OSCAR WINNERS 2009
March 15th 2009 08:59
Category: No Category
Hugh Jackman effortlessly steals the audiences' hearts at 2009 Academy Awards
Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceαn Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson
Prediction: Correct. This was a slam dunk.
Sean Penn plays it queer with bravado in Milk
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Nominees:
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Prediction: Miss. The biggest surprise of the evening was Sean Penns Oscar win. Mickey Rourke was robbed in professional terms, but this year the Academy decided to support gay rights, specifically gay marriage, plainly illustrating the cultural forces at play beneath the glitzy surface.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Nominees:
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)
Prediction: Miss. After endless nominations for Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Children Kate finally hit the home run, ironically for a role arguably least memorable out of this line-up. One gets the feeling she was awarded as the most deserving overall, and not so much for The Reader. Another stand out performance in Revolutionary Road probably contributed as well.
Kate Winslet as a seductress in The Reader
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees:
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Prediction: correct. Another slam dunk. A class act by the Academy.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees:
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penιlope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)
Prediction: Correct. Penelopes efforts in Hollywood couldnt remain unrecognized for long, and this was one charismatic role. This way she and Javier Bardem can have a balanced mantelpiece set.
Best Achievement in Directing Nominees:
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)
Prediction: Correct.
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Nominees:
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALLE (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon
Prediction: Correct.
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy
Prediction: Correct.
Best Achievement in Cinematography Nominees:
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle
Prediction: Miss. Slumdog takes it all.
Best Achievement in Editing Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens
Prediction: Correct. If an Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire doesnt keep you at the edge of your seat, not much will.
Best Achievement in Art Direction Nominees:
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Prediction: Correct. If not completely successful on all levels, David Finchers film was an art directors dream.
Best Achievement in Costume Design Nominees:
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky
Prediction: Miss. We were rooting for Australia, but the big wigs took it away, as usual.
Best Achievement in Makeup Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz
Prediction: Correct.
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALLE (2008): Thomas Newman
Prediciton: Correct.
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Nominees:
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, ("O Saya")
WALLE (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")
Prediction: Miss.
Best Achievement in Visual Effects Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan
Prediction: Miss. Apparently the members of the Academy did think that turning Brad Pitt into a garden gnome (as pointedly referred to during the awards show) was worthy of gold. One hopes they were being a little ironic.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Nominees:
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALLE (2008): Andrew Stanton
Prediction: Correct. Who doesnt love little robots with big hearts?
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Nominees:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)
Prediction: Miss. An obscure choice by the Academy, but this way maybe the film will receive a wider international distribution.
Best Documentary, Features Nominees:
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
Prediction: Correct.
Overall results: hits 12, misses 7, equals not too bad. Were aiming to improve these ratios next year.
Slumdog Millionaire takes away a multitude of little bald men at 2009 Oscars
© Copyright P. Bieszk 2009
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