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And The Nominees Are…

By Robert Cortez | Published Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Whether you put any stock in what the Academy deems the “best” or not, this year’s running is sure to be interesting because now we have ten nominees for Best Picture, which opens the race up to films that would have never been considered in previous years, including sci-fi/fantasy fare like Avatar and District 9 and for the second time ever, an animated feature in Up. Here are the nominees in the seven most prominent categories (more can be found on page 2). What are your picks?

Best Picture

  • Avatar
  • The Blind Side
  • District 9
  • An Education
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
  • A Serious Man
  • Up
  • Up in the Air

Best Actor

  • Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
  • George Clooney, Up in the Air
  • Colin Firth, A Single Man
  • Morgan Freeman, Invictus
  • Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

  • Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
  • Helen Mirren, The Last Station
  • Carey Mulligan, An Education
  • Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire
  • Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor

  • Matt Damon, Invictus
  • Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
  • Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
  • Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
  • Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress

  • Penelope Cruz, Nine
  • Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
  • Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
  • Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Best Animated Feature Film

  • Coraline
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • The Princess and the Frog
  • The Secret of Kells
  • Up

Best Director

  • James Cameron, Avatar
  • Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
  • Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
  • Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

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  • Zoe
    Was I the only SPJ member who didn't think Moon was all that?
  • I like to think of it as a "classic" sci-fi film because it doesn't really do anything innovative in terms of production or story and yet it's still pretty solid. As a film overall, I'm on record as saying I thought it was good but not great (and not Best Picture, either).

    BUT, I like Sam Rockwell in just about everything he's in and Moon was one of the few films where he's had a chance to take the spotlight and do some interesting character work. And since he's arguably the only character(s?) in the movie, I don't think that kind of work should be overlooked.
  • Dennis
    I liked Moon! Rockwell IS that movie. I know they tried launching an Oscar campaign for it and subsequently lost most of the screeners en route to the Academy members. That probably didn't help matters. I'm pretty happy I've seen 6 out of the 10 Best Picture nominees (still have An Education, Blind Side, A Serious Man and yes, Smurfs on Steroids 3D to see). I thought Up in the Air and District 9 were a little overrated, but dug Precious, Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds (my red squiggly spell check hates that title with a vengeance). I know Ellen's expertly seen 9 out of 10 of the nominees, wherever she may be.
  • Really sad that with all the talk of the 10 Best Picture Nominees opening things up for genre and sci-fi, we get more middlebrow Oscar fare and a Lifetime movie. Star Trek definitely deserved a Best Picture nomination. And for the record, seen 'em all except The Blind Side, and I will not ever be seeing that junk.
  • Moon is in Netflix queue. It would be at the top but, damn, I can't stop watching Mad Men.
  • pts
    I'm sorry, I can't be coherent right now because of my terrible rage at the snubbing of Moon. Sam Rockwell deserved at least a nomination and should probably have won; I would've wanted a Director nomination for Duncan Jones and a Music nod for Clint Mansell, too.

    I'm not sure I can go on living in a world where Avatar and District 9 are tacitly recognized as the best genre films made this year—a year that also contained the excellent Star Trek reboot and Moon, the best SF film of the decade.
  • Rockwell definitely could've had a shot at a Best Actor nom if the studio mounted a campaign for it. I don't think he was put forward by them at all though. He didn't even get an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
  • Rockwell was definitely overlooked. I think Duncan Jones built a pretty great "classic" sci-fi film but it looks to me like the filmmakers that are getting recognized (at least in terms of sci-fi) are the ones pushing technological boundaries more than anything else. Yes, that's a shame but yes, you'll go on living. :D
  • True, The Blind Side seems like a movie I've already seen before (I'm kind of hoping Sandra Bullock has a line like "You're the man now, dog!") but it's now in my "I'll see this one day" pile where it wasn't before. And really, I don't think any of these five that I haven't seen warrant going to a theater, so I'll also wait for video.
  • Zoe
    Ha. "You're the man now, dog!" would win a personal Oscar from me.

    I guess a lot of my rage comes from the fact that "white person saves inner city youth(s)" is my least-favorite trope ever and the more awards it wins, the more likely it is to continue.
  • P.S. I am NOT now curious to see The Blindside. It may very well be a great movie. But I just have no interest in watching this in a movie theater. This has Netflix written all over it for me.
  • Zoe
    This. If the trailer makes it look like Hardball and movies cost $12.50, I'll pass, thanks.
  • The first thing I thought when I read that list was "The Blind Side" ? Really? But no Star Trek?

    I haven't seen The Blindside. But I feel like I don't have to. I've seen tons of other similar movies that I can guess how it all goes down. I'm sure I will watch it eventually on cable or whatnot, but for now, PASS.

    I pick UP.
  • Well, that's not really fair now, is it? A couple of years ago, I had a hard time keeping up with the nominees and beat my head against the wall because I felt like I couldn't have a say until I saw them for myself.

    If nothing else, the Oscar race has always been good for compelling me to see what supposed to be good, and I'm actually curious to see The Blind Side now. I've heard just enough "it's better than what you think" that it's near the top of my list, along with and An Education and A Serious Man. On the other hand, Precious and Up in the Air don't appeal to me at all, but I'll eventually give in and see them later on.

    So far, I'm 5-5 (Avatar, Basterds, District 9, Hurt Locker, Up) and out of those, I pick Basterds to win.
  • Zoe
    It's not fair, but I am ok with that. I'm also very anti-Up in the Air being nominated, even though I DID see it and DID enjoy it.

    I may be pre-judging The Blind Side and, it may in fact be better than the totally by the books sports movie that it looks like. But "better than what you think" does not mean Best Movie of the Year.
  • I will happily trash Blind Side without seeing it. And I think it's fair to do so. With all the trashing of something as genuinely great as Precious as Dangerous Minds-esque, this definitely is. It's a Lifetime movie, not a Best Picture.
  • Zoe
    I literally just sent an email to a bunch of friends saying, essentially, BLIND SIDE, REALLY? My rage is pretty high.

    Note: I have not actually SEEN Blind Side. Because I'm that jerk.
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