As usual, the Academy showed little love to comedy when it dragged Kathy Bates out of bed this morning to announce this year’s Oscar nominations. I was really hoping that Amy Adams (pictured) would squeeze into one of the Best Actress slots for her delightful work in Enchanted, but her fantasy princess lost out to another red-haired royal, as Cate Blanchett double-dipped for her return performance as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. (Of course, she should have won the first time she played Elizabeth a decade ago, not for this less-than-inspired sequel, and while she’s fine in Golden Age, it’s not nearly as worthy a performance as her Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, for which she did get a Supporting Actress nod this morning… but I digress.)
Blanchett’s inclusion also points out one of two other big snubs this morning. First, the absence of Keira Knightley from the Best Actress race reflects a lack of consistent support for Atonement. Sure, it’s in the running for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress (youngster Saoirse Ronan), but not for its lead actors or its director. The other big snub, for me, is Into the Wild, whose only major nomination was for the deserving Hal Holbrook as Supporting Actor. Sorry, Sean Penn; the Academy isn’t recognizing that you finally came into your own as a director and screenwriter.
Who do you think got robbed this morning, PopWatchers? Let us know below, and please explain why you think your favorites should have been nominated.
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I think that Cate Blanchett is becoming an overrated Academy favorite… she gets nominated every year seems like! I would have liked to see Angelina Jolie get nominated for Best Actress instead of her.
I also think that Keri Russell got snubbed… she was so good in Waitress! But since Viggo and Johnny got nominated for Best Actor, I’m ok for the day.
Look, I loved “Juno” as much as the next guy, but Best Picture-quality? Not so much. Where’s the Sweeney love? Glad Depp got the nomination, but Tim Burton, and the film itself, were robbed. Can’t complain about too much else.
I was shock to see Angelina Jolie not called — not that I wanted her to be.
Pitt was another name that escaped.
And when can Christian Bale get some Oscar molestation time?
what about jodie foster?? and the parents in juno!!
I guess I’m in the minority, but I thought Jennifer Garner deserved a nod for her performance in “Juno.” I thought she embodied that role perfectly.
A nomination for the “Waitress” screenplay would’ve been nice too.
On the contrary, I was surprised Atonement got a Best Pic nod — its would-be epicness being overshadowed by the DARK CHEWY EPIC EPICNESS of the front-runners, Blood and Old Men.
But yeah, Wild, Penn, Hirsch, totally snubbed.
And Sweeney was snubbed. I bet it got a lot of 2nd-best support but not enough small, devoted 1st-place support.
How about NORBIT for BEST MAKEUP?
Really, Academy? Making a “funny” black man look like a stereotypically obese black woman AND a stereotypical “Chinese” man (Mr. Wong) is Oscar-worthy? I thought NORBIT was what helped kill Murphy’s chances at the Oscar for Dreamgirls. At least the Razzies got it right.
Other notable mistakes: Surf’s Up instead of The Simpsons Movie? No nod for Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, but that much love for Juno’s Reitman?
Odd how the Oscars end up being funnier than the movies they nominate.
I’m surprised no best director for atonement. Keira was not that great. James McAvoy had a great role in a tough year. So happy Laura was put in there instead of Angie. But as much as I love Juno, I’m floored that Sweeney Todd was overlooked in favor of Juno. Not best picture quality in my book but definite strong performances in there.
I am THRILLED that Knightley didn’t get nominated, because she was no better than okay in the film- she’s just not a very good actress. I feel sorry that McAvoy didn’t get nominated, but it’s okay, because he wouldn’t have had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.
i’m shocked about Into the Wild’s lack of noms. It was robbed, beaten and left for dead.
I wasn’t really surprised about the nominations because (other than Tommy Lee Jones for “In the Valley of Elah”) they were completely predictable.
Still, I’m disappointed that Amy Adams didn’t get a nom for best actress and, no matter how remote a chance, that “Ratatouille” didn’t get called up for Best Picture.
I’m also with a few people on this board: I’m not surprised about Keira Knightly being shut out. She was just ok in “Atonment”…most of the time (at least early in the film), she looked like she was acting in a Chanel commercial.
I really thought Christian Bale in “3:10 to Yuma” should’ve been a best supporting actor nominee. I also feel that “Ratatouille” deserved a best picture nomination more than “Juno.” (I think the buzz is fresher for “Juno.”) But Ellen Page is totally deserving of her nomination.
The songs from Music & Lyrics. Did all of the songs from Enchanted need to be nominated? Pop! Goes My Heart was spot-on for an 80’s pop song. (And I was secretly hoping that if there is an Oscar telecast, Hugh Grant would perform. Yeah, I know…wishful thinking)
BATEMAN, dammit. Is that guy EVER going to get what’s coming to him? The gravity and complexity he brought to ‘Juno’ is what elevated it from ‘witty little flick’ to ‘best picture nod.’
I have only seen one movie that has a nomination and that is Viggo Mortenson in Eastern Promises. He was excellent!
I’m happy to see “Lars and the Real Girl” got a screenplay nom, but no acting nods? I totally disagree. Ryan was robbed for sure, and the same could be argued for his sister-in-law’s character.
Just looks like a copy/paste from the Golden Globes. Lots of films and actors are nominated for the hype surrounding them, which left the all too deserving aside (Waitress, Garner, Adams, Sweeney, Bale…) Time for new faces in the Academy and give a nice boost to those who or needs it or are due! Or have more categories: c’mon guys bring on the comedy/musical category already!!!!!
Now I looooove Cate Blanchett, but Angelina Jolie kicked her ass this year in Best Actress. Gary Susman got it right, given she is a lock for Supporting makes it worse somehow… no love for WAITRESS? Adrienne Shelley’s screenplay has all the heart and humor of Juno, and Keri Russell in the title role was BEst Actress material too. But I really hope Viggo Mortensen WINS – Viggo gave the best and bravest performance of the year by a country mile!
Juno is a watered down Ghost World. It’s Diet Ghost World. Ghost World Lite. I’m so sick of people acting as if its the most original, funniest, most daring thing in the history of images moving so fast our brains think its motion. Ugh.
I’ll throw my snubs in: Sweeney for best pic, I’m Not There for cinematography or original screenplay, Ryan Gosling, Into the Wild for Emile, Sean and Eddie!!, Lust Caution for anything.
I loved Atonement and was upset Kiera wasn’t nominated. But the performances for Best Actress were all good, so it’s not a bad year. However, I think Kerry Russell was much better as a pregger than Ellen Page, and Juno, while sweet, was not a classic. Sweeney Todd should have been nominated. Tim Burton has a distinct vision and sensibility, and Sweeney Todd was a great match. Helena Bonham Carter was just as wonderful as Johnny Depp and should have been nominated, but again, it was a tough choice for women’s roles. I love me some Cate Blanchett, so I’m happy she pulled a two for. She’s just that good. Finally, the songs from Enchanted were fine but blah (as was the movie, an hour and a half long commercial for the Disney Pincess line, blech). Pop! Goes My Heart should have been nominated. It was the best thing that movie had and still remains on my iPod playlist.
My major disappointments were lack of nominations for Johnny Greenwood’s score for “There Will Be Blood” and “Diving Bell and the Butterfly” for Best Picture. And really? Jason Reitman over Ridley Scott, Sidney Lumet, Andrew Dominik, Tim Burton or Sean Penn?
I did think Jennifer Garner and Jason Batemen gave the best performances in Juno, however, and should have gotten some recognition.
A comedy category would be nice, but please no comedy/musical category. That’s a joke. Comedies continue to get the shaft because of musicals. Two seperate categories or nothing. And Juno was good despite Mr. Reitman’s direction.
Amy Adams was definitely the biggest snub for me. The others got it all pretty right. I could have used a little love for “Rescue Dawn”, and a screenplay nom for “Gone Baby Gone” but mostly happy.
George Clooney, the man with the golden something or other. While Micheal Clayton was good, I think that Diving Bell and the Butterfly was more deserving of best picture and best actor nods. Also, I heart Juno but thought Joe Wright’s directing was slightly more deserving than Jason Reitman’s. Loved seeing all the women nominated for writing. Now if I just get to see all the pretty dresses this year.
I would have loved to see nominations for Waitress–particularly since this was Shelley’s last film and it was so perfectly heartwarming and poignant.
I would also have loved to see more love for Once. I just watched it last night and it, like Waitress, is the perfect “small” movie. In a year of over-hyped blockbusters and sequels, it was nice to escape the bigger is better mentality and see something which is closer akin to real life. Oh well–with all the song nominations for Enchanted, Once is likely to win that category due to vote splitting (and the fact that who is going to vote for the fugly August Rush?).
I get that it’s not film art, but no love in any category for Hairspray? That was the consensus crowd-pleaser of the year…
McAvoy should have gotten a nod, as well as Bale. It would be nice to have those two get some recognition by folks other than fans and critics.
And I agree that a comedy category would be nice.
I am surprised that Greenwood’s score for “There Will be Blood” was omitted. I thought “No Country For Old Men” might get a few more acting nods. Also, where was the love for “Before The Devil Knows Your Dead”? At the very least Lumet deserved a nom. Otherwise, I am happy to see Laura Linney get nominated for “The Savages”. It was her movie in my opinion.
I would have liked to see Jennifer Garner for “Juno” as well as a directing nod for Tim Burton for “Sweeney Todd.” I’m also surprised that Joe Wright wasn’t nominated for his directing for “Atonement.” I was happy to see Saiorse Ronan get nominated though. She was pretty much the best thing in the movie.