The nominations for the 80th Annual Academy Awards were announced bright and early Tuesday morning from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  Assuming the ceremony goes on as scheduled, you can see the live broadcast Sunday, February 24th on ABC.

Notable additions/omissions from today’s announcement:

• Based on the major categories alone, it looks like Michael Clayton may be the frontrunner.  It received six nominations.
• Aside from one nod each in the Best Supporting Actor category, both Into the Wild and Charlie Wilson’s War were virtually shut out from the top prizes.
• Sweeney Todd - winner for Best Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes - was shut out for Best Picture.  Johnny Depp’s nom was the only major accolade for the film.
• A much-deserving Amy Adams did not receive a nom nor did her film, Enchanted.
• Atonement - the movie with the most nominations at the Globes - only received 3 in the major areas.  The two main stars (Knightley, McAvoy) were also shut out.
• Cate Blanchett earned two nominations this year (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I’m Not There).
• Angelina Jolie was not recognized for her heartbreaking performance in A Mighty Heart.
• And last but not least, great news for (my personal) standouts this year: Ellen Page (Juno), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) and screenwriter http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/nominees/announcement.html
  ">Read More |

  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

  Here are this year’s crop of Oscar nominees:

  BEST MOVIE

  • Atonement
  • Juno
  • Michael Clayton
  • No Country for Old Men
  • There Will Be Blood

  BEST ACTOR

  • George Clooney, Michael Clayton
  • Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
  • Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
  • Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

  BEST ACTRESS

  • Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
  • Julie Christie, Away from Her
  • Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
  • Laura Linney, The Savages
  • Ellen Page, Juno

  BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
  • Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
  • Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
  • Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

  BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
  • Ruby Dee, American Gangster
  • Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
  • Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
  • Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

  BEST DIRECTOR

  • Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
  • Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
  • Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
  • Jason Reitman, Juno
  • Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

  BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

  • Juno (Diablo Cody)
  • Lars and the Real Girl (Nancy Oliver)
  • Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)
  • Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
  • The Savages (Tamara Jenkins)

  BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

  • Away from Her (Sarah Polley)
  • Atonement (Christopher Hampton)
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Ronald Harwood)
  • No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  • There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)

  (Click here for the full list of nominees.)