While the Oscar nominees won't be announced until late January, the race has been underway for several months, with December being one of the make or break periods during the campaign. The Oscar race is like running for President. Right now, we are in the Iowa/New Hampshire/South Carolina period of the early primaries as movie critics groups announce their winners.
Then, we move into Super Tuesday as the guilds (Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild, etc.), The Golden Globes and the Broadcast Film Critics Association announce their winners in January and February.
Today, the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Of which I am a member), announced its nominees, after we voted this weekend, with the winners being revealed in a super duper star-filled ceremony broadcast on VH1 in January. This will be one of the few times on this blog I will ever promote a program that doesn't air on the CW (until this blog is removed by some corporate suit in the Tribune's Chicago Headquarters), so read it while you can!
Who was nominated?
What is the impact on the Oscar race?
Early on, it looked like The Artist was going to go on a march to Oscar akin to Sherman marching on Atlanta, but the picture has become more muddled in the past few weeks.
The Artist still led the pack with 11 nominations, but, was matched by Martin Scorsese's Hugo with 11 nominations of their own, much like the two movies have been splitting wins among the various critics groups this year. Like last year's battle between The Social Network and The King's Speech, these two films look like the favorites and will battle throughout January and February for frontrunner status.
In the Best Actor category, George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) and Michael Fassbender (Shame) earned nominations, and look likely to be the Oscar nominees as well. Although, I have my doubts about Oscar voters nominating Fassbender for his NC-17 rated Shame. It's a great performance, but will the content (and the display of Fassbender's, ummm, "Willie") turn off some voters? I still think Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) can make a run at a nomination here.
In the Best Actress category, Meryl Streep appears to be the frontrunner for Best Actress after earning a nomination here for The Iron Lady. With more Oscar nominations than any actor in the history of the ceremony, but no wins since 1982's Sophie's Choice, I have heard a great deal of buzz that Streep deserves another win, and I think that sentiment will drive her to victory on Oscar night.
Amazingly, Glenn Close from Albert Nobbs, is watching her Oscar campaign sink like the Titanic. After failing to score a nomination with the Broadcast Film Critics, and not catching fire with other critics groups, the one time frontrunner might not even get an Oscar nomination. It's a very good movie, and a very good performance, but the campaign itself has been mismanaged and failed to get any attention among voters.
Critics Choice Nominees
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
The Artist still led the pack with 11 nominations, but, was matched by Martin Scorsese's Hugo with 11 nominations of their own, much like the two movies have been splitting wins among the various critics groups this year. Like last year's battle between The Social Network and The King's Speech, these two films look like the favorites and will battle throughout January and February for frontrunner status.
In the Best Actor category, George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) and Michael Fassbender (Shame) earned nominations, and look likely to be the Oscar nominees as well. Although, I have my doubts about Oscar voters nominating Fassbender for his NC-17 rated Shame. It's a great performance, but will the content (and the display of Fassbender's, ummm, "Willie") turn off some voters? I still think Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) can make a run at a nomination here.
In the Best Actress category, Meryl Streep appears to be the frontrunner for Best Actress after earning a nomination here for The Iron Lady. With more Oscar nominations than any actor in the history of the ceremony, but no wins since 1982's Sophie's Choice, I have heard a great deal of buzz that Streep deserves another win, and I think that sentiment will drive her to victory on Oscar night.
Amazingly, Glenn Close from Albert Nobbs, is watching her Oscar campaign sink like the Titanic. After failing to score a nomination with the Broadcast Film Critics, and not catching fire with other critics groups, the one time frontrunner might not even get an Oscar nomination. It's a very good movie, and a very good performance, but the campaign itself has been mismanaged and failed to get any attention among voters.
Critics Choice Nominees
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
