Oscar nominations – Patterson, Miracle Fish in, everybody else out
A tough year for Australians; only costume designer Janet Patterson (Bright Star) and Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey (Miracle Fish in Short Film – Live Action) were nominated for the 82nd Academy Awards.
Samson & Delilah missed out as Israel, Argentina, Peru, France and Germany compete for Best Foreign Film. Producer Kath Shelper said on Twitter: “OK. Disappointed, but now I can have a nap.”
The Academy demonstrated once again that they can’t see much beyond US animation by preferring Disney’s latest 2D offering The Princess and the Frog over Adam Elliott’s Mary & Max.
This is the full list of nominees. Our predictions (who will win, not who deserves to win) are in bold. The ceremony will take place on March 7.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
A decent mix. Expanding the category from five to 10 films did not see any VFX blockbusters make the list – except for Avatar, whose revolutionary qualities set it aside. Science fiction is not usually an Academy favourite, but critics’ choice District 9 was included thanks to the extra room in the category. It’s good to see an animated film nominated as Up becomes the second one to achieve the feat – 17 years after Beauty and the Beast. Everything else looks normal.
Our guess? Avatar has done so much for Hollywood it could follow the footsteps of Cameron’s own Titanic, but again, science fiction doesn’t have a great history at the Oscars. It would be an exception, the same way Return of the King was in the fantasy genre. If not Avatar, the second strongest candidate is The Hurt Locker.
- 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 Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
- George Clooney for Up in the Air
- Colin Firth for A Single Man
- Morgan Freeman for Invictus
- Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
- Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side – also nominated for Worst Couple at the Razzies for All About Steve!
- Helen Mirren for The Last Station
- Carey Mulligan for An Education
- Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
- Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Matt Damon for Invictus
- Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
- Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
- Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
- Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Penélope Cruz for Nine
- Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
- Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
- Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
- Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Best Achievement in Directing
- Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
- James Cameron for Avatar
- Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
- Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
- Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
- The Hurt Locker: Mark Boal
- Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
- The Messenger: Oren Moverman, Alessandro Camon
- A Serious Man: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Up: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
- District 9: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
- An Education: Nick Hornby
- In the Loop: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
- Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: Geoffrey Fletcher
- Up in the Air: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
Best Achievement in Cinematography
- Avatar: Mauro Fiore
- The White Ribbon : Christian Berger
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Bruno Delbonnel
- The Hurt Locker: Barry Ackroyd
- Inglourious Basterds: Robert Richardson
Best Achievement in Editing
- Avatar: Stephen E. Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
- District 9: Julian Clarke
- The Hurt Locker: Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
- Inglourious Basterds: Sally Menke
- Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: Joe Klotz
Best Achievement in Art Direction
- Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Anastasia Masaro
- Nine: John Myhre
- Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood
- The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette
Best Achievement in Costume Design
- Bright Star: Janet Patterson
- Coco avant Chanel: Catherine Leterrier
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Monique Prudhomme
- Nine: Colleen Atwood
- The Young Victoria: Sandy Powell
Best Achievement in Makeup
- Il divo
- Star Trek
- The Young Victoria
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
- Avatar: James Horner
- Fantastic Mr. Fox: Alexandre Desplat
- The Hurt Locker: Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
- Sherlock Holmes: Hans Zimmer
- Up: Michael Giacchino
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
- “Almost There” – The Princess and the Frog
- “Down in New Orleans” – The Princess and the Frog
- “Loin de Panama” – Paris 36
- “Take it All” – Nine
- “The Weary Kind” – Crazy Heart
Best Achievement in Sound
- Avatar: Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
- The Hurt Locker: Paul N.J. Ottosson
- Inglorious Basterds: Wylie Stateman
- Star Trek: Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
- Up: Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
- Avatar: Christopher Boyes, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
- The Hurt Locker: Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
- Inglorious Basters: Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulatno
- Star Trek: Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
- Avatar
- District 9
- Star Trek
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
While disappointed that Mary & Max is not there – and surprised that the Irish The Secret of Kells is – it’s good to see Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox going up against Disney and Pixar. Coraline was a predictable choice, but a worthy one too.
- Coraline
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
- The Princess and the Frog
- The Secret of Kells
- Up
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
- Ajami: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani(Israel)
- The White Ribbon: Michael Haneke(Germany)
- El secreto de sus ojos (2009): Juan José Campanella(Argentina)
- Un prophète (2009): Jacques Audiard(France)
- La teta asustada (2009): Claudia Llosa(Peru)
Best Documentary, Features
- Burma VJ: Reporter i et lukket land: Anders Østergaard
- The Cove: Louie Psihoyos
- Food, Inc.: Robert Kenner
- The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
- Which Way Home : Rebecca Cammisa
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
- China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
- The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
- The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
- Królik po berlinsku
- Music by Prudence
Best Short Film, Animated
- French Roast
- Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
- La dama y la muerte
- Logorama
- Wallace and Gromit in ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’
Best Short Film, Live Action
- The Door
- Istället för abrakadabra
- Kavi
- The New Tenants
- Miracle Fish. Here, an interview with producer Drew Bailey and Luke Doolan after winning at the 2009 AFI Awards.
