2012 Oscar Nominations

[ITALIANO]

You don't like James Bond, ITALIANO?

I hadn't seen a 007 movie in decades till recently when I was literally forced to go to a cinema to see one with Daniel Craig (not Skyfall, nor the one before, but still a recent one). After I saw it I swore: never again. Maybe I'm just too old, I don't know.

[Bog]

I'm with Tee. This is a cool morning.

Not cool, awesome morning...

[anonymous1980]

And 80% of the reaction here is kvetching. What would make you guys happy?

That's also my least favorite thing about the Oscars: A lot of people are complaining about the negative. NO PERMUTATION OF AWARD NOMINATIONS IS GONNA MAKE YOU COMPLETELY HAPPY (unless it's your own personal awards). There's ALWAYS gonna disappointing/glaring/awful exclusions and inclusions. IT'S ALL SUBJECTIVE. Why not celebrate the things that you agree on? I'm happy that Amour, even though it's "accessible" for a Haneke film, it's STILL a Haneke film, gets nominations across-the-board and getting mainstream attention. For me, that's very refreshing and a sign that there's still a classy section within the Academy.

[Sonic Youth]

I think a lot of us are happy, but I won't deny that even in our cloud of happiness we find something to kvetch about. But it's what we do, right?

[danfrank]

I'm overall pretty pleased, as Oscar nominations go. The biggest shock for me was Bigelow being left out for Director. It's clearly a director's film, shot brilliantly. I think the reason she was left out is because the film is too muddy in its point of view. It doesn't really take a stand. It just presents itself and lets the viewer struggle with the darkness of the subject matter. It doesn't reinforce those who want to celebrate Bin Laden's murder, nor those who want to condemn it. Neither does it guide those who are ambivalent. It very well might not have cracked the top 5 for best picture.

[Sabin]

I'm with Tee. This is a cool morning.

[anonymous1980]

You don't like James Bond, ITALIANO?

[FilmFan720]

Tee, great analysis (and I for one am excited for the next month plus of trying to figure this one out), but figuring 1995 gave us one of our worst Best Pictures that comparison doesn't alieviate any fears here!

Any one here have a winner prediction they're willing to bet the mortgage on? Didn't think so...that makes for a good Oscar season for discussing around here!

[ITALIANO]

I am also one of those who's happy today. There have been surprises - something rare in this era - and some of these surprises have even been positive! I don't thnk we should complain honestly.

Plus - I won't have to see Skyfall! And if only I had waited till this morning, I wouldn't have had to see that Marigold movie either... I should have trusted our old Academy more...

[Bog]

Oh, and I LIKED the non-alphabetical announcements. Non-traditional, but, especially given the chaotic results being announced, it gave the whole thing an atypical electricity.

Tee, my first thought was how your pregame analysis I've loved so much in the past would have been exploded right in face of the UAADB crowd like me that have my iPad handy when the announcements start with Tee's post open. Once it became clear MacFarlane was going to do shtick rather than stand there and read names in monotone was when I became uneasy, so the actual presentation, to me, was nowhere near that offensive and somewhat humorous.

When he said "in no particular order" I didn't believe him, then he said Christoph Waltz and I laughed out loud, it was all totally different than ever before, at least in my Oscar life.

[flipp525]

And you guys are unhappy? Get over yourselves.

I'm actually not one of the people who are unhappy about these nominations (many great surprises), but this, honestly, seems to be way overboard, especially for someone who has admitted to seeing very little of the offered films this year. Get over what?

[Bog]

Yes I meant to get into supporting actress too...I'm not looking at newcomers per se...I'm looking at supporting categories historically. Good for these mostly deserving guys, it is just not what it used to be. It never will be, it hasn't been for awhile. Good for Anne Hathaway for maybe winning an Oscar after having been discussed as a likely winner for several years (in another category), but what I mean is would this have satisfied a "star" in years past...just purely having a gold statue? I''m not saying each and every one of them is slumming or whatever the term. I'm saying I sure wonder what Spencer Tracy or Olivier or Katherine Hepburn or Bette Davis or Jimmy Stewart would think of the state of awards whoring simply for the best shot at gold, sacrificing being the "star" for a chance at winning an Oscar at all costs.

Hey I thought this was the most exciting morning in years...fantastic surprises...my wife and I do the AMC Oscar showcase thing and I cannot imagine a more satisfying group of films to view consecutively...should be riveting...just think the "supporting" category has become something completely different than in the past.

[criddic3]

Seth McFarland and Emma Stone acted like complete assholes during the announcement. Their (obviously pre-planned) jokes and banter fell flat and bordered on obnoxious. If this is any preview of his hosting gig, just ugh.

I actually kind of liked their presentation. It was refreshing and lightens up the mood.

As with most such presentations, some of it worked and some of it came off as "too early in the morning to be this sarcastic."

[Mister Tee]

Man, people here just prefer to bitch.

I don't get you at all. This is easily the most exciting nominations morning in recent memory. Surprises galore, and not of the ugly variety. The Marigold thing was shunted aside. Les Miz had its reach severely limited -- its one major victory the Jackman nomination, but at least that didn't come at Joaquin Phoenix's expense. My girl Amy Adams scored again. The supposedly difficult Amour had a magnificent showing for a foreign language film (and won't have to compete with the sentimental Intouchables). I of course haven't seen alot of the contenders, but, judging by critical reaction, Les Miz is the only mediocrity anywhere on the lists. And 80% of the reaction here is kvetching. What would make you guys happy?

The shockers in best director bring to mind 1995, where we went in thinking the dominant three were Apollo 13, Sense and Sensibility and Leaving Las Vegas, and the first two missed under director while the last did under best picture. Lincoln is the only one of this year's Big Three to survive without blemish, and that should make it the favorite. But...don't look past Life of Pi just yet; 11 nominations is more than I ever expected it to get. (Here's a goofy idea: Spielberg wins DGA yet again...and karma finally strikes for Ang Lee, who avenges his DGA win/Oscar loss history by upsetting at AMPAS) And Silver Linings Playbook, with its 8 nods including the clean sweep of the acting categories, may have strength enough to overcome its DGA omission. (By the way, for those doubting Harvey: 8 acting nominations for his three films, only 2 of which -- Lawrence and Hoffman -- were written in stone)

And you have to consider this: the well-publicized problems computer-unsavvy folk were having with voting may have made this slate less representative than usual -- which is to say, assuming those tech-bunglers do vote more prominently in the final round, this slate may not prefigure the final outcomes as well as they do in normal years. Argo, with 7 nominations despite Affleck's omission, still seems to me a contender. (Imagine if, a la Howard/Apollo 13, he wins DGA) Zero Dark Thirty, though, seems to have hit a wall. Bad publicity? Too late a debut? Prejudice against women directors? (No, I don't believe that -- but someone will argue it) There are so many surprises here that we can have dozens of discussions, unlike past years where we've had to stretch to muster interest or suspense.

It's basically unheard of for either supporting category to feature a slate all previously nominated. Here it happened in BOTH. Really odd to see new faces in lead and none in support.

I managed to nail lead actress and supporting actor on the nose. In director, on the other hand, I was a woeful 2-for-5. I think the best actress slate offers the most interesting competetion possible. (Cotillard, however deserving, wouldn't have had a prayer of a second win so soon) It's also the one category among actors or directors that doesn't offer the possiblity of a third Oscar victory (Day-Lewis, Sally Field, DeNiro, Spielberg could all pull that off)

James Bond could win an Oscar. Animated feature is completely up in the air. Anna Karenina and Les Miz will duke it out in the decor categories. Lincoln and Silver Linings will compete for adapted screenplay; original screenplay is anyone's guess. Competition abounds. And you guys are unhappy? Get over yourselves.

Oh, and I LIKED the non-alphabetical announcements. Non-traditional, but, especially given the chaotic results being announced, it gave the whole thing an atypical electricity.

[anonymous1980]

Seth McFarland and Emma Stone acted like complete assholes during the announcement. Their (obviously pre-planned) jokes and banter fell flat and bordered on obnoxious. If this is any preview of his hosting gig, just ugh.

I actually kind of liked their presentation. It was refreshing and lightens up the mood.