Amy Adams Brings 'Sunshine' To Our Lives

Most of you most likely didn't see Amy Adams new movie, "Sunshine Cleaning," which opened on Friday. I don't blame anyone for this though because it was released in a limited run, and will hopefully open wider as the weeks go on. Now that Fox Searchlight has had a big Oscar winner in "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox's first Best Picture Oscar in...well, almost since they started giving out the award), you can bet that Fox will be campaigning for this film for the next Oscars. I'm unsure of it's shots at the top prize yet, but I do know that Amy Adams will likely get an Oscar nomination for her role in this film. Here are some of the reviews Adams has been getting:

Amy Adams in the best performance of the young year.

Richard Roeper

Amy Adams impeccable from beginning to end, and her cheerful moxie is proving to be a valuable commodity in film after film, partly because it's deceptive.

Robert Davis, Paste Magazine

A delightful dramedy propelled by the winsome performances of Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, bring a steadfast sense of truth to the story of two sisters trying to jump-start their stuck lives and grow up.

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Truly lovely performances by Adams and Blunt pierce the thoroughly artificial climate.

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

As you can see not only has Adams been getting a great deal of praise, but her co-star Emily Blunt has been sharing some of the praise (poor Alan Arkin has been largely ignored so far). Since the Academy loved Adams enough to nominate her for "Doubt" I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her name pop up in Best Actress again this year. Emily Blunt is looking like a solid bet as well. I'm only going to comit to those two at the moment though, as the year is still early enough that better movies could shove this one off the Best Picture list.

Ebert Weighs In On Oscar Nominees

Roger Ebert concluded his annual Oscar predictions this week with a complete run through of the important categories. Very few surprises to be found. He does predict the Academy picking Viola Davis in "Doubt" for Best Supporting Actress as opposed to Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Christina Barcelona," and he boldly picks Sean Penn the winner for Best Actor in "Milk" as opposed to Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler." Otherwise though it's all routine:

Best Picture - "Slumdog Millionaire"
Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger
Best Animated Film - "Wall-E"

The biggest thing he questions is the Best Adapted Screenplay category, where he writes:

Simon Beaufoy for "Slumdog Millionaire." It took enormous research and energy to create this story spanning 20 years and parallel narrative strands, and employ traditional narrative formulas in a film that seemed so wholly original. The other contender may be Eric Roth, for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." But if he wins, there may be the rare possibility of actual booing from the audience. Too many now realize that what Roth adapted was not so much the F. Scott Fitzgerald story, but his own screenplay for "Forrest Gump." Some half a million users saw a funny YouTube "trailer" comparing scene-by-scene parallels in the two films, before Paramount's complaints forced the site to take it down. Cynics say Roth has already won an Oscar for this material.

You can view said trailer on this very site. If the legal whores have taken it down though then a simple Google search should suffice. Just type in "The Curious Case of Forrest Gump."

BFCA Winners

As the title says, the BFCA has announced their winners (more love for "Slumdog Millionaire" to be found):

Picture, Director, Score, Screenplay, Young Actor: Slumdog Millionaire
Animated: WALL•E
Documentary: Man on Wire
Foreign Film: Waltz With Bashir
Comedy: Tropic Thunder
TV Movie: John Adams
Action: The Dark Knight
Song: "The Wrestler" Bruce Springsteen
Actor & Acting Ensemble: Sean Penn and the cast of Milk
Actress: (tie) Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married and Meryl Streep for Doubt
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet for The Reader

WGA Nominations

And the Writers Guild of America have nominated their screenplays. Again, this is a big deal because the WGA are made of members of the Academy, and so the results come Oscar time could look similar to this list. For now though, the nominations are:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Burn After Reading - Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Focus Features
Milk - Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Written by Woody Allen, The Weinstein Company
The Visitor - Written by Tom McCarthy, Overture Films
The Wrestler - Written by Robert Siegel, Fox Searchlight Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; Based on the Short Story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dark Knight - Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; Story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer; Based on Characters Appearing in Comic Books Published by DC Comics; Batman Created by Bob Kane, Warner Bros. Pictures

Doubt - Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, Based on his Stage Play, Miramax Films

Frost/Nixon - Screenplay by Peter Morgan, Based on his Stage Play, Universal Pictures

Slumdog Millionaire - Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, Based on the Novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup, Fox Searchlight Pictures


A pretty good list I must say (though the absence of "Rachael Getting Married" hurts, and the snub of "Wall-E's" great screenplay is just wrong). It looks like the adapted category is more competitive then the original category, but hey, that's how it goes sometimes. Oh, and "The Dark Knight" scores another one, and takes one more step towards Oscar glory.

"Do you wanna know how I got these scars?"

'Clever' Ain't So Observant

Though there are plenty of YouTube videos out there that have legitimate film fans and critics talking about the upcoming Oscars, with worthwhile predictions and interesting insights, it's pretty sad that typing in "oscar predictions" leads to this video being first in line...



...which shows that YouTube is still owned by sponsers. Not only does this woman NOT remind me of a film critic, but for making a movie close to January she shows a shocking lack of knowledge about the Oscar race! She lists "Revolutionary Road," "Doubt," and *snicker* "Australia" as major contenders. Obviously if she were a movie fan she would know that (with the small exception of "Doubt) all those movies are pretty much out of the race. No mention of "Milk," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," or "The Reader" are to be found. She doesn't mention "The Dark Knight," and Heath Ledger isn't so much as mentioned (which, considering how that race is going, must be a first at this point). I'm surprised she even mentioned Sally Hawkins in the video.

This is why, fellow Oscar lovers, you make sure you choose your prediction sites/videos carefully. There are informed opinions out there, and you don't have to settle for stuff like this, that seems to be popular just because they have money to advertise. If you want my personal picks for good campaign sites, I have a list of them on the side underneath predictions. I recommend you start clicking and informing yourself.

Screen Actors Guild Nominees

From their official website, here are the SAG nominees:

Full List from SAG’s site:
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - “THE VISITOR” (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - “FROST/NIXON” (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - “MILK” (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - “THE WRESTLER” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - “RACHEL GETTING MARRIED” (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - “CHANGELING” (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - “FROZEN RIVER” (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - “REVOLUTIONARY ROAD” (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - “MILK” (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - “TROPIC THUNDER” (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - “THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - “DOUBT” (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - “VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - “THE READER” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)

TV and nomination count after the cut (can I just say that I hate the all-caps thing?)

PRIMETIME TELEVISION


Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
RALPH FIENNES / Bernard Lafferty - “BERNARD AND DORIS” (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / John Adams - “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)
KEVIN SPACEY / Ron Klain - “RECOUNT” (HBO)
KIEFER SUTHERLAND / Jack Bauer - “24: REDEMPTION” (FOX)
TOM WILKINSON / Benjamin Franklin - “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA DERN / Katherine Harris - “RECOUNT” (HBO)
LAURA LINNEY / Abigail Adams - “JOHN ADAMS” (HBO)
SHIRLEY MacLAINE / Coco Chanel - “COCO CHANEL” (Lifetime)
PHYLICIA RASHAD / Lena Younger - “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” (Lifetime)
SUSAN SARANDON / Doris Duke - “BERNARD AND DORIS” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - “DEXTER” (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper - “MAD MEN” (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Gregory House - “HOUSE” (FOX)
WILLIAM SHATNER / Denny Crane - “BOSTON LEGAL” (ABC)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore - “BOSTON LEGAL” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker - “BROTHERS & SISTERS” (ABC)
MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson - “LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT” (NBC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko - “SAVING GRACE” (TNT)
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson - “MAD MEN” (AMC)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson - “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott - “THE OFFICE” (NBC)
DAVID DUCHOVNY / Hank Moody - “CALIFORNICATION” (Showtime)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold - “ENTOURAGE” (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk - “MONK” (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly - “SAMANTHA WHO?” (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez - “UGLY BETTY” (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin - “WEEDS” (Showtime)
TRACEY ULLMAN / Various Characters - “TRACEY ULLMAN’S STATE OF THE UNION” (Showtime)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
DEXTER (Showtime)
HOUSE (Fox)
MAD MEN (AMC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (Showtime)

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
THE DARK KNIGHT (Warner Bros. Pictures)
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (Universal Pictures)
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Paramount Pictures)
IRON MAN (Paramount Pictures)
WANTED (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC)
HEROES (NBC)
PRISON BREAK (FOX)
THE UNIT (CBS)
THE CLOSER (TNT)


LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild Awards 45th Annual Life Achievement Award
James Earl Jones

14th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS®
NOMINATIONS FACT SHEET
ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS - THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES AND PRIMETIME TELEVISION
TARAJI P. HENSON (3)
FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
CAST – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Boston Legal”

ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS - THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
AMY ADAMS (2)
FEMALE SUPPORT – “Doubt”
CAST – “Doubt”

JOSH BROLIN (2)
MALE SUPPORT – “Milk”
CAST – “Milk”

VIOLA DAVIS (2)
FEMALE SUPPORT – “Doubt”
CAST – “Doubt”

PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (2)
MALE SUPPORT – “Doubt”
CAST – “Doubt”

FRANK LANGELLA (2)
MALE LEAD – “Frost/Nixon”
CAST – “Frost/Nixon”

DEV PATEL (2)
MALE SUPPORT – “Slumdog Millionaire”
CAST – “Slumdog Millionaire”

SEAN PENN (2)
MALE LEAD – “MILK”
CAST – “MILK”

BRAD PITT (2)
MALE LEAD – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
CAST – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

MERYL STREEP (2)
FEMALE LEAD – “Doubt”
CAST – “Doubt”

KATE WINSLET (2)
FEMALE LEAD – “Revolutionary Road”
FEMALE SUPPORT – “The Reader

ACTORS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS - PRIMETIME TELEVISION
ALEC BALDWIN (2)
MALE COMEDY – “30 Rock”
ENSEMBLE COMEDY – “30 Rock”

STEVE CARELL (2)
MALE COMEDY – “The Office”
ENSEMBLE COMEDY – “The Office”

TINA FEY (2)
FEMALE COMEDY – “30 Rock”
ENSEMBLE COMEDY – “30 Rock”

MICHAEL C. HALL (2)
MALE DRAMA – “Dexter”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Dexter”

JON HAMM (2)
MALE DRAMA – “Mad Men”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Mad Men”

HUGH LAURIE (2)
MALE DRAMA – “House”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “House”

MARY LOUISE-PARKER (2)
FEMALE COMEDY – “Weeds”
ENSEMBLE COMEDY – “Weeds”

ELISABETH MOSS (2)
FEMALE DRAMA – “Mad Men”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Mad Men”

JEREMY PIVEN (2)
MALE COMEDY – “Entourage”
ENSEMBLE COMEDY – “Entourage”

KYRA SEDGWICK (2)
FEMALE DRAMA – “The Closer”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “The Closer”

WILLIAM SHATNER (2)
MALE DRAMA – “Boston Legal”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Boston Legal”

JAMES SPADER (2)
MALE DRAMA – “Boston Legal”
ENSEMBLE DRAMA – “Boston Legal”

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
DOUBT - 5
MILK – 3
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - 3
THE DARK KNIGHT - 2
FROST/NIXON - 2
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - 2

PRIMETIME TELEVISION PROGRAMS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
30 ROCK - 3
JOHN ADAMS - 3
MAD MEN- 3
THE CLOSER - 3
BERNARD AND DORIS - 2
DEXTER - 2
ENTOURAGE - 2
HOUSE - 2
RECOUNT – 2
THE OFFICE - 2
WEEDS - 2

NOMINATIONS BY STUDIO FOR THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
PARAMOUNT PICTURES - 6
MIRAMAX FILMS - 5
UNIVERSAL PICTURES – 5
FOCUS FEATURES - 3
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES - 3
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS - 2
WARNER BROS. PICTURES - 2
THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY - 2
OVERTURE FILMS - 1
PARAMOUNT VANTAGE – 1

NOMINATIONS BY NETWORK FOR PRIMETIME TELEVISION
HBO - 9
NBC - 8
ABC - 7
SHOWTIME - 6
FOX - 4
TNT - 4
AMC - 3
LIFETIME - 2
CBS - 1
USA – 1

So "Doubt" is picking up some steam in the acting categories is it? Well, that should help it's Oscar chances (though I still doubt it's going to wind up in the final five for Best Picture). I'm sorry to see "The Dark Knight" get snubbed for Best Ensemble, but it's not out of the race yet (more on that later). I'm just giddy to see Robert Downey Jr. nominated for "Tropic Thunder." Maybe this weird, blackface role will be nominated come Oscar time? I'll write about the The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Confused later on.

Pete's Top Ten

Peter Travis, film critic of Rolling Stone (and one of the few legit critics working these days), has posted his top ten best films of 2008 list. They are:

1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. The Dark Knight
4. Frost/Nixon
5. WALL-E
6. Revolutionary Road
7. The Visitor
8. Doubt
9. Rachel Getting Married
10. Man on Wire

Good to see "The Dark Knight" and "Wall•E" up on the list. It's also nice to see someone giving "Rachel Getting Married" some well deserved recognition. And "Milk" gets another number one spot. Is that our next Best Picture winner? I won't be putting my list together until early January, so I'll hold off commenting my opinions for the moment.

Nominees For The 14th Annual Critics Choice Awards Reveled

For your reading pleasure, here are the nominees for the Critics Choice Awards:

BEST PICTURE

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
The Wrestler

BEST ACTOR

Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS

Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)

Dakota Fanning - The Secret Life of Bees
David Kross - The Reader
Dev Petal - Slumdog Millionaire
Brandon Walters - Australia

BEST ACTION MOVIE

The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Wanted

BEST COMEDY MOVIE

Burn After Reading
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Role Models
Tropic Thunder
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

John Adams
Recount
Coco Chanel

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Christmas Tale
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Let the Right One In
Mongol
Waltz With Bashir

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

I.O.U.S.A.
Man On Wire
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Standard Operating Procedure
Young At Heart

BEST SONG

“Another Way to Die” (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace
“Down to Earth” (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman) - Wall-E
“I Thought I Lost You” (performed Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele) - Bolt
“Jaiho” (performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) - Slumdog Millionaire
“The Wrestler” (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler

BEST COMPOSER

Alexandre Desp lat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
Danny Elfman - Milk
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

Right now here are the leaders of the pack:

Milk (Eight Nominations)

Best Picture
Best Actor
Two Best Supporting Actor Nominations
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Composer

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Eight Nominations)

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Composer

The Dark Knight (Six Nominations)

Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Director
Best Action Movie
Best Composer

Doubt (Six Nominations)

Best Picture
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Acting Ensemble
Best Writer

Slumdog Millionaire (Six Nominations)

Best Picture
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Young Actor/Actress
Best Song
Best Composer

So what does this mean for Oscar season? Well, not too much, though we are starting to see a pattern emerge so that we have a slightly better idea of how the Oscar race is turning out. Here are some things we do know:

• "The Dark Knight" is more likely to get a Best Picture nomination if not outright become the favorite to win.
• "Revolutionary Road" may be trouble, based on it's total shut-out here.
• "The Curious Case of Benjiman Button" is looking to be more then just hype.
• "Slumdog Millionaire" could become this years "Little Film That Could" after all.

Other then that though we don't know much. The Golden Globes are going to be announcing their nominees soon, so once those are announced we may or may not have a good idea on how the Oscar noms will go. Remember, anything can happen and nothing is certain. I mean, just take a look at that song list: Miley Cyrus is a CCA nominee. Crickey!

Ron Howard In The Running?

They say anything can happen in the Oscar game, and we've been seeing that happen all year. The potential for a superhero film to get a Best Picture nomination? Check. A comeback nomination for an actor who destroyed his career by jumping on a couch? Check. An animated film being more impressive then many live action efforts? Check. And now, we're starting to see a potential winner in Ron Howard's "Frost/Nixon." Now even though I was looking forward to this film all year round, the Oscar potential seemed slim. At best a Best Actor nomination for Frank Langella and not much more. But early reviews are trickling in and the critics can't stop raving about the film. They are calling it one of Howard's best films since "Apollo 13." They love the performaces of Michael Sheen and Langella. Some people have claimed it to be superior to the Broadway play. If audiences respond well to the film we might have a front-runner on our hands. Nothing is certain as the reviews that have leaked are few and far between, and the critical reception can change by the end of the weekend, but for now, during a year when we're worried about filler nominations in the top category, this is certainly something to pay attention to.

This also comes off some early reviews for "Doubt," a movie that was singled out as being a sure Best Picture nominee, but thanks to some lukewarm early reviews...well, not to make a bad pun, but the nominations looking more doubtful now. This is actually a very good example of why no one knows anything with the Oscar race, and why making predictions before a films release is futile. Most of the early buzz is simply smart marketing from studio executives who want their films nominated anyway. Both "Doubt" and "Frost/Nixon" are remakes of stage plays. Earlier in the year "Doubt" looked like a sure bet while "Frost/Nixon" looked like a long shot. Now the situation has been reversed. It's been very likely that at least one of the stage movies would be nominated (there's too few slots for both), but it's very funny how we're singing a different tune as to which will be nominated now. I look forward to seeing both films, and I'll give my thoughts on them when I see them.

Cases For And Against Nomination Part 2

I had so much fun listing the pros and cons of films getting Oscar nominations last time I've decided to do this a second time. The following five films are on the above list of potential Best Picture nominees starting at number six, so lets just jump right into things:

Number 6


The Dark Knight


Cases For Nomination

• A great movie.
• Critically acclaimed.
• Highest grossing film of the year.
  
• Second highest grossing film of all time (the Academy respects money).
• Audiences connect with the subject matter.
• Heath Ledger is giving this film major legs.

Cases Against Nomination

• It's a superhero movie.
• It's a sequel.
• May end up being TOO successful for it's own good!

Final Verdict: I think this one is in. The movie is too big - both financially and critically - to be ignored.


Number 7

The Soloist


Cases For Nomination

• It's a biopic. The Academy LOVES biopics!
• Joe Wright directed last years Best Picture nominee "Atonement."
• Jamie Foxx gets Academy love.
• Robert Downey Jr's. comeback year could turn into love for this film.

Cases Against Nomination

• Though "Atonement" received seven Oscar nominations, Wright was not nominated for Best Director.
• Downey Jr. could gain more attention for "Tropic Thunder."

Final Verdict: This looks like a sure bet, but the hype just hasn't been there. We'll have to see on this one.


Number 8


Australia


Cases For Nomination

• Big epic production.
• Nicole Kidman can draw attention for mediocre projects (see "The Hours").
• Hugh Jackman has been picking up lots of box office draw.

Cases Against Nomination

• Will the movie be more style then substance?

Final Verdict: I'm going to say no. At least for now.


Number 9


Doubt


Cases For Nomination

• Acclaimed cast full of Oscar winners and nominees.
• Subject matter reflects a growing concern with the Catholic Church.
• Meryle Strepp is likely to get another Oscar nomination for this film.

Cases Against Nomination

• Subject matter may be too dark for audiences and voters.

Final Verdict: I see this one getting nominated should some of the above films not pan out.


Number 10

Changeling

Cases For Nomination

• Angelina Jolie in a heartbreaking performance.
• A biopic. The Academy LOVES biopics!
• Clint is the man.

Cases Against Nomination

• Clint may be getting too much love recently, which could result in a backlash.

Final Verdict: Eh, you're going to have to flip a coin on this one.

See you around for Part 3 in a couple of weeks.

"Doubt" Trailer Reveled

Wow. I'm sold. Keep an eye out for this one folks: I think it will get many nominations on subject matter alone. Of course, it's looking like Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, and Amy Adams are all up for leading and supporting Oscar nominations. Whether or not there's a Best Picture nomination in the bag is up in the air, but considering the public concern about child molestation in the Catholic Church I wouldn't be too surprised if this became a front runner before anyone saw it.