The coveted little guy (AP)
It's time to look again at the nominees in the top three Oscar categories, and after a week with no changes on the list, finally there is some movement this week. Even though I really liked
Elizabeth: The Golden Age, it doesn't seem that a lot of other people really did, so I knew that eventually it would be getting bumped from the list. And finally this week, someone was available to do the bumping. As always, keep in mind that this list only includes movies that have come out in Dallas, and as new movies are released, I'll update the list. With that in mind, on to the list of nominees...
New additions in bold
Best Picture
American Gangster
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Eastern Promises
Gone Baby Gone
Into the Wild
Getting the Boot: Elizabeth the Golden Age. American Gangster essentially uses the same Oscar formula that Elizabeth does (period drama, well-respected actors), only with better results.
Best Actor
Brad Pitt (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild)
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Denzel Washington(American Gangster)
Getting the boot: Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah). I may well be proven wrong on this one, as Mr. Jones received a lot of buzz when Elah first came out. But the Academy certainly likes Denzel Washington, and he's been applauded before by playing a bad guy in Training Day. And the fact that Gangster has already made more than five times what Elah brought in certainly doesn't hurt.
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away from Her)
Wei Tang (Lust, Caution)
Halle Berry (Things We Lost in the Fire)
Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart)
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Comments
Posted by Kip Mooney @ 1:43 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
Now, I may be in the minority here: but I thought Russell Crowe was just as good as Denzel, even though their roles were completely different. Do you think he still has a shot, at least in the Supporting Actor category? I sure hope so.
Posted by Pete Oppel @ 1:48 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
I would have given Brad Pitt the boot over Tommy Lee Jones. I can't picture any scenario in which Pitt gets a nomination and I think it's going to be a close race between Tommy Lee Jones and Tom Hanks for the fifth spot in actor nomination field.
I also agree with you that "American Gangster" belongs on the picture list, but there are also two words to explain why it has absolutely no chance to win the big Oscar: "The Departed." The Academy believes it has already rewarded its gangster/crime movie, at least for a little while.
Posted by stephen becker @ 2:02 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
Kip -- I think it really just depends on how the studio pitches it. Crowe and Washington are co-leads, no matter how you slice it. I can't see both of them getting nominated in the category, so if I had to guess, I bet the studio will push Crowe for the supporting category, as ridiculous as that would be. It would kind of be like Jake Gyllenhaal being nominated for supporting actor for Brokeback Mountain -- that was essentially a movie with two leads.
Posted by stephen becker @ 2:04 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
Pete -- I totally agree with you about Gangster. No chance a crime film wins two years in a row, and I think The Departed was the superior film, as much as I liked Gangster.
Posted by Chris Vognar @ 2:36 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
I somehow doubt Oscar voters are sitting in a room somewhere saying "Well, we voted for a crime movie last year, so..." Then again, I'm on record as not caring about any of this, so what do I know? But I do agree that Tommy Lee Jones has a better shot than Pitt.
Posted by stephen becker @ 2:42 PM Tue, Nov 06, 2007
I suppose there is a pretty good chance that neither Pitt nor Jones make the final cut. We've yet to (officially) see the work of Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War), Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd), Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Denzel Washington (for The Debaters), James McAvoy (Atonement) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages). All of those performances have gotten good buzz, so when they are actually rolled out, I have a feeling this list will receive quite a shakeup.