Hola everyone! I hope you are all celebrating what a momentous week this has been! What's more important than the
Oscar nominations being announced? Nothing! That's right - the official 2009 nominations for Academy Awards were announced today and the best award show of the season is underway. Designers are scrambling to get their best dresses to the nominees. People are planning their speeches in case they win. And Tom Cruise is busy trying to find someway to get an invite and pretend he has a legit excuse to be there. Because Scientology is always welcome on the red carpet. Here's the list of nominees:
Best Actor:Richard Jenkins -
The VisitorFrank Langella -
Frost/NixonSean Penn -
MilkBrad Pitt -
The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonMickey Rourke -
The WrestlerEvery one of these nominations was expected, but I was blindsided when I saw
Richard Jenkins was nominated. This is the man that everyone recognizes, but no one has a clue what his name is or what else he's been in (with the exception of geeks like me). He's steadily been in almost everything you've seen in television or film since the '90s -
Flirting with Disaster,
It Could Happen to You, "Six Feet Under",
North Country,
Rumor Has It,
Step Brothers,
Burn After Reading... The list goes on and on. You've seen him and thought - "Hey, who is that guy?" But he rarely gets more than the bat of an eyelash. Which is unfortunate because he was great in "Six Feet Under" and
Burn After Reading. I haven't seen
The Visitor, but I certainly will now that Richard Jenkins is finally getting the recognition he deserves after 30 years in the industry. The underdog story is always appealing to the masses, and I think his win would be a fantastic one for the people. Bravo, Richard!
Best Actress:Anne Hathaway -
Rachel Getting MarriedAngelina Jolie -
ChangelingMelissa Leo -
Frozen RiverMeryl Streep -
DoubtKate Winslet -
The ReaderAnne Hathaway and Kate Winslet - get ready to duke it out for this one! All are great actresses (though never heard of Melissa Leo until now), but the press has been gunning for these two ladies to take home the gold since last summer. Be prepared to hear a lot more about Anne and Kate over the next month - not that that's a bad thing! Kate looks amazing in the new issue of
InStyle, btw.
Best Supporting Actor:Josh Brolin -
MilkRobert Downey Jr. -
Tropic ThunderPhilip Seymour Hoffman -
DoubtHeath Ledger -
The Dark KnightMichael Shannon -
Revolutionary RoadWow - really? Robert Downey Jr.? I totally understood the Golden Globe nom and felt it was legit if he won, but comedic performances typically have a touch chance at the Oscars. He did a good job in that movie, I just really did not like
Tropic Thunder. I guess I shouldn't fault him for being associated with Tom Cruise... It's just so hard! I still haven't gotten over Meryl Streep agreeing to be in
Lions for Lambs with him. We'll see if Robert Downey Jr. can surpass Heath Ledger though - the noms were announced on the one year anniversary of his death.
Best Supporting Actress:Amy Adams -
DoubtPenelope Cruz -
Vicky Cristina BarcelonaViola Davis -
DoubtTaraji P. Henson -
The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonMarisa Tomei -
The WrestlerMan, I need to see
Doubt. They are all over these awards! Ok - that's my mission this week. Though I can't stand her, I'm happy Penelope Cruz was nominated because she really was the dominant force in
Vicky Cristina Barcelona. See! I can be kind to those I hate! I'm not so evil... (Hear that, Tyra?) However, I don't really understand why Taraji P. Henson's role in
Curious Case was that big of a deal? She played a mother - that's about it. She did well, but it wasn't the part of the movie that I thought much about. There's a lot of critics that would disagree with me on that, but whatevs!
Best Picture:The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonFrost/NixonMilkThe ReaderSlumdog MillionaireAnd the winner is...
Pink Panther 2! J/K - My vote goes to
Slumdog Millionaire. I loved this film! If you haven't seen it, I suggest you brave the cold and get yourself to a theater...STAT! And if you've seen
Curious Case... Well, you may have enjoyed it more the first time you saw it... When it was called
Forrest Gump. This
video points out the similarities, none of which I noticed!
Of course, I'm participating in
Pop Guru's Oscar Challenge again this year for the fourth year running. I have to see every film nominated for Best Picture before the Academy Awards so I can have an educated opinion on who should win. It's the one time of year my opinions are based on solid facts and research, so cherish the moment. They're still unsolicited, but nonetheless, knowledgeable. I challenge you all to participate in this contest as well! You get nothing in return except an empty wallet and a fat ass from all the popcorn you consume, but it's worth it! You have one month until the big day - The Academy Awards air February 22 at 8pm EST on ABC.