And the nominees are (Oscars 2009)...

[Tyche]

81st Annual Oscars

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 ProductionEllen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• "Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)
  A Creative Differences ProductionWerner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• "The Garden"
  A Black Valley Films ProductionScott Hamilton Kennedy
• "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures)
  A Wall to Wall ProductionJames Marsh and Simon Chinn
• "Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films)
  An Elsewhere Films ProductionTia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

• "The Conscience of Nhem En"
  A Farallon Films ProductionSteven Okazaki
• "The Final Inch"
  A Vermilion Films ProductionIrene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• "Smile Pinki"
  A Principe ProductionMegan Mylan
• "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"
  A Rock Paper Scissors ProductionAdam 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 and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
  A Kennedy/Marshall ProductionKathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
  A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title ProductionBrian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• "Milk" (Focus Features)
  A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company ProductionDan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
  A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH ProductionNominees to be determined
• "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
  A Celador Films ProductionChristian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

• "La Maison en Petits Cubes"
  A Robot Communications ProductionKunio Kato
• "Lavatory - Lovestory"
  A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company ProductionKonstantin Bronzit
• "Oktapodi" (Talantis Films)
  A Gobelins, L'école de l'image ProductionEmud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• "Presto" (Walt Disney)
  A Pixar Animation Studios ProductionDoug Sweetland
• "This Way Up"
  A Nexus ProductionAlan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

• "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency)
  An Academy of Media Arts Cologne ProductionReto Caffi
• "Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions)
  A La Luna ProductionElizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• "New Boy" (Network Ireland Television)
  A Zanzibar Films ProductionSteph Green and Tamara Anghie
• "The Pig"
  An M & M ProductionTivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• "Spielzeugland (Toyland)"
  A Mephisto Film ProductionJochen 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

[TacoTaru]

I was really surprised to see RDJ pick up a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor. Ledger was expected, though it feels forced.

Really surprised I didn't see Kaufman's new movie up for any nominations. I'm not sure if that says good things or bad things since every time he makes one it seems to be up for something.

Personally hoping Benjamin Button takes home a good amount, that movie was spectacular.

[Kwijiboe]

I think Frank Langella should win Best Actor but Sean Penn will walk away with the award.

Robert Downey, Jr. for Tropic Thunder? Not gonna happen. Phillip seymor will pick that up. Heath ledger will not win.

Meryl Streep will rack up another Oscar, although, she deserves it-- She is electrifying on screen.

If Benjamin Button wins any of the main categories, I will be really disappointed. That movie wasted so much potential.

Best movie.. will probably be Milk because of Academy politics. But, Slumdog or Frost/Nixon deserve it more.

[TacoTaru]

I still need to see Frost/Nixon and Doubt, but from what is said above I'm assuming their good.

What did you hate about Benjamin Buttton? I'd be thrilled to see it walk away with a good amount.

[Blabj]

Best animated feature film of the year
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)Andrew Stanton

Achievement in cinematography
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in directing
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)Danny Boyle
I'd like to see your director direct actual asians. From asialand.

Best documentary feature
* "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures)
A Wall to Wall ProductionJames Marsh and Simon Chinn

Achievement in film editing
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)Chris Dickens

Achievement in makeup
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)Greg Cannom


Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)Thomas Newman

Best motion picture of the year
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
A Celador Films ProductionChristian Colson, Producer

Compared to the others, I will be dissapointed if this does not win.

Achievement in sound editing
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood


Achievement in sound mixing
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt

Achievement in visual effects
* "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment)John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)Screenplay by Peter Morgan

Original screenplay
* "In Bruges" (Focus Features)Written by Martin McDonagh

Anything missed out is due to being either:
Not having seen all the contenders in the category (particularly the smaller productions)
Not particularly interested in that field (it's effect went unnoticed on me)

Additional note on actors' awards:
This shit is already written, and every year without fail I have got it wrong and it's always gone to (usually) in my opinion the worst performance. I wouldn't be surprised to see Heath pick up a post-humous award, however. But, then again, the academy is usually ass backwards in handing out it's awards anyway.

[Epical]

Don't really care about any others but supporting actor -- everyone is saying they WON'T give it to Ledger because of posthumous blah blah, I'm saying they WILL but not because of his death, but because of his fucking amazing performance.

[TacoTaru]

Honestly I didn't think Ledger's performance was great enough to be on the Oscars list anyway. Was it good? Sure, I liked it a lot, but Oscar worthy? Ehhhhhhhhh

[Kuya]

I need to see this Benjamin Button film.

[Correction]

WRU GRAN TORINO

[Tyche]

Either Brolin or Ledger will win best supporting actor. If i HAD to put money on it, it would be on Ledger. I'd be shocked if he didn't win it.

[Blarg]

I hope wall-e wins everything it is nominated in.

[Flarega]

WRU GRAN TORINO

needs repeating

[TacoTaru]

Either Brolin or Ledger will win best supporting actor. If i HAD to put money on it, it would be on Ledger. I'd be shocked if he didn't win it.

Honestly I think it's going to feel very forced if Ledger wins. As much as myself and (obviously) everyone else liked this film, I didn't find his acting THAT great. I think there's a lot of hype about his acting soley based on the fact that he died. I've met plenty of people who have been personally offended that I said I thought Ledger was just ok in the Dark Knight. Every since he's died people have started taking his role way to fucking seriously.

[Scythiroth]

I need to see this Benjamin Button film.

For all the stuff it is nominated for, I am kinda curious as well now. >.>

I am somewhat surprised The Dark Knight isn't nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year though.

[Jefe]

I hope Slumdog Millionaire wins everything it is nominated in.

Truth!

[Headspace]

Winslet not nominated? That's disappointing.

[Blabj]

My only comment on Benjamin Button is that the narrative, whilst appearing deep and multifaceted, is essentially as thick as a wet paper bag. Then drag that out for over 2:40hrs and you'll start to see why it's not as popular as it should have been.

There are good performances in it, but the story is predictable and quite slow going in places, I spent a quite a while paying attention to the film making, which (as I've always been told) is the sign of a movie that hasn't encaptulated it's audience.

To conclude, it's good, but it's not multi-oscar winning good.

[Null]

Winslet not nominated? That's disappointing.

Yes she is. That was pretty much a given after all the awards she just won.

Very surprised Gran Torino was snubbed. But I really hope The Curious Case brings home quite a few. That movie is the sexi.

[chazzyphizzle]

Glad to see Mickey Rourke got a nomination, The Wrestler was a great, if not slightly depressing movie. Was really worth the watching.

[Kyo]

Benjamin Button was easily my favorite movie in 08, I hope it does well.