Hey, That’s My Name

THE NOMINEES

Courtney Hunt, Frozen River – One of the reasons the Best Original Screenplay category is always one of my favorites at the Oscars is because small movies like Frozen River usually get squeezed in. Still, in my eyes, Frozen River is very comparable to another movie that I’ll discuss in “The Forgotten” section below, and I do think that this one isn’t as good, so I’m less thrilled about its presence in this category. It’s chances of winning are pretty slim and it doesn’t really deserve to. It mostly seems like it’s here to throw a bone to the independent crowd (and also to make the screenplay categories a little less boy-only).

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I don’t generally put a lot of stock in what wins Best Picture each year. As I mentioned in a previous post, I tend to look more fondly at the winners and nominees of the screenplay awards. There’s usually at least one nominee in this category that disappoints, but this year, the Academy has excelled at mediocrity in the their list of the five best films of the year. I don’t think it was a particularly great year for film, but I still think that even they could have done far better.

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This one is pretty transparent. Not to minimize some of the other nominees (well, actually, I will be doing that with at least two of them), but this is one man’s Oscar to lose. Continue Reading »

I always find the supporting categories to be much more interesting than the leads and this year is no exception. I don’t actually have a real preference for a winner, I’d be fine with any of them taking home the gold dude, though there seems to be general consensus that there’s only one option for the win.

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Thus begins my first entry in my dissection of this year’s Oscars. I’ll be going through all the major categories – and possibly some minor ones – to discuss likely winners, deserving winners and who got snubbed. I haven’t been this displeased with Oscar nominations in a very long time, and considering how lukewarm I feel about the crop of 2008 films, that’s an impressive feat. So, working my way down the list at oscars.com, we’re starting with Best Actor, which is actually one of the few categories are pretty okay, but still, there’s always things to say.

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