Oscar Nominations!

A few days ago, the Academy finally released their list of films nominated for the big night. One of the major amendments to the awards ceremony is the fact that there will be ten films in the running for Best Picture, instead of the usual five.

And the nominees are:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up In The Air


Some cynicists say this devalues the importance of getting nominated, while others think that the extra five films allows for recognition that would've never been achieved, and (probably more importantly) nominations for films which the Academy which would usually be deemed too commercial. This is evident with Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, and Up, all of which were blockbusters that probably wouldn't be up for nominations if it weren't for this new amendment to the ceremony.

The fact is especially true for Up, which would otherwise have only been Best Animated Feature (it is only the second cartoon to be nominated for Best Picture; the other being Beauty and the Beast). Some would argue that Up's nomination, and really the blockbusters in general, is like the Academy searching too hard for extra candidates. Others would argue that their inclusion could be an attempt by the Academy to gain more viewer interest, as the ratings were generally low this past decade.

Personally, I'm not furious about the films nominated (mostly because my personal favorite, Inglourious Basterds, got a nod) but I do sense that some of the films are probably not the same caliber as others (ie, I don't think you can compare The Hurt Locker and The Blind Side). In addition, so many nominees makes the race seem less tight, and is overall far more confusing.

Last year's Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were all worthy films, and every movie had its own personal fanbase. With ten nominees, certain critics will find many of the nominees less than worthy, and there will unquestionably be divided fanbases with so many movies up for the award.

Right now, I see The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air as the frontrunners for this category, with movies like Avatar and Precious as definite possibilities for the win. Inglourious Basterds and An Education both have a chance, while I would consider District 9, Up, A Serious Man and The Blind Side all long-shots. Of course, this is all merely speculation and speculation has no influence on the Academy. However, over the past few years, the Academy has started a tradition of generally going with the flow in these larger categories. In fact, I would argue that the last huge upset in the Best Picture was at the 2006 Oscars when Crash beat Brokeback Mountain.

So perhaps the nicest thing about the increased number of nominations is that it will make the whole race more fair. In a year where, I would argue, there is no definite frontrunner (unlike last year's Slumdog Millionaire), the suspense, and subsequent interest, of the Oscars will increase considerably. With some commercial fare up for a few statues, audience interest will probably rise. The relevance of the ceremony will be rejuvenated, and that could be just what the Academy needs at this point in time.

The other major category nominees include:

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 Sibide - Precious
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 Gylenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up In The Air
Mo'Nique - Precious

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron - Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels - Precious
Jason Reitman - Up In The Air