The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards this morning, including the list of nominees in the now ten-picture strong Best Picture category.
The widely speculated reason the Academy had expanded the Best Picture field to ten nominees was to open it up to films that would appeal to a wider audience. If that was the intent, then they definitely got their wish.
Regardless of any controversy around the expanded Best Picture category, though, the Academy should enjoy expanded viewership this year. The hosts are Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Both these guys can be very funny, and understand their audience well. They've also worked together in the past (most recently in "It's Complicated", and prior to that when Martin did a guest stint on 30 Rock), so they understand each others' comedic rhythms and timing. If they're having a good time, we as the viewing audience will likely have a good time.
The Best Picture nominees are:
- Avatar
- The Hurt Locker
- The Blind Side
- District 9
- An Education
- Inglourious Basterds
- Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
- A Serious Man
- Up
- Up In The Air
Looking at that list, if it were cut to five, the likely nominees would have been Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Up In The Air, The Blind Side and either An Education or Precious. Given the business that Avatar has done, this is obviously not a year when more 'populist' selections are needed, but having said that, it's nice to see films that would normally not get the nomination make it. Especially considering District 9 and Up would have never stood a chance without the expanded field (District 9 came out too long ago, and would have had its thunder stolen by Avatar. Up would have gotten its Best Animated Feature Film nomination - and won - but would not have been seriously in the running for Best Picture).
Other categories have some interesting nominees, as well:
Best Actor:
- Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
- George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
- Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
- Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
- Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
This one is Jeff Bridges' to lose, based on the pre-Oscar season.
Best Actress:
- Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
- Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
- Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
- Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
- Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
A tough one to call, with Bullock and Streep each taking awards (including a tie at the SAG awards!). I figure Bullock will take it, because, frankly, the Academy loves Streep, but she has a lot of Oscars already and she's probably running out of space to warehouse them.
Best Supporting Actor:
- Matt Damon in “Invictus”
- Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
- Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
- Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
- Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
Christoph Waltz is a strong contender here, although Harrelson could take it for The Messenger.
Best Supporting Actress:
- Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
- Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
- Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
- Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
- Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
I'll be shocked if it's anyone but Mo'Nique.
Best Animated Feature Film:
- “Coraline”
- “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
- “The Princess and the Frog”
- “The Secret of Kells”
- “Up”
Pixar releases a film every year, and Pixar wins the Best Animated Feature Oscar every year...this year will be no different.
Best Director:
- “Avatar” James Cameron
- “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
- “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
- “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
- “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
The Best Director race is likely between former spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow (Bigelow was Cameron's second wife), and I suspect Bigelow will win.
To see the rest of the nominees, check out the details at the Oscars site.
Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 8:03PM 
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards happened tonight. The beginning was incredibly awkward, with the ten nominees for Best Actor and Actress lined up on stage, trying not to fidget as they were announced and the roles they were nominated for listed. It looked a bit like a beauty pageant where everyone knows the winner has already been determined.