Oscar Nominations

[allezfred]

Maybe because you didn't like the character.

I didn't like the character or the film. And my condolences if you knew someone similar to Hathaway's character in the film.

[cruisin]

I didn't like the character or the film. And my condolences if you knew someone similar to Hathaway's character in the film.

I was actually more sympathetic to Hathaway's character, than the father, step-mother, and mother. The first two were enablers and the mother was a witch. I thought Hathaway portrayed what a recovering addict, just coming out of rehab, for a dysfunctional family celebration would go through. It was raw and uncomfortable, but real.

[Jenny]

I think Hathaway got the nom for shaving her head. Any time a pretty actress goes ugly for a part, Hollywood eats it up.

[duane]

Those weren't competitive awards with a nominated category, though, they were "special awards" just given. Sort of the opposite end of the age spectrum as the lifetime achievement awards.

Correct, like Judy Garland receiving one for The Wizard of Oz (even though she was 17 at the time--IMO more reason that she deserved a true Best Actress nomination for playing the role of a child so convincingly).

[Vash01]

I agree. Really affecting performance. Totally gives into the role. I would put him ahead of both Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper if I were ranking the performances I've seen in the category.

Definitely ahead of Cooper. Can't choose between Denzel and Hugh. Both were excellent, but IMO Denzel in Flight had a tougher character to portray.

[jenny12]

Definitely ahead of Cooper. Can't choose between Denzel and Hugh. Both were excellent, but IMO Denzel in Flight had a tougher character to portray.

I'm in the minority but I didn't care for Hugh Jackman in Les Mis. I thought he was way over-the-top and was agressively earnest the whole time. Both he and Anne Hathaway were trying too hard IMO.

I don't think Flight was helped by Robert Zemeckis's cheesiness, but IMO Denzel Washington overcame that.

[peibeck]

As Ioana already mentioned, Jennifer Lawrence was exceedingly excellent in Winter's Bone, a small independent film she starred in when she was a little known actress prior to hitting it bigger in The Hunger Games. BTW, John Hawkes was also amazing in Winter's Bone as the scary character, Teardrop, and he was Oscar-nominated for that role. It's a film worth checking out.

I have seen "Winter's Bone," and while I thought she was good, I wasn't blown away by her performance. Overall I didn't love the movie, either, but John Hawkes is what most impressed me about the film. Maybe I had too high of expectations before I watched it?

What makes RDJ "own" Hollywood so much these days? I know he's always been beloved even when he was strung out on drugs, and I know he's clean now and happily married, and he's done well with the Iron Man franchise, and he's a great actor, but what makes him have so much clout exactly? Just curious.

I wonder how voters were "nudged" to vote for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight? Too bad they weren't so "nudged" when Heath should have won for his role in Brokeback Mountain in 2005, easily over Philip Seymour Hoffman's very good, but miscast impersonation of Truman Capote, in Capote. As to the Best Picture selection that same year ... what a car wreck! :

I know several people who belong to the Academy as well (all three are in the technical crafts). I don't think they would have kept any kind of silence if someone told them how to vote. In regards to Heath Ledger, I remember reading (perhaps in EW) that some members felt torn on the issue because while they thought it good to honor him, their vote would be "wasted" on someone who would never benefit from the honor. I'd say it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Ledger was going to going to win that year though, especially after public outcry about the Academy being out of touch with mainstream movie-goers. (And the following year is when they went to a max of 10 Best Picture nominations.)

[Vash01]

A Cinderella story from Afghanistan:

A 14 year old Afghan boy in an Oscar nominated movie- it's a heart warming story, somewhat reminiscent of the poor kids in 'Slumdog millionaire':

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...omination?lite

ETA: Looking through the Oscar nominations, I don't see this movie listed in the foreign language film category. So I am a bit confused.

[Alixana]

It's in the best live action short film category

[Anita18]

I think Hathaway got the nom for shaving her head. Any time a pretty actress goes ugly for a part, Hollywood eats it up.

It's not a new thing - Natalie Portman got her head shaved on camera for V for Vendetta back in 2005 and didn't get an Oscar nom for that.

[vesperholly]

It's not a new thing - Natalie Portman got her head shaved on camera for V for Vendetta back in 2005 and didn't get an Oscar nom for that.

Too much anarchy for Hollywood to embrace

She did go the other route to a nom in Black Swan, though: Crazypants.

[cruisin]

Too much anarchy for Hollywood to embrace

She did go the other route to a nom in Black Swan, though: Crazypants.

And she lost a lot of weight! Biggest gorgeous to ugly transformation - Charlize Theron in Monster. How anyone could make her look that ugly is beyond me. A well deserved award, however, she was incredible in that part.

[duane]

Biggest gorgeous to ugly transformation - Charlize Theron in Monster. How anyone could make her look that ugly is beyond me.

Beyond incredible--both the acting and the transformation.

[Vash01]

It's in the best live action short film category

Found it. Thanks.

[AragornElessar]

Wow, Bigelow's snub has got to be the biggest in recent memory - respected vet who won just a few years ago, cleaned up in the critics awards, nominated for every precursor, and directing what was assumed to be the co-favourite for Best Picture.

I guess this means Best Picture is Lincoln's to lose, with Silver Linings Playbook as the possible spoiler (did better than expected in the nominations + the Weinstein factor)

Don't assume SLP did so well due to the Weinsteins promotion of it. It won the People's Choice Award, which is the Best Picture award, at the Toronto Intl Film Festival. Three Family Friends saw it there and two more at Cinefest in Sudbury and all five could not stop gushing about it. It also got a lot of "You *must* go see this" buzz on Movies threads at other MB/sites I belong to and many listened to those people due to their proven track record of picking awesome movies to recommend.

So while the Weinsteins promotion helped of course, but SLP also got a lot of buzz starting from September to now.

I'll be back in a bit. Got a touchy tooth, kept me up all night and I'm a bit of a daze from next to no sleep and pain. Give me the pain from just after Ortho Surgery over a stupid aching tooth any day!!!

[cruisin]

I'll be back in a bit. Got a touchy tooth, kept me up all night and I'm a bit of a daze from next to no sleep and pain. Give me the pain from just after Ortho Surgery over a stupid aching tooth any day!!!

(((Araghorn))) I have had so much dental work, root canals, implants, etc. I feel your pain. Feel better.

[AragornElessar]

Thanks crusin. Amazing how a nap can help. I was literally fighting w/my eyelids while typing that post. Anyway...

I'm among those surprised at no Director nod for Ben Affleck. It truly did sound like he was a shoo in for a nom yesterday.

Holy packed w/talent Best Supporting Actor!!! My eye brows kept going up and up and up as each nominated actor appeared on the list I was looking at. Wow!!

Am I wrong in thinking Frankenweenie is the favourite for Best Animated? IIRC, it was one of the best rated Animated Features of this year, but going by memory there too, so...

Wish there was more Hobbit and really shocked no nod for Howard Shore's score, but what are you going to do other than pout about it...

Looking forward to Sunday and Globes night. Things could be a bit clearer after that or even more muddled. It's going to be fun to watch shake down though.

[cruisin]

Globes is Sunday?! Against Revenge?! Whatever will I do?

[AragornElessar]

Yes, Globes are Sunday. Found out earlier that Michael J Fox and Tracy Pollan's oldest son Sam is this year's Mr. Golden Globe. One look at that kid and you know right away who his Dad is. I did about three or four double takes watching his little mini interview I saw earlier tonight.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Just saw Silver Linings Playbook and I thought it was simply awful. I don't understand how it received four Acting nominations. I was really trying hard to enjoy the lack of subtlety, over-the-top acting, and trying-too-hard humor, but after the stereotypical black character teaching the two white main characters how to dance "more black" scene I think I mentally checked out and couldn't get into DiNiro's forced crying scene about father/son and Eagles.

BTW, I loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, but I felt she was way out of her element here like in the beer drinking scene where we're supposed to be so impressed with her but I just ended up rolling my eyes at the whole thing (by which I mean the whole story). I know she prides herself on her natural talent and lack of acting classes, but I think she needs it. Of course, she got great reviews and a slew of award nominations and is a big contender for the Oscar, so it's working for her. However, I just didn't see what the big fuss is about.