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The 69th Annual Golden Globe Nominations
Once again, I’ll have a full opinion piece out in a few hours. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the nominees (including a tally of how many I correctly predicted). Also, there’s one jarring thought that’s kind of occupying my mind right now?
WHERE THE HELL IS MELISSA McCARTHY!?!?!?!?!?! HFPA, just what were you thinking?
…and the nominees are…
BEST PICTURE: DRAMA (4/5 + 1 alternate)
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”
BEST PICTURE: MUSICAL/COMEDY (5/5!!!)
“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“50/50”
“Midnight in Paris”
“My Week With Marilyn”
BEST DIRECTOR (4/5 + 1 alternate)
Woody Allen – “Midnight in Paris”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
George Clooney, “The Ides of March”
BEST ACTOR: DRAMA (4/5 +1 alternate)
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
Ryan Gosling, “The Ides of March”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
BEST ACTOR: MUSICAL/COMEDY (3/5)
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Brendan Gleeson, “The Guard”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50”
Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”
BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA (4/5)
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
BEST ACTRESS: MUSICAL/COMEDY (4/5 + 1 alternate)
Jodie Foster, “Carnage”
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Charlize Theron, “Young Adult”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Kate Winslet, “Carnage”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (3/5 + 1 alternate)
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”
Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Viggo Mortensen, “A Dangerous Method”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (3/5 + 1 alternate)
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”
BEST SCREENPLAY (4/5)
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, “Moneyball”
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM (N/A)
“The Flowers of War”
“In the Land of Blood and Honey”
“The Kid With a Bike”
“A Separation”
“The Skin I Live In”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (5/5!!!)
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“Arthur Christmas”
“Cars 2”
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (3/5)
Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Trent Reznor and Attivus Ross, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Howard Shore, “Hugo”
John Williams, “War Horse”
Abel Korzeniowski, “W.E.”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG (N/A)
“Lay Your Head Down,” “Albert Nobbs”
“Hello Hello,” “Gnomeo and Juliet”
“The Living Proof,” “The Help”
“The Keeper,” “Machine Gun Preacher”
“Masterpiece,” “W.E.”
My Golden Globe Predictions
I’m not going to spend a lot of time justifying these. With the Golden Globes, you just never know what is going to happen, to be quite honest. One easy way to make predictions would be to track which studios sent the HFPA members the most gift baskets and free trips to Vegas, but I guess that’s out of the question.
For the record, I am going against my hopes and dreams by betting against “Moneyball” in most categories. I may regret it, but I just don’t see the Globes going hardcore for a baseball movie, no matter how incredible it is. I can only hope that I’ll be proven wrong.
Here’s my predictions:
BEST PICTURE: DRAMA
1. “The Descendants”
2. “Hugo”
3. “War Horse”
4. “The Help”
5. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Alt 1: “Moneyball”
Alt 2: “Drive”
BEST PICTURE: MUSICAL/COMEDY
1. “The Artist”
2. “Midnight in Paris”
3. “Bridesmaids”
4. “50/50”
5. “My Week with Marilyn”
Alt 1: “Crazy Stupid Love”
Alt 2: “Carnage”
BEST ACTOR: DRAMA
1. George Clooney – “The Descendants”
2. Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”
3. Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
4. Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
5. Gary Oldman – “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Alt 1: Ryan Gosling – “Drive”
Alt 2: Woody Harrelson – “Rampart”
BEST ACTOR: MUSICAL/COMEDY
1. Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “50/50”
3. Paul Giamatti – “Win Win”
4. Johnny Depp – “The Rum Diary”
5. Owen Wilson – “Midnight in Paris”
Alt 1: Steve Carell – “Crazy Stupid Love”
Alt 2: Matt Damon – “We Bought a Zoo”
BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA
1. Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
2. Viola Davis – “The Help”
3. Glenn Close – “Albert Nobbs”
4. Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
5. Kirsten Dunst – “Melancholia”
Alt 1: Olivia Colman – “Tyrannosaur”
Alt 2: Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
BEST ACTRESS: MUSICAL/COMEDY
1. Michelle Williams – “My Week with Marilyn”
2. Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
3. Kristen Wiig – “Bridesmaids”
4. Emma Stone – “Crazy Stupid Love”
5. Jodie Foster – “Carnage”
Alt 1: Kate Winslet – “Carnage”
Alt 2: Cameron Diaz – “Bad Teacher”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
2. Kenneth Branagh – “My Week with Marilyn”
3. Albert Brooks – “Drive”
4. Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
5. Armie Hammer – “J. Edgar”
Alt 1: Max von Sydow – “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Alt 2: Viggo Mortensen – “A Dangerous Method”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
2. Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
3. Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
4. Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”
5. Vanessa Redgrave – “Coriolanus”
Alt 1: Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Alt 2: Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Michael Hazavanicius – “The Artist”
2. Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”
3. Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
4. Woody Allen – “Midnight in Paris”
5. Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Alt 1: Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”
Alt 2: Nicholas Wending Refn – “Drive”
BEST SCREENPLAY
1. “Midnight in Paris”
2. “The Descendants”
3. “The Artist”
4. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
5. “Moneyball”
Alt 1: “War Horse”
Alt 2: “The Help”
BEST ANIMATED FILM
1. “Rango”
2. “The Adventures of Tintin”
3. “Puss in Boots”
4. “Arthur Christmas”
5. “Cars 2”
Alt 1: “Kung Fu Panda”
Alt 2: “Rio”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1. “The Artist”
2. “War Horse”
3. “Hugo”
4. “The Adventures of Tintin”
5. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Alt 1: “Drive”
Alt 2: “Rango”
I’m not even going to attempt to do Foreign Language Film or Original Song since its late and I will most certainly do pretty poorly on them. We’ll see what happens in a few hours and I’ll be sure to report whatever turns up.
The SAG Nominations: My Thoughts
I’m not going to lie. While occasionally the Screen Actors Guild throws a curveball or two in the mix when it comes to their nomination day, I have never seen anything like this, before. In every single category (aside from Best Actress, which I managed to score five for five in my predictions), there was at least one major shocker. Not to mention that several films that seemed to be on an absolute roll were left out in the cold.
Let’s start with Best Ensemble Cast. Things here went pretty much as expected. I got four out of five, with my first alternate taking that final spot. Without a doubt this definitely does put the final nail in “The Ides of March'”s coffin. I suppose it might still have a chance with the WGA, especially with the long list of ineligible films, but Best Picture is completely out of its grasp. What these nominees have proven is that “The Help” is going to be a force to be reckoned with. We can now all but stencil it in on Oscar nomination morning, along with “The Descendants” and “The Artist,” but we already knew that. “Midnight in Paris” scored a nice mention, but I’m still not thoroughly convinced it has what it takes to make it all the way to Best Picture. And while “Bridesmaids” certainly had a good morning, after the Globes, it can probably call its awards contention about done. Melissa McCarthy will surely continue her ride to the Kodak, but the rest of the cast and crew will have to sit on the sidelines.
While discussing ensemble, its worth pointing out that it’s exclusion of certain performers in the “Midnight in Paris” cast is really quite appalling. This usually happens every year. When “The Social Network” was nominated in this category, Rooney Mara was disturbingly left out of the finalists, despite being an absolute standout in a small role. This year, some of the most memorable roles from Woody Allen’s film did not make the final cut. Allison Pill and Tom Hiddleston, who played Ella and F. Scott Fitzgerald were left off the list. Perhaps the most disturbing omission of, however, was the lack of Corey Stoll who’s breakout portrayal of Ernest Hemingway was probably the film’s best feature. One has to wonder how the SAG even goes about picking these names and how they could slip up so bad as to miss such brilliant talent.
On to Best Actor, which went pretty much according to plan…aside from one glaringly obvious surprise that was Demien Bechir. Wow. Talk about a wrench thrown into the works. Though, there’s a difference between being flabbergasted and being upset, and its hard to get mad about such an underdog breaking onto the scene in such an enormous fashion. Personally I had no interest in seeing the film, but good for him, nonetheless. Clooney, Dujardin and Pitt earn their expected nods while DiCaprio still holds onto a slim chance for his long overdue gold. At least his chances for a nomination have drastically increased.
I am also not shy at all about predicting the lack of love for “Shame” while nearly everyone else on the web thought Fassbender was a shoo-in at this point. I’m not proud of them for snubbing him, just proud of myself for calling it. He should have a bit heavier chances with the Academy itself, however, who’s selection of voters isn’t at all as random or spontaneous as the Actors Guild is. It really is too bad for Oldman, though. His last hope of resurrecting his chances will be an assured nomination and hopefully a win from the British Academy. It’s certainly helped others in the past.
I don’t have a lot of words to describe the Best Actress race, suffice to say that this could very well be the same lineup we see announced next month. Each of these actresses has overcome what barriers they need and while Close and Swinton are not exactly locks yet, it will still be difficult for them to miss at this point.
On the supporting side of actresses, the biggest shocker was the absence of Shailene Woodley, who, after conquering the National Board of Review was thought to be serious contender for all awards to follow. I feel like a lack of name recognition might have attributed to this miss. It might also just be the overwhelming love for “The Help,” which managed to score two nods in this category. Berenice Bejo proved that “The Artist” is not a one man show and Janet McTeer managed to make it in on Glenn Close’s coattails (actually I have no right to say that without seeing the performance which apparently stands out just as much the lead does). Finally, Melissa McCarthy grabbed the last slot. She is fast becoming my favorite acting contender this year. Probably the funniest performance I’ve seen all year.
Finally, we get to the category that pretty much just threw the entire contest for a loop. First off, the would-be frontrunner and winner of the most awards for any supporting role this year by about two times over, Albert Brooks, failed to even achieve a nomination. Even if he still manages an eventual Oscar nomination, this move has all but ensured Christopher Plummer as the de facto frontrunner. While two other older actors (Kenneth Branagh and Nick Nolte) made the cut, other veterans like Max von Sydow and Ben Kingsley were beaten out by two performers that I feel actually quite bad for counting down and out. Jonah Hill gets a huge boost for himself and his film with his nomination for “Moneyball” and Armie Hammer, who I spent the last few months predicting but finally gave up when support for “J. Edgar” all but tanked. Now, I’m more than thrilled to see him back in the running.
Well, I gotta wrap this up real quick so I can move on to my globe predictions, which hopefully I’ll have up while some of you are still awake.
Screen Actors Guild Nominations
Sorry I’m a little late on posting this, but I had a meeting with an old friend this morning which took me away from things. Here’s the full list of nominations. I’ll be back in a bit with my thoughts on these. However, there is one elephant in the room that must be addressed right off the bat:
DEMIEN BECHIR. DEMIEN BECHIR. HOLY SHIT, DEMIEN BECHIR. Biggest most out-of-the-blue shocker in, potentially all of SAG history.
Okay, I think I got that out of my system for now. I’ll have the rest of my thoughts up soon.
MOTION PICTURE
Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture
“Bridesmaids”
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Midnight in Paris”
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Demian Bichir – “A Better Life”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role
Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”
Glenn Close – “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role
Nick Nolte – “Warrior
Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”
Armie Hammer – “J. Edgar”
Jonah Hill – “Moneyball”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer – “Albert Nobbs”
Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Motion Picture
“The Adjustment Bureau”
“Cowboys & Aliens”
“Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows: Part II”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“X-Men: First Class”
My SAG Predictions
Well, I thought it’d be nice to actually do some predicting amidst all of this reporting. After all, the game of Oscar prognostication is all about what’s going to win, not what should win (if only wishing made it so). Therefore, I thought I’d offer up some quick guesses as to what’s going to make the cut tomorrow.
I’ve written a few thoughts down with after each category, as well:
BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
1. George Clooney – “The Descendants”
2. Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”
3. Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
4. Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
5. Gary Oldman – “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Alt 1: Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
Alt 2: Woody Harrelson – “Rampart”
The first three are all but locks. It’s true that “J. Edgar” has not raised a lot of popularity (for legitimate reasons), yet the performance has often been singled out and has enough support to have achieved a BFCA nomination, so I’ll stick with it. I know that I’m going out on quite a limb by not putting Fassbender on there, but I’m just not sure “Shame” will have as much industry-support as it does with critics and festivals. Meanwhile, I think that Oldman’s chances are stronger here than anywhere else. He’s getting into his elder years and is more than overdue for recognition, two qualities that SAG usually jumps on. Also, they’re the only major awards body to have nominated him before (Best Supporting Actor, “The Contender”). Plus his popularity and respect among the acting community is pretty indisputable. If he’s going to make a stand in this race, I think it will be here.
BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
1. Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
2. Viola Davis – “The Help”
3. Michelle Williams – “My Week with Marilyn”
4. Glenn Close – “Albert Nobbs”
5. Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Alt 1: Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
Alt 2: Rooney Mara – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Once again, I’d say that the first three are pretty much locked in. Glenn Close’s campaign has been heading downhill, yet here, her “due” status will have a much bigger effect. Tilda Swinton should be a sure thing here, but it’s not a perfect world. Though, I think she’s the only other contender with enough clout to make it onto the shortlist. Olsen and Mara are definitely still in the running, but the SAG isn’t as partial to youth and sex appeal as the AMPAS are.
BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Albert Brooks – “Drive”
2. Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
3. Kenneth Branagh – “My Week with Marilyn”
4. Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
5. Andy Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Alt 1: Max von Sydow – “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Alt 2: Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
This category is definitely the biggest question mark of them all. Brooks and Plummer are practically written in ink already, and Branagh (while not yet awarded, this year) fits a good pedigree and is very likely. However, those last two spots are a mystery. All the major candidates have some serious detractors. Von Sydow, in particular, is impossible to read because his performance is so shrouded in mystery to the general public. He’s locked in review embargo hell. I’ll go with Nolte just because he’s got a great “comeback kid” story. Finally, I’m going to foolishly predict Serkis in believing that the campaign and mentality really are working and that his nomination will come as more of a statement than an honor.
BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
2. Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”
3. Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
4. Vanessa Redgrave – “Coriolanus”
5. Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Alt 1: Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Alt 2: Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
Pretty much the only lock in this category, as of now, is Octavia Spencer. She’s probably also the only acting candidate who’s close to having her name stenciled onto a golden statue in February, but that’s neither here nor there. Shailene is a good bet for this group loves to usually throw some love to at least one newly risen star. Melissa McCarthy is also riding on more buzz then nearly all these candidates combined, so she’s definitely close to being in. Redgrave’s film is on the opposite side of the buzz scale, but it’s been a while since this goddess of acting has set foot on a red carpet, and more then a few people are excited for that return. Finally, I am hesitantly putting Chastain in that final spot, however, I’m definitely wary about her many, many performances canceling each other out and making way for the silent film star or sex addict’s sister.
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
1. “The Descendants”
2. “The Help”
3. “The Artist”
4. “Bridesmaids”
5. “The Ides of March”
Alt 1: “Midnight in Paris”
Alt 2: “Hugo”
No matter what happens, tomorrow is going to quite a coup for “The Help.” It’s guaranteed three nominations, with a chance at a fourth. Same goes to “The Descendants” which has a nomination, here, pretty sewn up. “The Artist” isn’t a true ensemble piece, but is so ahead of the pack that it will be difficult to miss a nomination in any major category. While “Bridesmaids” isn’t in big contention for any Best Picture awards, the film has been given more Ensemble Cast citations then practically any other film, so if the SAG has a sense of humor, they’ll probably throw it a bone. And perhaps my ballsiest pick of the night will be “The Ides of March.” True, the film’s steam has all but been extinguished, but it’s hard for anyone to deny the pure talent in this cast. I believe the voters will recognize it as well.
Broadcast Film Critics Choice Awards Nominees
Jeez. I’m not sure at what point and time I am going to have a chance to process everything that has happened as of late. In fact, with the Screen Actors Guild nominations coming tomorrow and the Golden Globe nods coming the day after that, I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to that point. Therefore, we’ll just continue to take this thing one step at a time. And this particular step may be the most defining moment in shaping the Oscar race (at least as far as critics are concerned).
For the past decade the BFCA has made itself into less of prestigious critics group that makes insightful choices concerning the best films of the year and more into the most highly televised group of Oscar prognosticators on the planet. Sure, they picked “The Social Network” over “The King’s Speech” and yes, they went with “Brokeback Mountain” over “Crash” so one could make the argument that they have some integrity. Or you could just look back and realize that at those points in time, those films were the absolute frontrunners to win the Oscar. And when you take a look at this list of nominees, there’s really nothing to hide. These are Oscar predictions to the core.
One thing that these nominations have certainly proven is what we’ve already known all along: “The Artist” is the frontrunner for Best Picture. Even though it shares the title of nomination-leader (11) with “Hugo,” with all of its accolades, it’s hard not to put Hazavanicius’ film in the lead. Coming in second with a surprising 8 nominations is “Drive,” followed by “The Help,” “The Descendants” and “War Horse” each garnering 7. “The Tree of Life” came out with five nominations, including a Best Picture nod and yet, strangely, no love for Terrence Malick, himself. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” scored four nominations, including Picture and Director, while “Midnight in Paris” and “Moneyball” rounded it out with 3 apiece.
I simply don’t have the strength to go into a full analysis of all this right now. Plus, it all seems a bit of a mute point when everything will just get turned on its head tomorrow and then again on Thursday. Therefore, we’ll just let these stew for a while and I’ll get back to milling over “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” which I got a chance to screen last night.
Here’s the full list of nominations:
BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
Ryan Gosling – “Drive”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”
BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”
Albert Brooks – “Drive”
Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Andrew Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – “Hugo”
Elle Fanning – “Super 8”
Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March
BEST DIRECTOR
Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”
Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive”
Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius
“50/50” – Will Reiser
“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen
“Win Win” – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
“Young Adult” – Diablo Cody
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” – Eric Roth
“The Help” – Tate Taylor
“Hugo” – John Logan
“Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Artist” – Guillaume Schiffman
“Drive” – Newton Thomas Sigel
“Hugo” – Robert Richardson
“The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki
“War Horse” – Janusz Kaminski
BEST ART DIRECTION
“The Artist” – Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” – Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” – Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“The Tree of Life” – Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank
“War Horse” – Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales
BEST EDITING
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion
“Drive” – Matthew Newman
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” – Thelma Schoonmaker
“War Horse” – Michael Kahn
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Artist” – Mark Bridges
“The Help” – Sharen Davis
“Hugo” – Sandy Powell
“Jane Eyre” – Michael O’Connor
“My Week With Marilyn” – Jill Taylor
BEST MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
My Week With Marilyn
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
The Tree of Life
BEST SOUND
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Super 8
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Drive
Fast Five
Hanna
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
BEST COMEDY
Bridesmaids
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris
The Muppets
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
In Darkness
Le Havre
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Where Do We Go Now
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Buck
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Page One: Inside the New York Times
Project Nim
Undefeated
BEST SONG
“Hello Hello” – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – Gnomeo & Juliet
“Life’s a Happy Song” – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“The Living Proof” – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. – The Help
“Man or Muppet” – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“Pictures in My Head” – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – The Muppets
BEST SCORE
“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource
“Drive” – Cliff Martinez
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
“Hugo” – Howard Shore
“War Horse” – John Williams
African-American Film Critics Winners
Yes, it’s true that even more critics groups have laid out their winners today. Not a lot of patience in among my peers, as of late. Once again, the St. Louis and San Diego Film Critics groups have decided to first issue lists of nominations prior to their OFFICIAL announcements. Therefore, I will not be posting their decisions yet. Their nominees will be posted here along with the winners, but I’m not dedicating two posts for each of their deliberations.
This is getting kind of ridiculous. As much as film critics like myself would love to vote in the Oscars, we don’t get that chance. Some critics groups don’t seem to understand that and so they try to make their own little Oscar ceremony. There is no need for the St. Louis Film Critics (to name one of many) to have nominees, followed by a special announcement of their winners. Forgive me, and I don’t mean to burn bridges here, but you’re really not that special. Groups like LA and NY have it correct. A simple winner and runner-up is fine. It’s classy, it’s efficient and it’s professional; the way it should be.
Anyway, here are the winners of the African American Film Critics Association. Some real originality here, if I do say so. Woody Harrelson for Best Actor is a truly inspired choice. I can’t wait to get a glimpse of his performance, myself.
Official winners:
BEST PICTURE: “The Tree of Life”
TOP TEN:
1. “The Tree of Life”
2. “Drive”
3. “Pariah”
4. “Rampart”
5. “Shame”
6. “Moneyball”
7. “The Descendants”
8. “A Better Life”
9. “My Week With Marilyn”
10. “The Help”
BEST DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen – “Shame”
BEST ACTOR: Woody Harrelson – “Rampart”
BEST ACTRESS: Viola Davis – “The Help”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks – “Drive”
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: Adepero Oduye – “Pariah”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “The Black Power Mixtape”
BEST SCREENPLAY: “I Will Follow”
BEST FOREIGN FILM: “Kinyarwanda”
BEST SONG: “The Show” from “Moneyball.”
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM: “Pariah”
LEGACY AWARD: Richard Roundtree
HORIZON AWARD: Hattie Winston
CINEMA VANGUARD AWARD: George Lucas
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Sony Pictures Entertainment
And You Thought We Were Done: San Francisco and Indiana
As if yesterday wasn’t quite ridiculously chaotic enough, a handful of cities decided to pile on. Along with these choices, Detroit and Houston also decided to issue their lists of nominees. At this point in time, one has to ask if it’s really necessary for cities such as Detroit or Houston to actually issue nominees. Therefore, I will postpone posting about their decisions until they actually make them.
In the meantime, here are the winners of the always interesting San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the particularly unusual and surprisingly unique decisions of the Indiana Film Critics Association. “Win Win” was certainly the unsung favorite of the hoosier state (despite “The Artist” taking the top prizes). Meanwhile, San Francisco chose to honor “The Tree of Life,” while also being the first critics group to finally bestow some love on “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
Here’s the winners:
SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE:
BEST PICTURE: “The Tree of Life”
BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick – “The Tree of Life”
BEST ACTOR: Gary Oldman – “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
BEST ACTRESS: Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks – “Drive”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Vanessa Redgrave – “Coriolanus”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “Margin Call”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “The Tree of Life”
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Rango”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “Certified Copy”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “Tabloid”
SPECIAL CITATION: “The Mill and the Cross”
INDIANA FILM JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION:
BEST FILM: “The Artist”
runner-up: “The Descendants”
BEST DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
runner-up: “Terrence Malick – “The Tree of Life”
BEST ACTOR: Paul Giamatti – “Win Win”
runner-up: Ralph Fiennes – “Coriolanus”
BEST ACTRESS: Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
runner-up: Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
runner-up: Albert Brooks – “Drive”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis – “The Help”
runner-up: Amy Ryan – “Win Win”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “The Descendants”
runner-up: “Moneyball”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “Win Win”
runner-up: “Margin Call”
BEST MUSICAL SCORE: “The Artist”
runner-up: “Hugo”
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Rango”
runner-up: “Winnie the Pooh”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “The Skin I Live In”
runner-up: “13 Assassins”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “Project Nim”
runner-up: “Into the Abyss”
ORIGINAL VISION AWARD: “The Tree of Life”
runner-up: “The Artist”
HOOSIER AWARD: Lindsay Goffman, producer – “Dumbstruck”
New York Film Critics Online Announce Winners – LIVE
Might as well make it a trifecta. The New York Film Critics Online are also announcing their winners. Follow along, here.
Winners, thus far:
BEST PICTURE: “The Artist”
BEST DIRECTOR: Michael Hazavanicius – “The Artist”
BEST ACTOR: Michael Shannon – “Take Shelter”
BEST ACTRESS: Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks – “Drive”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: “Bridesmaids”
BEST SCREENPLAY: Alexander Payne, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon – “The Descendants.”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki – “The Tree of Life”
BEST USE OF MUSIC: Ludovic Bource – “The Artist”
BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR Joe Cornish – “Attack the Block”
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER: Jessica Chastain – “The Tree of Life,” “The Help,” “The Debt,” “Take Shelter,” “Texas Killing Fields,” “Coriolanus”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “A Separation”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: “The Adventures of Tintin”
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Announces Winners LIVE
It’s basically the Awards Season’s equivalent of Super Tuesday, except it’s super sunday. Going to be busy all day. Keep checking back as more winners are announced!
I’ll have a full recap, later, but I must say that the Chemical Brothers win has got to be the smartest and most creative award any critics body has made yet.
BEST PICTURE: “The Descendants”
runner-up: “The Tree of Life”
BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick – “The Tree of Life”
runner-up: Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
BEST ACTOR: Michael Fassbender – “Shame,” “Jane Eyre,” “A Dangerous Method,” and “X-Men: First Class”
runner-up: Michael Shannon – “Take Shelter”
BEST ACTRESS: Yun Jung-Hee – “Poetry”
runner-up: Kirsten Dunst – “Melancholia”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
runner-up: Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain – “The Tree of Life,” “Coriolanus,” “The Help,” “The Debt,” and “Take Shelter,”
runner-up: Janet McTeer – “Albert Nobbs”
BEST SCREENPLAY: “A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi
runner-up: “The Descendants” by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “The Tree of Life”
runner-up: ?
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: “Hugo”
runner-up: “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: “Hanna” by The Chemical Brothers
runner-up: “Drive” by Cliff Martinez
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Rango”
runner-up: “The Adventures of Tintin”
BEST DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”
runner-up: “The Arbor”
BEST INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM: “Spark of Being”
The Edge of the Frame 