Oscars 2010 Nominations

[Quintus 5,399]

Best Picture:

Avatar

Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Ten films are up for the award, which is a first.

Original Score:

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up

Brokeback Mountain

Surprised to see Avatar in there.

Full list of nominations HERE.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Yay Pixar and Kathryn Bigelow.

[Wojo 2,453]

I'm not at all surprised to see Avatar in the best score category. It'll probably be one of those years where a large juggernaut gets all the dominoes to fall in its favor, and earns nominations by association over merit. Whether Avatar sweeps as many categories as it can remains to be seen.

[Bowie 45]

{ District 9: Academy Award Nominee for Best Picture }

Pretty awesome! Nice surprise. Glad there was no Star Trek (*vomits*) but sad (500) Days of Summer was omitted.

[QMM 4]

Did not expect Hurt Locker to be put in Best Music. A Single Man was what I would've thought would be in its place.

[King Mark 3,631]

did Horner ever win a best score oscar?...I forget

[Bowie 45]

did Horner ever win a best score oscar?...I forget

Titanic?

[Wojo 2,453]

Horner has two Oscars, for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for Titanic.

[Ollie 1,059]

Interesting mix for best picture. Hopefully Pixar's Up doesn't suffer from being nominated for best film and still grabs the animated movie Oscar.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I see 'I See You' didn't make the cut, but two from Princess and the Frog did. I'll have to listen to that sometime.

[Quintus 5,399]

I hope Horner doesn't win again. Regardless of what I think of the Avatar score (I love it), there is no denying it's one of the most derivative scores ever written. Of course, the same could be said about the movie itself.

[filmmusic 1,828]

Did not expect Hurt Locker to be put in Best Music. A Single Man was what I would've thought would be in its place.

I totally agree!! "A Single Man" is one of the best scores I've heard for years..

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Up for best picture? Fantastic! I don't expect it to win, but for an animated film to be nominated is an incredible achievement! One which should have been realised when Beauty and the Beast was nominated (seriously, it should've won). Also happy about District 9's nomination, and of course Giacchino. I really hope he gets the award for that one, despite my personal opinions about the Academy Awards I always like to see people get the recognition they deserve from their peers.

Colour me surprised at the Zimmer nomination though....

[Ollie 1,059]

Something tells me The Hurt Locker could be the film to do the most damage at this year's Oscars.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Interesting mix for best picture. Hopefully Pixar's Up doesn't suffer from being nominated for best film and still grabs the animated movie Oscar.

I was pleased it got nominated. It's more worthy that the boring Up in the Air a film that shouldn't even be among the nominees 5 or 10. I also don't think District 9 should be there, it is not best picture material, its a mediocre b movie that was worth the price of a discounted matinee admission and nothing more.

The real battlegrounds will be in the Best Actress award. Will the Academy go with the young newcomer, or will it go with the old standard. Sandra Bullock should probably be happy with her nomination as that is her win. I've not seen precious and want to. It's hard to imagine that Gabby's performance actually eclipse's Meryl Streeps, but it might.

Monique, and Chris Waltz from Inglorious Basterds are virtual locks in the Best Supporting categories as is Jeff Bridges for Best Actor in Crazy Heart. Since it didn't get a Best Picture award his win is even more likely, and its for his career and his family as much as anything. I saw Jeremy Renner on the Today show as the annoucement came live and he was very excited. That's your win Jeremy.

I'm actually pulling for Michael Giacchino to win for UP. He deserves it.

There was no need for a Best Visual Effects award this year. It should have been a Special Achievement award this year. Avatar is so much more amazing than Star Trek or District 9. Now perhaps there should have been an award for Best Repeated use of Lens flares and Star Trek would be a shooin. <_<

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

Best Director is going to be between Cameron, Bigalow, and Daniels. Tarrentino should nab the Best Original screenplay, but Hurt Locker might win. I'm hoping Hurt Locker is this years Color Purple or Julia.

[King Mark 3,631]

I also thought Up in the Air was garbage .

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I wouldn't go that far, but it was a watch watcher for sure.

[King Mark 3,631]

I dunno a lot of it just rubbed me the wrong way .I found all the characters unlikeable

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I agree, and it dragged the film down.

I'm baffled that this film is praised as it is so weak.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Holy crap, can it be? A Best Score category I actually approve/like?!

[gkgyver 1,645]

Hans Zimmer gets a nomination? Didn't expect that!

I wonder if Alexandre Desplat's Harry Potter assignment will affect his chances to win.

[Trumpeteer 302]

Best Picture:

Avatar

Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Ten films are up for the award, which is a first.

Original Score:

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up

Brokeback Mountain

Surprised to see Avatar in there.

I am guessing the "Brokeback" inclusion is a joke.

And this is not the first time the Academy has had 10 Best Picture nominees. They did that for about eight years in the 1930s and 1940s.

As for the music awards, I am surprised Marvin Hamlisch's music for "The Informant!" wasn't included. I just watched that film last week and thought the music was the best thing about it. Very much like "Midnight Express," the music didn't seem to fit, but it still worked.

I am also glad "I See You" wasn't a nominee, as well as the songs U2 and Paul McCartney wrote. The new process of selecting nominees is pretty much working. Voters are going for songs within the film mostly instead of just in the credits.

And for the record, I'm very happy to see "District 9" as a Best Picture nominee. One of the most inventive sci-fi movies I've seen in years. And sad "(500) Days of Summer" didn't at least get a screenplay nomination. It was one of the most inventive romantic comedies I've seen in years. Creating that dance scene alone was worthy.

[Quintus 5,399]

Ah my bad, I stand corrected. And I agree that District 9 is fully deserving of a nom, excellent film.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm still marveling at the score nominations. My 3 favorites of the year got nominated! I think The Hurt Locker is only there because it got nominated for Best Picture though. I tried listening to it and from what I recall it had little structure. I'd rather have The Road in it's place, which got snubbed completely.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Up for best picture? Fantastic! I don't expect it to win, but for an animated film to be nominated is an incredible achievement! One which should have been realised when Beauty and the Beast was nominated (seriously, it should've won).

I was outraged it didn't happen last year with Wall·E.

[Henry B 50]

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

I agree, the Academy shouldn't snub the year's most popular films. The winner should be determined not by voting, but by box office grosses. It's Avatar. You can all go home now. (In second place is the superb Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!)

[Quintus 5,399]

...and the award for Best Director goes to... Michael Bay.

FUCK YEAH!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

I agree, the Academy shouldn't snub the year's most popular films. The winner should be determined not by voting, but by box office grosses. It's Avatar. You can all go home now. (In second place is the superb Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!)

quit being an butt HB.

It's a legitimate question. The Oscars are attempting to appeal to a broader audience. Whats the point of making this grand gesture if they don't follow through. I'm not stating that Avatar should win, but its as worthy as any of these films. Personally I'd love to see Up win, not just for Best Animated, but for Best Picture. It too is a very popular film. And when you look back at popular films that have won, Titanic and Return of the King, you see that is an anomally compared to the popular films that have lost, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders, ET, SPR, Dark Knight. Who remembers One Flew Over a Cookoos Nest, Annie Hall, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Shakespear in Love, and Slumdog Millionaire compared to the losers. BTW most of those films were good or great but were they worthy winners?

[Diego 21]

Reasonable nominations on scores, two of my favorites, Drag Me To Hell and Star Trek aren't there which is a shame. Haven't listened to The Hurt Locker but all the rest are good choices, with Up being my favorite, then Fantastic Mr. Fox, then Sherlock which is the best Zimmer I've heard in a long time and then Avatar which is a solid effort but just doesn't do it for me.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

I agree, the Academy shouldn't snub the year's most popular films. The winner should be determined not by voting, but by box office grosses. It's Avatar. You can all go home now. (In second place is the superb Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!)

quit being an butt HB.

It's a legitimate question. The Oscars are attempting to appeal to a broader audience. Whats the point of making this grand gesture if they don't follow through. I'm not stating that Avatar should win, but its as worthy as any of these films. Personally I'd love to see Up win, not just for Best Animated, but for Best Picture. It too is a very popular film. And when you look back at popular films that have won, Titanic and Return of the King, you see that is an anomally compared to the popular films that have lost, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders, ET, SPR, Dark Knight. Who remembers One Flew Over a Cookoos Nest, Annie Hall, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Shakespear in Love, and Slumdog Millionaire compared to the losers. BTW most of those films were good or great but were they worthy winners?

Not sure about the others, but CUCKOO and ANNIE? Sure, both are brilliant movies. ANNIE is the only Allen I can stand to watch but I think it gets a bad rep because it beat SW.

I get what you're saying, and it sucks that the more geekish films generally do get snubbed, but for me it's more often than not that the popular movies are not the greatest. Would I like to see more nerd movies win prestige awards? Sure, if the quality's there. But I'm not ready to cast my vote for ARMAGEDDON as best picture. Leave that to the MTV movie awards (not that I really put that much more faith/interest in the Oscars). Or even the Hugos.

[Diego 21]

Annie Hall is a fantastic movie, it's Woody Allen's best film and a very influential movie I think. It certainly deserved to win. The fact that Star Wars also deserved to win just shows how pointless awards really are, afterall can you compare a romantic comedy to a space opera?

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I hope giacchino gets the oscar...

Nice to see one animation movie in the best film category

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

I agree, the Academy shouldn't snub the year's most popular films. The winner should be determined not by voting, but by box office grosses. It's Avatar. You can all go home now. (In second place is the superb Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!)

quit being an butt HB.

It's a legitimate question. The Oscars are attempting to appeal to a broader audience. Whats the point of making this grand gesture if they don't follow through. I'm not stating that Avatar should win, but its as worthy as any of these films. Personally I'd love to see Up win, not just for Best Animated, but for Best Picture. It too is a very popular film. And when you look back at popular films that have won, Titanic and Return of the King, you see that is an anomally compared to the popular films that have lost, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders, ET, SPR, Dark Knight. Who remembers One Flew Over a Cookoos Nest, Annie Hall, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Shakespear in Love, and Slumdog Millionaire compared to the losers. BTW most of those films were good or great but were they worthy winners?

Not sure about the others, but CUCKOO and ANNIE? Sure, both are brilliant movies. ANNIE is the only Allen I can stand to watch but I think it gets a bad rep because it beat SW.

I get what you're saying, and it sucks that the more geekish films generally do get snubbed, but for me it's more often than not that the popular movies are not the greatest. Would I like to see more nerd movies win prestige awards? Sure, if the quality's there. But I'm not ready to cast my vote for ARMAGEDDON as best picture. Leave that to the MTV movie awards (not that I really put that much more faith/interest in the Oscars). Or even the Hugos.

there is an easy counterpoint to your fears and HB's stupid comment about Transformers 2. When was the last time a truly bad popular movie was actually nominated for Best Picture. The answer is never or not in recent memory. We need to get past this foolishness that popular is bad, and obscure is good. It is simply not true. Cuckoo was a very good movie but I think Jaws stands up just as well and finally people see Jaws for the superbly acted film it was. Annie Hall was good but Star Wars was great, it changed cinema, good or bad, it did something Annie Hall could never do. Raiders is exceptional filmmaking from a once great director who self diagnosed his failings and put his solutions to the test. Chariots of Fire comes across as more of melodramatic sports movie the further it gets from 1981, On Golden Pond would have been a better choice over Raiders, or at least easier to stomach.

[Quintus 5,399]

Cuckoo's Nest deserved to win that year, not Jaws.

[Red 75]

Really glad they're giving love to Up and District 9. It makes me almost hope that the Academy have changed their ways for the better. I sincerely doubt that The Blind Side deserves a BP nom, though.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'd like to see Up or District 9 win BP actually, but as far as the latter is concerned, it ain't got a chance in hell.

[Richard Penna 3,687]

Hurt Locker (the score) isn't what I'd describe as music. I'd say it's riding off the success of the film and the fact that Beltrami's been nominated before.

Overall it's a reasonable set of nominations, and the higher number of best picture noms makes it a little more interesting.

Annie Hall is a fantastic movie, it's Woody Allen's best film and a very influential movie I think. It certainly deserved to win. The fact that Star Wars also deserved to win just shows how pointless awards really are, afterall can you compare a romantic comedy to a space opera?

Amen to that. If two composers wrote absolutely outstanding scores, one being small and intimate, and the other being epic, can you really compare the quality and pick one? Especially if you don't appreciate the finer details?

Anyway, I don't watch the oscars to see who won - I watch it for the show, to see which composer is popular this year, and hang out in the chatroom until it's light outside.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Cuckoo's Nest deserved to win that year, not Jaws.

I didn't believe that then, and in retrospect I don't believe it now. Jaws has stood the test of time better than Cuckoo.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Now as far as Best Picture goes....Will the Academy continue to snub the years most popular film? Only twice in the last 12 years have they given the award to the most popular film. Will Up in the Air win, a film about as popular as No Country for Old Men. Is there a realistic chance that the Blind Side, District 9, An Education, or A Serious Man will win. I think not. I think that its really going to be between these five, Avatar, Up, Up in the Air, Precious, and the Hurt Locker.

I agree, the Academy shouldn't snub the year's most popular films. The winner should be determined not by voting, but by box office grosses. It's Avatar. You can all go home now. (In second place is the superb Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!)

quit being an butt HB.

It's a legitimate question. The Oscars are attempting to appeal to a broader audience. Whats the point of making this grand gesture if they don't follow through. I'm not stating that Avatar should win, but its as worthy as any of these films. Personally I'd love to see Up win, not just for Best Animated, but for Best Picture. It too is a very popular film. And when you look back at popular films that have won, Titanic and Return of the King, you see that is an anomally compared to the popular films that have lost, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders, ET, SPR, Dark Knight. Who remembers One Flew Over a Cookoos Nest, Annie Hall, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Shakespear in Love, and Slumdog Millionaire compared to the losers. BTW most of those films were good or great but were they worthy winners?

Not sure about the others, but CUCKOO and ANNIE? Sure, both are brilliant movies. ANNIE is the only Allen I can stand to watch but I think it gets a bad rep because it beat SW.

I get what you're saying, and it sucks that the more geekish films generally do get snubbed, but for me it's more often than not that the popular movies are not the greatest. Would I like to see more nerd movies win prestige awards? Sure, if the quality's there. But I'm not ready to cast my vote for ARMAGEDDON as best picture. Leave that to the MTV movie awards (not that I really put that much more faith/interest in the Oscars). Or even the Hugos.

there is an easy counterpoint to your fears and HB's stupid comment about Transformers 2. When was the last time a truly bad popular movie was actually nominated for Best Picture. The answer is never or not in recent memory. We need to get past this foolishness that popular is bad, and obscure is good. It is simply not true. Cuckoo was a very good movie but I think Jaws stands up just as well and finally people see Jaws for the superbly acted film it was. Annie Hall was good but Star Wars was great, it changed cinema, good or bad, it did something Annie Hall could never do. Raiders is exceptional filmmaking from a once great director who self diagnosed his failings and put his solutions to the test. Chariots of Fire comes across as more of melodramatic sports movie the further it gets from 1981, On Golden Pond would have been a better choice over Raiders, or at least easier to stomach.

It's not about being truly bad, truly bad movies don't get nominated, I didn't say they did. But I don't agree with popularity being put above quality. RAIDERS, JAWS, SW, okay, they're GREAT movies which all deserved to win best pic or be nominated. But there are a ton of popular movies that didn't. GHOST, FORREST GUMP, TITANIC, JERRY MAGUIRE, THE SIXTH SENSE. From my point of view, the best picture I saw last year wasn't anywhere close to being nominated (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN), and very few people outside of the filmgeek have heard of it. Does that make it unworthy? No, it's an amazing film, and I'd had rather have seen it win than anything else, TDK included. Do I not like that genre flicks get left out? Of course. Do I hate that the Academy seem like snobs sometimes? Very much so. But at the end of the day, I believe it should be quality above all else. I agree, it often doesn't happen. But Pixar aside, I don't really see the outright quality in the popular movies today that I have in the past. Which sucks in general because I love going to see blockbusters.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I can agree with you on Jerry Maguire, but not GHOST, GUMP, and Titanic all were worthy and Titanic would win most years. I've never heard of Let the right on in. Haven't a clue about it. Ill look it up.

[Quintus 5,399]

It's a friggin' quality little Swedish vampire movie adaptation of a bestselling novel. Not sure if it would be your cup of tea though, Joey.

[Uni 306]

This was not the best year to start the Top Ten list, I think. It decisively demonstrates that three or four mediocre films (compared to the rest of the list, at least) will inevitably be included to round off the number. They were concerned about the one or two borderline movies that got left out each year; they should've made it 7 nominations, which would've solved the problem and kept the category honest.

Still, though, I have to say that I'm not really invested in any of the films this year. I don't really care which one wins. My favorite part of the list, honestly, is the reference to Superman that arises from the alphabetical ordering of the last two titles.

Same goes for the Best Score category. I think Horner has a shot, and I don't think he should win. Not this time. This one was too easy for him, given the amount of time to work with it. I don't particularly care for the score for Up either--I'm already sick half to death of it--but I could see it topping Avatar. Wouldn't mind that at all.

- Uni

[Admiral Holdo 16]

I like the Best Picture nominations. Contains films people have actually seen ( ), not just artsy flicks that played in like 12 theatres worldwide.

Here's hoping for Up to win for score and best feature, and Inglourious Basterds in every category it can (picture and director, probably not - certainly screenplay).

[Wojo 2,453]

Oh it's Oscar time again? Crap.

[Quintus 5,399]

My favourite time of the year, movie-wise.

Because that's when all of the 'Screeners' are available, to be cherry-picked.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

It's a friggin' quality little Swedish vampire movie adaptation of a bestselling novel. Not sure if it would be your cup of tea though, Joey.

I love a good vampire story, but I hate vampires always turning into bat things. Not at all into romantic vampires/ala Twilight.

[Quintus 5,399]

It couldn't be further removed from Twilight if it tried (although...), give it a look. Google will tell you how revered it was, last year.

Still, I'd be very surprised if you enjoyed it.

[Maglorfin 196]

Avatar will win both best film and best score as well as a bunch of other (special effects etc.) Oscars, you'll see.

[Quintus 5,399]

If Avatar wins BP I'll eat my hat.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

It couldn't be further removed from Twilight if it tried (although...), give it a look. Google alone will tell you how revered it was, last year.

Still, I'd be very surprised if you enjoyed it.

care to clarify that last line, be brutally honest if you need be.