Oscars 2010: Hurt. Precious, even Hangover in running – Air still running in Pole Position

By Jordan R. Young

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 1/19/2010 – It’s an atypically wet day in Los Angeles, but the heat is on. That would be the steam heat of the Oscar race, natch, with the Golden Globes on the books, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) recently weighing in with their nominations.

WGA screenplay nominees point to just how heated and unpredictable the Oscar race is going to be. Edgy stuff like “The Hurt Locker” and “Precious” traditionally fails to end up in the Oscar winner’s circle, yet the popularity of both films make this a tough race to call. Nonetheless, “The Hangover” and “Up in the Air” (whose script nabbed a Globe last night) will be tough to beat in their respective Original and Adapted Screenplay categories.

Last year ASC winner Anthony Dod Mantle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) went on to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography; I predict it will happen again this year, with Mauro Fiore taking top honors for “Avatar” in both award competitions. Caleb Deschanel (“The Black Stallion,” “The Right Stuff”) will receive the richly deserved Lifetime Achievement Award from ASC this year.

The BAFTAs are a closer prognosticator of what’s hot in Hollywood than you might think; at the very least they’re an intriguing counterpart to the Oscars handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Where AMPAS is “returning to Oscar’s roots” in nominating 10 films in the Best Picture category this year, BAFTA’s prelimary “long list” includes 15 noms in each category (the official list is due January 21).

While BAFTA actor noms include such predictables as George Clooney and Jeff Bridges, they also include the likes of Viggo Mortensen in “The Road” and Ben Whishaw (as John Keats) in “Bright Star.”  And the Brits are savvy enough to recognize Marion Cotillard is the best thing about “Nine,” nomming her as Best Actress while Penelope Cruz has been relegated to the supporting category despite roughly equal screen time.

More by Jordan R. Young

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The latest nominations…

Writers Guild of America

Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

Avatar, Written by James Cameron

The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

The Hurt Locker, Written by Mark Boal

A Serious Man, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Adapted Screenplay

Crazy Heart, Screenplay by Scott Cooper; Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb

Julie & Julia, Screenplay by Nora Ephron; Based on the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Star Trek, Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; Based upon Star Trek, Created by Gene Roddenberry

Up in the Air, Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn

American Cinematographers Society

Barry Ackroyd, BSC – The Hurt Locker

Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS – Nine

Christian Berger, AAC – The White Ribbon

Mauro Fiore, ASC – Avatar

Robert Richardson, ASC – Inglorious Basterds

Caleb Deschanel – Lifetime Achievement Award

Sol Negrin – ASC Presidents Award

Chris Menges – ASC International Award

ACE Eddie Awards

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):
Avatar, Stephen Rivkin, A.C.E., John Refoua, A.C.E. & James Cameron, A.C.E.
District 9, Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker, Bob Murawski & Chris Innis

Star Trek. Mary Jo Markey, A.C.E & Maryann Brandon, A.C.E.

Up in the Air, Dana Glauberman, A.C.E.

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy Or Musical):
500 Days of Summer, Alan Edward Bell

The Hangover, Debra Neil-Fisher, A.C.E.

Julie & Julia, Richard Marks, A.C.E.

A Serious Man, Roderick Jaynes

It’s Complicated, Joe Hutshing, A.C.E. & David Moritz

Best Edited Animated Feature Film:
Coraline, Christopher Murrie & Ronald Sanders

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Andrew Weisblum

Up, Kevin Nolting

BAFTA

Best Film

Avatar

District 9

An Education

Gran Torino

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Moon

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

The Road

A Serious Man

A Single Man

Star Trek

Up

Up in the Air

Director

Avatar *

Bright Star

District 9 *

An Education *

Fish Tank

Gran Torino

The Hurt Locker *

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Moon

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

A Prophet *

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Leading Actor

Aaron Johnson – Nowhere Boy

Andy Serkis – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll *

Ben Whishaw (John Keats) – Bright Star

Brad Pitt – Inglourious Basterds

Clint Eastwood – Gran Torino

Colin Firth – A Single Man *

George Clooney – Up in the Air *

Jeff Bridges (Bad Blake) – Crazy Heart

Jeremy Renner (SSgt. William James) – The Hurt Locker *

Michael Sheen (Brian Clough) – The Damned United

Morgan Freeman (Nelson Mandela) – Invictus *

Peter Capaldi (Malcolm Tucker) – In the Loop

Peter Sarsgaard (David) – An Education

Sam Rockwell (Sam Bell) – Moon

Viggo Mortensen (Man) – The Road

Leading Actress

Abbie Cornish – Bright Star

Amy Adams – Julie & Julia

Audrey Tautou – Coco Before Chanel

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Helen Mirren – The Last Station

Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart

Marion Cotillard – Nine

Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds

Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated

Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

Penelope Cruz – Broken Embraces

Saoirse Ronan – The Lovely Bones

Supporting Actor

Aaron Wolff – A Serious Man

Alan Rickman – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Alec Baldwin – It’s Complicated

Alfred Molina – An Education

Anthony Mackie – The Hurt Locker

Brian Geraghty – The Hurt Locker

Christian McKay – Me and Orson Welles

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station

Dominic Cooper – An Education

Matt Damon – Invictus

Stanley Tucci  – The Lovely Bones

Stanley Tucci – Julie & Julia

Timothy Spall  – The Damned United

Zachary Quinto – Star Trek

Supporting Actress

Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air

Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy

Claire Danes – Me and Orson Welles

Diane Kruger – Inglourious Basterds

Emma Thompson – An Education

Julianne Moore – A Single Man

Kristin Scott Thomas – Nowhere Boy

Mariah Carey – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Olivia Williams – An Education

Penelope Cruz – Nine

Rachel Weisz – The Lovely Bones

Rosamund Pike – An Education

Susan Sarandon  – The Lovely Bones

Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air

Original Screenplay

Avatar

Bright Star

Broken Embraces

Fish Tank

Gran Torino

The Hangover

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

It’s Complicated

Moon

Nowhere Boy

A Prophet

A Serious Man

Up

The Young Victoria

Adapted Screenplay

Crazy Heart

The Damned United

District 9

An Education

Fantastic Mr Fox

In the Loop

Invictus

Let the Right One In

The Lovely Bones

Me and Orson Welles

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

The Road

A Single Man

Star Trek

Up in the Air

Cinematography

Avatar

Bright Star

Coco Before Chanel

District 9

An Education

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Lovely Bones

Moon

The Road

A Serious Man

A Single Man

Star Trek

Up in the Air

Editing

Avatar

Bright Star

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Lovely Bones

Moon

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

The Road

A Serious Man

A Single Man

Star Trek

Up

Up in the Air