
“Surf's Up”

Achievement in directing
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” - Julian Schnabel
“Juno” - Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton” -Tony Gilroy
“No Country for Old Men” - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“There Will Be Blood” - Paul Thomas Anderson


Best motion picture of the year
“Atonement”
“Juno”
“Michael Clayton”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

For a full list: Nominees | 80th Annual Academy Awards | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

[fluff]

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”

I don't think the voting should even be close for this category.
Day-Lewis should walk away with it, imo, but I wouldn't be surprised if Clooney got it.

I haven't seen Julie Christie's performance, but I LOVE her so I hope she wins.

[Critical]

ITA, fluff. I think Daniel Day Lewis will likely win I honestly believe he's the best actor of his generation. Still, I'd be thrilled if Viggo won. I think he's grossly underrated as an actor. I also wouldn't mind it if Clooney won. You know his acceptance speech would be entertaining....that is, of course, if the strike is over OR, if not, he is willing to go to the show.

I was most happy about Hal Holbrook and Ruby Dee getting nominations. I love them both. Ellen Page probably won't win, but I'm excited she got a nomination. She was perfect in that role.

[AJane]

The only movie I've seen out of this bunch is Ratatouille. Pretty typical, I don't get out to see grownup movies much. The husband and I are hoping to sneak out one evening and see No Country For Old Men, though.

[fluff]

Ruby Dee only got 5 minutes or so of screen time in American Gangster.
I imagine that's the least time for someone nominated in a supporting role ever.

I think I pretty much agree with everything you said in your post, Critical.
Love Ruby, love Hal, think DDL is the finest actor of his generation etc.etc.
I'm sure I saw you declare you love for Jonny Lee Miller the other day too.
You're a woman of impeccable taste

[misskitty]

'No Country,' 'Blood' lead Oscar

"No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood" earn eight nods each

"Michael Clayton" picks up nominations in five of six major categories

Cate Blanchett nabs two nominations -- for best actress and best supporting actress

Status of awards show still up in the air; writers strike has dampened mood

(CNN) -- A coldblooded killer and a coldblooded tycoon led the Oscar nominations Tuesday, with a lawyer suffering from an ethical crisis also earning a strong showing.

Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as an oil tycoon in "There Will Be Blood" has earned raves.

1 of 3 "No Country for Old Men," the Coen brothers' film about a brutal killer and laconic sheriff pursuing a man across the scrub of west Texas, earned eight nominations for the 80th Academy Awards, including nods for best picture, best director and best supporting actor (Javier Bardem).

The film tied "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's movie about the rise of an oil tycoon, which received nominations for best picture, best director and best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).

The drama "Michael Clayton," about a lawyer (George Clooney) undergoing a crisis of conscience, also did well, picking up nominations in five of the six major categories: best picture, best director (Tony Gilroy), best actor (George Clooney), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson) and best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton). Gilroy was also nominated for best original screenplay.

The film received seven nominations overall.

Also winning seven nominations was "Atonement," the drama about a relationship threatened by a child's lie. The film earned nominations for best picture and best supporting actress (Saoirse Ronan).

The fifth best picture nominee is "Juno," the story of a pregnant high schooler in search of a couple to adopt her child. See the major nominees »

The nominations were announced Tuesday morning from Beverly Hills, California.

As always, the Oscars had some surprises. Tommy Lee Jones earned a best actor nomination for "In the Valley of Elah," a much-praised film that had received little recognition in awards ceremonies. Jason Reitman received a best director nomination for "Juno," considered this year's sleeper in the "Little Miss Sunshine" mode. Watch some Oscar surprises »

And two longtime actors who had never been nominated for Oscars -- 83-year-old Ruby Dee and Hal Holbrook, soon to turn 83 also -- both received recognition for their supporting performances in "American Gangster" and "Into the Wild," respectively.

Reitman, 30, who found out about his nomination while watching CNN, will fulfill a childhood dream. When he was younger, he told his father, producer and director Ivan Reitman ("Ghostbusters"), that he would one day take him to the Oscars. Now, Jason Reitman told CNN, he can.

However, Oscar turned the back of its hand to "Atonement's" director, Joe Wright, and lead performers Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Angelina Jolie, on many critics' short lists for her performance in "A Mighty Heart," was overlooked, as was Sean Penn, who directed "Into the Wild."

"American Gangster," the high-octane film about a wealthy African-American drug dealer and a detective trying to bring him down, earned one nomination aside from the supporting actress nod: art direction.

Cate Blanchett picked up nominations in two categories, best actress ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age") and best supporting actress ("I'm Not There"). It marks the second time she's been nominated for playing the Tudor monarch Elizabeth I. Blanchett also played the English queen in 1999's "Elizabeth."

Marion Cotillard, who was nominated for her performance as French singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose," told The Associated Press she was stunned by her best actress nod.

"It's as if I had swallowed some fireworks or something like this. My friends and my family in Paris, they are so happy," the AP quoted her as saying.

The three films nominated for best animated feature are an interesting mix: "Ratatouille," a computer-animated Pixar film directed and written by Oscar winner Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"); "Persepolis," a sparsely drawn, largely black-and-white film based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi; and "Surf's Up," a computer-animated film about penguins that got lost among the summer blockbusters.

"Enchanted," the Disney film about an animated princess come to life, earned three of the five best song nominations. Among those left out was Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who wrote music for "Into the Wild."

Aside from Clooney, Day-Lewis and Jones, other best actor nominees are Johnny Depp ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") and Viggo Mortensen ("Eastern Promises").

Joining Blanchett as best actress nominees are Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose"), Ellen Page ("Juno"), Julie Christie ("Away from Her") and Laura Linney ("The Savages")

The nominees for best supporting actor are Bardem, Holbrook, Wilkinson, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Charlie Wilson's War") and Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford").

Best supporting actress nominees are Dee, Blanchett, Ronan, Swinton and Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone").

This year's Oscar race is considered one of the most wide open ever. "Atonement," which won the Golden Globe for best drama, was ignored by several other organizations. "No Country" and "Clayton," though widely praised by film critics, have yet to top $50 million at the box office.

Of performers, Bardem, Day-Lewis and perhaps Christie are the closest things to front-runners, a fact that Wilkinson, competing against Bardem, readily acknowledged.

"I'm pretty sure that I won't win, but it's thrilling to think there are five people and you are in the top five," he told the AP.

But the biggest question facing the Oscars is: Will anybody show up?

The status of the ceremony has been in flux because of the still-unsettled Writers Guild of America strike, which began November 5.

Though Oscar organizers have said their show will go on regardless of the strike, the Screen Actors Guild said in a statement that it will honor writers' picket lines, leaving many celebrities to decide whether they want to attend the ceremony.

The Golden Globes, which were awarded January 13, were forced to replace the usual star-studded broadcast in favor of a brief press conference because of the strike.

"I would never cross a picket line ever. I couldn't," "Michael Clayton" director and writer Gilroy told the AP. "I'm a 20-year member of the Writers Guild. I think whatever they work out is going to be one way or the other but no, I could never cross a picket line. I think there's a lot of people who feel that way."

Best actor nominee Mortensen was equally firm, according to the AP.

"If there's a strike, I will not go, but I have a feeling they'll solve it. I hope they do," he told the AP. But he added, "I'm sure my mom would like to see me on TV and so forth, but if there's a strike I'm not crossing the line."

But Lianne Halfon, one of the producers of best-picture nominee "Juno," said she'd be at the Academy Awards regardless, the AP reported.

"I don't think you can postpone it, it's not like a wedding. They're saying it's going to happen," she told the AP. "If they throw the party, if they open the door, I'm going to go."

The Oscars will take place February 24 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Jon Stewart is scheduled to host. The broadcast will air on ABC. E-mail to a friend

'No Country,' 'Blood' lead Oscar nominations - CNN.com

[Critical]

Ruby Dee only got 5 minutes or so of screen time in American Gangster.
I imagine that's the least time for someone nominated in a supporting role ever.

I think Melinda Dillon was on screen for about the same amount of time in Absence of Malice and she got a nomination. I remember lots of talk back then about how she didn't deserve it.

I think I pretty much agree with everything you said in your post, Critical.
Love Ruby, love Hal, think DDL is the finest actor of his generation etc.etc.
I'm sure I saw you declare you love for Jonny Lee Miller the other day too.
You're a woman of impeccable taste

Why thank you. Ditto! Honestly, what's not to love about JLM? (aside from that whole Angelina Jolie episode! )

[Starbucks880]

I haven't seen everything, but here are a few of my opinions.
Best Actor--Daniel Day-Lewis hands down. I have seen all the movies and performances of these actors and I finally got to see There Will Be Blood yesterday and my opinion swiftly changed in his favor. There just isn't any competition. I love Viggo, and while I feel that he is so underrated and hasn't gotten the notice he so deserves and delivered a great performance in Eastern Promises, I think Daniel Day-Lewis deserves it so much more. There just isn't any competition.
Best Actress--I've only seen two in the list. Ellen Page did good in Juno, yes, but I think I am biased toward Julie Christie.
Best Supporting Actress--I have only seen two. I guess I'd have to say Tilda in Michael Clayton. I did see American Gangster, but I have no idea who Ruby Dee is.
Best Supporting Actor--I haven't seen most of these, but Javier Bardem was just so good, I am going with him.
Best Animated Film--I have no idea. I don't usually watch the animated films now that my kids are older and no longer into them.
Best Picture--I have seen all but Atonement. I am leaning toward 'No country for Old Men' and 'There will be blood'.

Those are my opinions, but they never consult me on it and some years I am very puzzled at the choices.

[snickers]

i think cate b. should win best supporting actress for i'm not there...she was excellent

i heard javier will win for best supporting and most are leaning towards daniel for leading....so i dont think there will be much competition

i hope atonement does not win as best picture....i found it quite boring and wasn't good until the last 15 minutes

[ArchieComic Fan]

Anyone watching? I haven't seen any of the movies nominated but interested to see how Jon Stewart does hosting.

Hmm, he's doing okay but not Billy Crystal (who I love).