As the end of the year rattles on, you’d expect to see a decline in respectable films- quite the opposite. Oscar season is simply warming up, and as December hits in a few days, we’ll see an oncoming storm of next year’s Oscar films- will we see Harry Potter finally strike gold? Will Leonardo DiCaprio finally win an Oscar? Will Steven Spielberg make his big comeback after a decade of waiting?
Best Picture
Primary
-War Horse
-Moneyball
-The Tree of Life
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Melancholia
-The Descendants
-The Artist
-Midnight in Paris
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-The Help
Secondary
-A Dangerous Method
-Shame
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Martha Marcy May Marlene
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-Hugo
-The Iron Lady
-My Week with Marilyn
-We Need to Talk About Kevin
-We Bought a Zoo
Tertiary
-Drive
-Win Win
-Contagion
-The Adventures of Tintin
-Carnage
-Warrior
-Young Adult
-Beginners
-50/50
-Win Win
Commentary: Even mere weeks before the final nominees are announced, it’s really hard to predict the possible nominees. Sometimes there’s a film that’s getting buzz as the ‘surefire win’ (see J. Edgar) that doesn’t get nominated. There are about thirty films that are getting buzz this time of the year (which is why I now hate the internet; don’t they know that this makes my job so much harder since only five to ten films are being nominated this year?) and I’ve separated them into primary films, secondary, and tertiary. Don’t just look at primary here; there’ll probably be three or four from the secondary category that’ll get nominated in the end with a tertiary coming out the winner.
Stephen Spielberg’s War Epic/Period Piece/Comeback/Oscar Bait this year, War Horse is the frontrunner right now- that’s amazing, considering it hasn’t even been released yet.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 is the final Harry Potter film, and Warner Bros. has pulled out all stops (starting up a ‘For Your Consideration’ minisite, plastering photos all over Hollywood and handing out booklets to Oscar voters) for the best reviewed (and highest grossing) film of the year to finally grab a nomination- this may be luck for Potter, as it would end up being the third year in a row that the highest grossing film of the year got nominated for Best Picture (Avatar and Toy Story 3 respectively).
Melancholia and Tree of Life, both helmed by visionary directors and scoring hype at the Canne’s Awards back in March are considered guaranteed slots. George Clooney’s quiet drama, The Descendants is receiving a lot of hype, considering it is Alexander Payne’s first directorial showcase since the hit Sideways. George Clooney’s performance is generating hype too, after November’s The Ides of March; the Academy loves films that focus on everyday, human dramas, so this’ll definitely be a big winner.
The Artist has generated a surprisingly large showcase on the web- it’s getting excellent reviews, but most people are elevating it to the status of Best Picture frontrunner. Personally, I don’t see it as a big winner at this stage, but Academy voters might feel the same way.
Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris would probably be a much bigger bet if it were released during the traditional Oscar season- it was lost in a sea of March releases, and even though it scored really well with audiences in critics, there is a chance it’ll get overlooked.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s bestselling novel, is directed by Stephen Daldry, who directed The Hours, Billy Elliot, and The Reader. It also stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, featuring some supporting performances from Viola Davis and Max Von Sydow. Led by newcomer Thomas Horn, who is best known for winning Kids Jeopardy! a few years back (his character is a kid genius, so that won’t be much of a stretch). It hasn’t been released yet and considering the luck of many other Oscar hopefuls this year it could go either way- but many are betting on it being Best Picture caliber and getting a nomination for Daldry. It also centers around post 9/11, and its relevance might get it some appreciation.
Now The Help generally received O.K reviews and was mostly carried by the strength of its leading cast- I wouldn’t even consider it- but the Academy has this thing for old-style southern period pieces (see Forrest Gump and Driving Ms. Daisy) which will probably elevate it above the more competent films seen this year.
Moneyball, which did surprisingly well among critics, quietly boasts Brad Pitt, Aaron Sorkin, and Bennett Miller amongst its critics. Right now, Pitt’s the biggest Best Actor contender of the year but the film’s generally stayed off the radar; but I can guarantee you that when it gets nominated, Sony Pictures will whip out the big guns to get this serious cred.
A Dangerous Method, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Shame, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are all pretty much tied in my book. A Dangerous Method is being praised for the performances by its three leads but David Cronenburg’s direction, which was suspected to really carry the film here, is surprisingly understated here, which dropped it a notch from where it originally was- there’s a good chance it’ll still get a Best Picture nomination still, if the field’s wide enough.
TheGirl with the Dragon Tatoo promises to score high with critics and be one of the best films of the year; but with the Academy’s new voting regime, which requires that all films (up to ten!) with more than five percent of number one votes to receive a nomination- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is pretty controversial, a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing that might turn off some voters and so there’s a chance it won’t get a nomination. The same goes for NC-17 rated Shame- but that effect might work backwards for the controversial Michael Fassbender film. It’s this year’s Blue Valentine and as Fox Searchlight is claiming to wear Shame’s MPAA rating as a “badge of pride” that might appeal to Academy members’ nature. Martha Marcy May Marlene featured a breakout/standout performance from the Olsen twins’ lesser known sister, Emily Olsen, being praised by critics along with T.Sean’s Durkin’s surprisingly well-crafted direction. Because of the lack of street cred it’s film makers has, I think the best thing that’ll be done for this film is put them on the radar for coming years, as seen in the past by people like Christopher Nolan and David Fincher.
The Iron Lady (Meryl Streep), My Week with Marilyn (Michelle Williams), and We Need to Talk About Kevin (Tilda Swinton) owes their success to their star vehicles, which will undoubtedly make them big nominees in said categories but make them more iffy in others, mainly because the major categories are so densely packed in the first place.
Hugo has been receiving spectacular reviews with Academy veteran Martin Scorsese’s name on the picture but considering that it’s considered a “children’s film” it probably won’t receive the respect it deserves (seen in past years by Harry Potter) but only in technical categories. Worth mentioning is that it’s the third best reviewed film of the year. Speaking of children’s films as Oscar nominees, Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo is sharing some of the discussion, but might get overlooked in the end, considering it belongs to none of the usual categories Academy members consider.
Win Win, Young Adult, and Drive might not be candidates for different reasons. Win Win was released too early in this year to be the Indie favorite that always pops up. Young Adult, reunites Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and Diablo Cody, who worked on Juno together, which went over well with critics. It’ll probably end up as one of the riper comedies of the year (with Bridesmaids) but it seems that at most, it’ll get a writingnomination for Cody perhaps a nomination for Charlize Theron.
Drive was one of the most talked about of the fall, and perhaps a screenplay nomination, but I don’t really see anybody writing it down, although it may surprise us. Contagion marketed itself as this year’s most ambitious directorial and promised to dominate acting categories and even braved a ‘For Your Consideration’ for Best Picture, but reviews were merely decent and doesn’t stand anywhere particularly winning-I think, however, director Sodernbergh could get a nomination for managing to balance a diverse cast of so many people. Roman Polanski’s Carnage, based on the Award- Winning play, is being praised highly from early reviews- it’s an offbeat comedy, though, and not really the Academy’s flavor.
Lastly, The Adventures of Tintin is also a possibility, being, of course, Spielberg, but it is animated, and after Cars 2’s fail it seems that the Academy may be a little sore to replace Pixar so quickly.
Best Director
Primary
-Steven Spielberg, War Horse
-Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
-Lars Von Trier, Melancholia
-Alexander Payne, The Descendants
-David Cronenburg, A Dangerous Method
Secondary
-Bennett Miller, Moneyball
-Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
-Tate Taylor, The Help
-David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tertiary
-Martin Scorsese, Hugo
-David Yates, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Tomas Alfredson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-T. Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
-Steven Soderbergh, Contagion
-Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
-Thomas McCarthy, Win Win
-Jodie Foster, The Beaver
Commentary: If you believe in my choices for the Best Picture category, then there really shouldn’t be many surprises for Best Director. Terrence Mallik and Lars Von Trier led their films with deliberate visions and carried their films all the way to early award shows and festivals- there the obvious frontrunners. Then, there’s Spielberg of course, who makes up for lack of early exposure and marketing with, well, being Spielberg. His last Oscar was for Saving Private Ryan, so he may pull a repeat with his mastery of War vision.
Alexander Payne also heads the list, having written the script as well as directed The Descendants. He didn’t score the Oscar back in 2004 for Sideways, of course he’ll get some credibility at this point. David Cronenburg directed A Dangerous Method, and perhaps if it does score a Best Picture nomination he’ll be dually credited for his method of direction.
Bennett Miller, who directed Moneyball with quiet, nuanced vision is less likely but adequately suited for a nomination, boosted by Aaron Sorkin’s script, even if he and Sorkin don’t same the mutual vision that he and David Fincher did. If Extremely Loud is the big critical winner we expect it to be, then Daldry’s dark, cinematographically vibrant vision is sure to score him a second nomination, and perhaps a win. Woody Allen will definitely get a nomination if Paris receives a BP nomination, as he’s the basic credit for the film. Same for The Help- even if Taylor’s hand is a shadow to the powerful lead performances, he’ll still get credit for being involved so much in the production process.
David Fincher’s also extremely likely, even if Tattoo ultimately doesn’t receive a Best Picture nomination. He might even win that one, considering how many felt his loss for The Social Network was a big snub. If Harry Potter is as big as we suspect it’ll be, and won’t just get a pity vote for Best Picture, then that means David Yates will be ushered over to the party, too, for his continuous involvement in four films, or half of the entire franchise. Thomas Alfredson, in his English debut, could also stir a big controversy for Spy.
Best Actor
*In the case of an actor likely to be nominated for more than one role in the year, the film with the star next to him is the one most likely to land him a nomination.
Primary
-Brad Pitt, Moneyball
-Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
-George Clooney, The Descendants*/ The Ides of March
-Ryan Gosling, Ides of March*/Drive
-Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Secondary
-Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
-Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
-Daniel Craig, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Michael Fassbender, Shame
-Joel Edgerton, Warrior
Tertiary
-Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Ewan McGregor, Beginners
-Colin Firth, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-Christoph Waltz, Carnage
-Matt Damon, We Bought a Zoo
-Paul Giamatti, Win Win
-Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Commentary: Leonardo DiCaprio was considered a shoe-in a couple months ago, before the bad reviews for Clint Eastwood’s period piece on the controversial FBI head started flooding in. Critics still praise his powerhouse performance and dramatic transformation, even if the rest of the production failed. The bad reviews may ultimately drag down his performance, and in that case, it’ll go to the current frontrunner, Brad Pitt, for Moneyball. He doesn’t pull anything controversial or particularly tantalizing, but still pulls of his famed character with idiosyncratic, compelling style- he’s pretty much the fan favorite right now. He also recently revealed that he’s retiring from acting when he turns fifty, which is in three years, so we’ll want to award the man for his pretty decent career while we can.
George Clooney heads off third with The Descendants- although he’s catching up with DiCaprio and Pitt now, running in his newly found sandals and Hawaiian shorts. Ryan Gosling is desperate this year too, starring in both Drive and The Ides of March.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy boasts a stellar British male cast that will probably garner most of its nominations (how the Academy loves their Brits) and that leaves veteran Gary Oldman, who has yet to win an Oscar either (DiCaprio’s future, if this continues) is also definitely in the running- early reviews praise the BAFTA winner’s dark portrayal of the famed literary character George Smiley. If Daniel Craig can burst out of his cool and calculating 007 shell in Tattoo, he might also score a nomination.
Best Actress
Primary
-Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
-Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
-Viola Davis, The Help
-Keira Knightley, A Dangerous Method
-Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Secondary
-Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
-Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
-Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life
-Carey Mulligan, Shame
Tertiary
-Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
-Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
-Mia Wasikowska, Jane Eyre
-Charlize Theron, Young Adult
-Zana Marjanovic, In the Land of Blood and Honey
-Charlize Theron, Young Adult
-Rachel Weisz, The Whistleblower
Commentary: This was the toughest field for me to write about. In my opinion, 2011 is the best year in a long time for female performances, as we’ve seen a lot of seriously brilliant stuff from newcomers and returning pros this year. If I had a choice, I’d nominate every actress filling up my primary and secondary slots. Kristen Dunst, who wowed critics and the O’Cannes this year with her lead performance in Melancholia is generating the most praise right now. Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn showcases a transformed Williams, who takes on the role of the Hollywood icon in the best ways. One moment, she’s stunning, vibrant, and exudes glamour; the next moment, she’s startlingly vulnerable and gripping to watch onscreen. Monroe’s dramatic lead in Marilyn lifts the film and ultimately guarantees her a nod.
Viola Davis, nominated before for her supporting performances in Doubt has been known for her surprising lack of lead roles. This is her biggest one to date, and she is getting praised over and over for her raw, emotional performance in The Help- at this point, she’s definitely a lock for some wins.
Keira Knightley is provocative and psychologically disturbed in A Dangerous Method- this formula scored the win for Natalie Portman last year, who Knightley seems to be channeling here. She provides the most perturbing performance on the list, so that makes her a standout in this race.
Meryl Streep is guaranteed a nomination. Her performance in The Iron Lady as Margaret Thatcher is being given The King’s Speech treatment and might do for her what Speech did for Colin Firth, perhaps giving her a fourth win. Rooney Mara, who I’d gladly fit on this list if I could, completely transforms from girl-next-door to the shocking, incendiary performance as the title character in Tattoo, and promises to fill the shoes of Naomi Rapace, who starred in the original Swedish rendition. She is guaranteed to stun you in this amazing turn, as well as critics, and hopefully Academy members.
As I wrote about in the Best Picture category, Emily Olsen gives an amazing, critic wowing performance in May Marlene, and even the fact that here performance is as high caliber as the rest displayed here its not enough to keep up with these actress’ history with Academy members (they’ve all been nominated before) giving them more credibility. The last actual big contender that I can see is Tilda Swinton, who is said to give heh most powerful performance to date in the real life horror story We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Best Supporting Actor
Primary
-John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
-Rhys Ifans, Anonymous
-Kenneth Brangah, My Week With Marilyn
-Alan Rickman, Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Secondary
-Lawrence Fishburne, Contagion
-Tom Hardy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*/Warrior
-Jonah Hill, Moneyball
-Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
– Jim Broadbent, The Iron Lady
Tertiary
-Tom Hanks, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Albert Brooks, Drive
-Sean Penn, The Tree of Life
-John Hurt, Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy
-Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
-Michael Gambon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Commentary: John Hawkes received an Academy Award nomination last year for his performance in Winter’s Bone, and holds his own against surprise standout Emily Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene. I think that he’s the real contender this year, but might get ultimately be forgotten. Anonymous didn’t do too well critically and is not going to do well amongst anything except for costume design and makeup, but seasoned performances from its A-List British actors, Rhys Ifans in particular, could get it a nom. Kenneth Branagh is praised for his performance in Marilyn, which should get him consideration considering Michelle Williams, in the spirit of her title character, took up most of the screen time of the film. Alan Rickman is Warner Bros. biggest bet for an acting nomination for Deathly Hallows, and it should hold its own against this year’s other performances even if he doesn’t actually win. Actors from Contagion, J. Edgar, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Warrior could also receive nominations.
Best Supporting Actress
Primary
-Octavia Spencer, The Help
-Judi Dench, J. Edgar
-Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus
-Jessica Chastain, The Help*/Take Shelter
-Emily Watson, War Horse
Secondary
-Kate Winslet, Carnage
-Jodie Foster, Carnage
-Maria Dizzia, Martha Marcy May Marlene
-Sandra Bullock, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Helena Bonham Carter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
Tertiary
-Melanie Laurent, Beginners
-Marion Cotilliard, Contagion/Midnight in Paris*
-Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help
-Emma Stone, The Help
-Berenice Bejo, The Arist
Commentary: Octavia Spencer and Judi Dench are guaranteed nominations, Spencer for her biting, visceral, and humanistic portrayal in The Help, one especially good for a newcomer. Dame Judi Dench is frail yet powerful in her speak in J. Edgar, delivering a typically grand performance as the controversial FBI leader’s mother. Vanessa Redgrave is talked about among those who saw Corionalus, but its lack of connection to mainstream audiences might be her downfall. Carnage could score nominations for Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster in comedic turns. We may see some other talked-about turns from The Artist, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and War Horse.
Best Animated Feature
Primary
-The Adventures of Tintin
-Kung Fu Panda 2
-Rio
-Puss in Boots
-Winnie the Pooh
-Rango
-Arthur Christmas
Commentary: The Animated Feature is finally open for a non-Pixar feature this year, considering Cars 2’s abysmal reviews. The Adventures of Tintin is our definite main bet, as even Spielberg in animated form is sure to be a mix for success. Besides Tintin, Dreamworks is in the running, with Kung-Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots, both among the best-reviewed animated films of the year. There’s also a chance that Winnie the Pooh might score the crown, as its nostalgic, old fashioned feel and storytelling will definitely appeal to some voters. Then again, there’s also Rio- the Academy always favors musical animate films, and Rio is the most prominent on the list. Rango is the freshest one here, scoring excellent reviews, but might have been released too early in the year. Arthur Christmas is from the makers of the Academy Award winning Wallace and Gromit and Flushed Away- but will its Christmas appeal no longer be relevant by voting time in February? At first glance, it seems like Spielberg’s crowding up the category again, but at deeper look, it’s really anybody’s game (although I am a bit disappointed Pixar’s out of the running; I would like to see how it would have played out if the Academy had to choose between its two loves, Spielberg and Pixar).
Best Original Screenplay
Primary
-The Tree of Life
-Midnight in Paris
-Melancholia
-Martha Marcy May Marlene
-The Iron Lady
Secondary
-Carnage
-Win Win
-50/50
-Young Adult
-Beginners
Tertiary
-J. Edgar
-Like Crazy
-Shame
-Contagion
-The Artist
Best Adapted Screenplay
Primary
-The Descendants
-Moneyball
-War Horse
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-The Help
Secondary
-Carnage
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-We Need to Talk About Kevin
Tertiary
-We Bought a Zoo
-A Dangerous Method
-My Week with Marilyn
-Hugo
-The Adventures of Tintin
-The Ides of March
Best Visual Effects
Primary
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Rise of the Planet of the Apes
-The Tree of Life
-Melancholia
-Hugo
Secondary
-Thor
-X Men: First Class
-Super 8
-Captain America: The First Avengers
-Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tertiary
-Immortals
-Source Code
-I Am Number Four
-Pirate of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
-Sucker Punch
-Sanctum
Best Cinematography
Primary
-War Horse
-The Tree of Life
-Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
-Hugo
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
Secondary
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Moneyball
-The Ides of March
-Hanna
Tertiary
-J. Edgar
-The Iron Lady
-Contagion
-Jane Eyre
-Anonymous
Best Film Editing
Primary
-War Horse
-The Artist
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Secondary
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-Hanna
-Hugo
-Drive
-The Tree of Life
Tertiary
-Martha Marcy May Marlene
-My Week with Marilyn
-Moneyball
-Source Code
-Captain America: The First Avenger
Best Sound Mixing
Primary
-War Horse
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-Contagion
Secondary
-Hanna
-Source Code
-Thor
-Captain America: The First Avenger
-Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tertiary
-Drive
-Rise of the Planet of the Apes
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Limitless
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Best Art Direction
Primary
-War Horse
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-The Tree of Life
-Midnight in Paris
-My Week with Marilyn
Secondary
-Melancholia
-Hugo
-Anonymous
-A Dangerous Method
-Thor
Tertiary
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Immortals
-Sucker Punch
-The Eagle
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Commentary (For All Technical Categories): This year, there have been two big Oscar films that are also technical heavy (Tree of Life and Melancholia)- it’s well known that the Academy favors visual effects done by films that have fared well critically , despite the visual impressiveness of other films (Tron Legacy, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader both got snubbed last year) as we see in past years movies like Inception and King Kong have been nominated. This year, we see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 as the frontrunner. No matter how you feel about the franchise and how much you doubt it’ll do well in major categories, I think this is the one category people will bet this getting nominated for. If anything, the saga should at least be praised for its impressive technicals. Other nominees at this stage look like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was done by the visual effect guys behind Avatar and Captain America: The First Avenger for their impressive use of the motion-capture method. Hugo is praised for its cinematography and elaborate set pieces. Those are the main headers, but if the Academy still feels like branching out and hitting mainstream audiences, then we’ll also see some well deserving superhero films like Thor and Captain America or big box-office hitters like Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I think that the biggest outer-contender of the lot would have to be Source Code. In sound mixing, I think maybe we’ll see some of Hanna and Contagion.
Best Costume Design
Primary
-Jane Eyre
-The Artist
-The Help
-Anonymous
-War Horse
Secondary
-My Week With Marilyn
-A Dangerous Method
-Hugo
-The Iron Lady
-Midnight In Paris
Tertiary
-J. Edgar
-The Conspirator
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Melancholia
Best Original Score
Primary
-War Horse
-The Artist
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2
-The Adventures of Tintin
Secondary
-The Tree of Life
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-Contagion
-Hugo
-J. Edgar
-Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tertiary
-Rango
-Jane Eyre
-Moneyball
-We Bought a Zoo
-The Ides of March
Best Original Song
Nominees for this category may include multiple pieces from each of these films, the most likely in order of first to last.
-The Muppets
-Rio
-Happy Feet Two
-Joyful Noise
-Footloose
-The Help
-Cars 2
Best Documentary Feature
Primary
-Project Nim
-The Interrupters
-Being Elmo
-Born to Be Wild
-Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Secondary
-Tabloid
-Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times
-Buck
-Senna
-Into the Abyss
Best Foreign Language Film
Primary
-Le Havre (Finland)
-War of Flowers (China)
-Footnote (Israel)
-A Separation (Iran)
-Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
It’s a pretty crowded field this year, but it will probably be narrowed down in coming months. We might get a good indicator of final nominees by how The Golden Globes played out, which happens about one month before the Oscars. Even if you don’t like the nominees (too busy crying about Harry Potter’s last snub, maybe?) it’ll still be great to see Billy Crystal hosting again, and you really can’t miss Spielberg. He’ll definitely be there.
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