Oscar nominations are in....

[Number_6]

I'm excited about the nominations for Best Actress. Usually it's one person I like, a couple I've heard of and then a couple of random people that I had never seen before the nominations were announced. This year, I like everyone nominated and would be happy to see any one of them win.

As far as movies like Star Wars Episode III, Harry Potter IV and Batman Begins not getting other nominations, you have to bear in mind that genre films rarely get nominated for anything that's out in front(Best Picture, Actor/Actress, etc). It has to be something really special, like the LotR movies or the original Star Wars. In some cases, like SWIII, the writing kinda hurt the chances for any of the more major categories. John Williams was already getting nominated for two film scores so he wouldn't get one for SW as well. He didn't handle the score for HPIV and that one was alright, but not memorable IMO. Batman Begins, while an excellent movie, doesn't necessarily have the same emotional impact and fantastic writing that the Best Picture nominees have. Where King Kong is concerned, just as many people felt that it was overly long and drawn out as those that felt it was terriffic. Even people that loved it felt that it could have been done in 2 hours, so that hurt it's chances at both Best Picture and Best Director. I could go on, but I'm getting very sleepy.

Edit: The one last thing I will say is that it is very telling that of the three Animated Features, not one is made by Walt Disney Animation. The closest is Howl's Moving Castle which was I think distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, much the same as Spirited Away and other Miyazaki films, but it is not a Walt Disney Feature Animation product. Corpse Bride was Warner Bros and Wallace & Gromit was Aardman Animation and released through Dreamworks.

 

[TheOneVader]

Needs more Wallace & Gromit! If they don't win the Oscar for best animated movie, I'm gonna be mad. Corpse Bride sucked compared to W&G.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

In some cases, like SWIII, the writing kinda hurt the chances for any of the more major categories.

Bingo

 

[cherrynegra]

In some cases, like SWIII, the writing kinda hurt the chances for any of the more major categories.

"Hold me, Ani! Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo!"

"Anakin Skywalker: You are so... beautiful.
Senator Amidala: It's only because I'm so in love.
Anakin Skywalker: No, it's because I'm so in love with you.
Senator Amidala: So love has blinded you?"

The dialogue in SWIII was just plain cringe inducing!! Ugh!!:brick:

 

[imagineer boy]

Still, it wasn't as bad as Episode 2's dialogue.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Still, it wasn't as bad as Episode 2's dialogue.

You're right, it was the best-written of the 3 prequels. But that's not saying much...

 

[prberk]

This year's nominations were entirely about agendas, nothing less. Every studio and director in Hollywood looks to George Lucas' creations (Industrial Light and Magic) for dependable special effects and state-of-the-art visuals, all of which were on showcase in Star Wars III. But Star Wars got on the academy's look-anywhere-but-here list when it became so popular -- and George Lucas became so powerful and mainstream. Writing (good or bad -- or just simple) had absolutely zero to do with art direction or special effects design.

I also thought that Walk the Line deserved the nod. The Carter family (June's family) is from Southwestern Virginia, and the Johnny & June story is well-known around here. And so is that era in music. They got it right -- in acting and in the era, and most of the story. It was from his autobiography, for goodness sakes! It was as good as "Ray" in this regard. But Hollywood rarely understands or celebrates the roots of country music (beyond Coal Miner's Daughter twenty-five years ago). Reeese and Juaquin both did great jobs (Reese especially got June right, but of course she was from Nashville). But they are already were on Hollywood's A list.

This year, the only thing that really mattered if you were not on the A-list was the political statement of your movie.

Heath Ledger's acting in Brokeback Mtn. is largely criticized as lethargic at best, but it had the right agenda and made the right statement for Hollywood standards. It fit the mold, whether or not it was any good in this movie or any better than anything else that he (a fine actor already) has done.

Same for George Clooney; Munich; Good Night and Good Luck; and on and on....

 

[dxwwf3]

This year's nominations were entirely about agendas, nothing less.

Every year's nominations are entirely about agendas :lol:

 

[prberk]

Every year's nominations are entirely about agendas :lol:

Some years more than others, I think. But you are right, that most years the voting is hardly ever purely about "BEST picture" or "BEST" anything....

I loved "On Golden Pond," but I clearly know that no one had a chance against Henry Fonda (who had never won an Oscar before and was on his death bed) that year. His performance was wonderful and deserved an award, but no other performer had a chance.... He was "due."

So, agendas often override. I just think that it was over the top this year. :hurl: