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.
addCredit(“Enchanted: Barry Wetcher”)
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!