What a shock! For the first time since 1943, there will be ten Oscar nominees for Best Picture and not five. The 2010 Academy Awards will have 10 movies in the Best Picture category. Wow– that was way out of left field.
It’s a little late for “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E,” but at least everyone can stop wondering whether Pixar’s “Up” will get a Best Picture nomination next year, because it’s pretty much guaranteed now. I actually like this idea a lot because it opens the door for a lot of edgier movies (like “The Wrestler,” last year’s best movie) to get the “big guns” nomination that they deserve. On the other hand, this is going to seriously throw off Oscar prediction pools and allow a niche movie to possibly take home the big prize!
NYTimes’ Media Decoder is reporting that in a Q&A session that followed the announcement, AMPAS president Sid Ganis said: “I would not be telling you the truth if I said the words ‘Dark Knight’ did not come up.”
More thoughts: Will this make choosing the best movie of the year easier? I don’t think so. If anything, it’ll make it harder. So we’ll have a worse winner (although it doesn’t get much worse than “Crash), but they’ll nominate some better films in the process (which will all split the vote so something mediocre and inoffensive can win)! Feeling queasy again…
From Oscars.org:
Beverly Hills, CA (June 24, 2009) — The 82nd Academy Awards, which will be presented on March 7, 2010, will have 10 feature films vying in the Best Picture category, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today (June 24) at a press conference in Beverly Hills.
“After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.”
For more than a decade during the Academy’s earlier years, the Best Picture category welcomed more than five films; for nine years there were 10 nominees. The 16th Academy Awards (1943) was the last year to include a field of that size; “Casablanca” was named Best Picture. (In 1931/32, there were eight nominees and in 1934 and 1935 there were 12 nominees.)
Currently, the Academy is presenting a bicoastal screening series showcasing the 10 Best Picture nominees of 1939, arguably one of Hollywood’s greatest film years. Best Picture nominees of that year include such diverse classics as “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Stagecoach,” “The Wizard of Oz” and Best Picture winner “Gone with the Wind.”
“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” commented Ganis. “I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”
The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2. The Oscar® ceremony honoring films for 2009 will again take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.
Tags: 10, 2010, 5, 82nd Academy Awards, best picture, Feature, five, new, nominees, Oscars, ten
The Oscar Fix, Episode 4 of 4: Back by popular demand! Eric and JD discuss Oscar picks and snubs for the upcoming 2009 Academy Awards. In this last episode, Eric and JD predict the winners in Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
Tags: 2009 Academy Awards, 2009 oscar picks, 2009 oscar predictions, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, best picture, predict winners
The National Board of Review today named “Slumdog Millionaire” the 2008 Best Film of the Year, which is pretty crazy because they are usually pretty mainstream. Notice that while “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” didn’t win the big prize, it did win director. Clint Eastwood for Best Actor is a huge upset over Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. Josh Brolin over Heath Ledger is crazy, and “Revolutionary Road” was shut out completely! I love the choice of Best Documentary, but outside of that, something tells me “Slumdog” and Anne Hathaway are the only other ones on this list that are possibly Oscar-bound.
National Board of Review full list:
Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Director: DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Actor: CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino
Best Actress: ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married
Best Supporting Actor: JOSH BROLIN, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Foreign Language Film: MONGOL
Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E
Best Ensemble Cast: DOUBT
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt
Best Directorial Debut: COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River
Best Original Screenplay: NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay: SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Spotlight Award: MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor
Top Ten Films:
(In alphabetical order)
BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DEFIANCE
FROST/NIXON
GRAN TORINO
MILK
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER
Tags: 2008, 2008 Best Film of the Year, 2009, best, best picture, film, movie, named, National Board of Review, Slumdog Millionaire, the, today
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Grant Heslov’s adaptation of the nonfiction book has a loopy enough tone, but it’s all over the place and feels more like a series of gags than a cohesive movie.
The Fourth Kind
This alien abduction suspense movie shouldn’t have included “documentary” footage that feels forced and fake if it wanted to feel real, says Phil.
Disney's A Christmas Carol
Phil says that Robert Zemeckis should have focused his attention more on a little Christmas spirit and less on bombastic chase sequences in this Charles Dickens adaptation.
A Serious Man
Alan says the Coen brothers’ latest is a well-made an intriguing intellectual exercise that Coen fans shouldn’t miss out on.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Alan says this lighthearted vampire movie with John C. Reilly doesn’t make any sense, but is a helluva lot of fun.
Amelia
Hilary Swank plays Ameila Earhart in this beautifully shot but emotionally inert biopic, says Phil.
Where the Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze’s latest is a beautiful movie about the conflicting need in children for both rebellion and community. It rewards on multiple viewings and is one of the best films of the year.
Paranormal Activity
This low-budget reality-style horror pic has a lot of hype and some really good ideas, but your enjoyment may depend on your suspension of disbelief.
The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais’ latest is full of biting social commentary and has some of the most hilarious moments onscreen this year, even if it trips up with its rom-com ending.
Zombieland
It’s not as clever as “Shaun of the Dead,” but this zombie-killing romp has a surprising amount of comedy, an Apatow-style romance, and one of the best cameos ever.
