This has been a pretty lackluster year at the movies, a point underscored by the fact that the Golden Globe nominations came out last week and I didn’t even know it. Further, nothing in this list stands out to me one way or the other.
I’m glad to see Robert Downey Jr. recognized for Tropic Thunder (as well as Tom Cruise in the same film). Having just seen Milk, I’m surprised it didn’t make the cut for Best Picture. Nice to see Kate Winslet nominated twice.
On the TV side, the absence of Friday Night Lights is so completely expected that it’s hard to summon any outrage anymore. It’s more of a surprise to see Lost left out, with House as the only network show in the lineup. I’m happy to see Mad Men with several nominations, and it should be the easy winner.
Full list of nominees follows…
Best Picture – Drama
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures
Frost/Nixon
Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures
The Reader
Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company
Revolutionary Road
An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage
Slumdog Millionaire
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.
Best Picture – Comedy/Musical
Burn After Reading
Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features in association with Studio Canal
Happy-Go-Lucky
Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films
In Bruges
Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features
Mamma Mia!
Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Mediapro; The Weinstein Company
Best Actor – Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell – In Bruges
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey
Best Actress – Drama
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Kate Winslet – The Reader
Best Director
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry – The Reader
David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road
Best Writer
Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare – The Reader
Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth – Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley – Doubt
Animation
Bolt
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Kung Fu Panda
DreamWorks Animation SKG; Paramount Pictures
Wall-E
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Original Score
Alexandre Desplat –The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood – Changeling
James Newton Howard – Defiance
A. R. Rahman – Slumdog Millionaire
Hans Zimmer – Frost/Nixon
Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Country of Germany
(DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX) Constantin Film Produktion GmbH; Summit Entertainment, LLC
Everlasting Moments (Sweden, Denmark)
The Country of Sweden and The Country of Denmark
(MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK) Final Cut Productions Aps; IFC Films
Gomorrah (Italy)
The Country of Italy
(GOMORRA) Fandango; IFC Films
I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
The Country of France
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME) UGC YM/UGC Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
The Country of Israel
Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D’Ici/Razor Films/Arte France/ITVS International; Sony Pictures Classics
Original Song
“Down To Earth” — Wall-E
Music By: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
Lyrics By: Peter Gabriel
“Gran Torino” — Gran Torino
Music By: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
Lyrics By: Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
“I Thought I Lost You” — Bolt
Music & Lyrics By: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
“Once In A Lifetime” — Cadillac Records
Music & Lyrics By: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott Mcfarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
“The Wrestler” — The Wrestler
Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen
AND TELEVISION NODS
Best Television Series – Drama
Dexter (Showtime)
Showtime/John Goldwyn Productions/The Colleton Company/Clyde Phillips Productions
House (Fox)
Universal Media Studios In Association With Heel And Toe Films, Shore Z Productions And Bad Hat Harry Productions
In Treatment (Hbo)
Sheleg, Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With Hbo Entertainment
Mad Men (Amc)
Lionsgate Television
True Blood (Hbo)
Your Face Goes Here Productions In Association With Hbo Entertainment
Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Sally Field – Brothers And Sisters
Mariska Hargitay –Law And Order: Special Victims Unit
January Jones – Mad Men
Anna Paquin – True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer
Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment
Michael C Hall – Dexter
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Hugh Laurie – House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers – The Tudors
Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
30 Rock (Nbc)
Universal Media Studios In Association With Broadway Video And Little Stranger Inc
Californication (Showtime)
Showtime Presents In Association With Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then
Entourage (Hbo)
Leverage And Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With Hbo Entertainment
The Office (Nbc)
Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille Llc, Universal Media Studios
Weeds (Showtime)
Lionsgate Television
Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series –Comedy Or Musical
Christina Applegate – Samantha Who?
America Ferrera – Ugly Betty
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Debra Messing – The Starter Wife
Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds
Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
Steve Carell – The Office
Kevin Connolly – Entourage
David Duchovny – Californication
Tony Shalhoub – Monk
Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
A Raisin In The Sun (Abc)
Sony Pictures Television
Bernard And Doris (Hbo)
Trigger Street Independent Productions In Association With Little Bird And Chicago Films And Hbo Films
Cranford (Pbs)
A Co-Production Of Bbc And Wgbh Boston
John Adams (Hbo)
Playtone In Association With Hbo Films
Recount (Hbo)
Spring Creek/Mirage Productions In Association With Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures And Hbo Films
Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Judi Dench – Cranford
Catherine Keener – An American Crime
Laura Linney – John Adams
Shirley Maclaine – Coco Chanel
Susan Sarandon – Bernard And Doris
Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Ralph Fiennes – Bernard And Doris
Paul Giamatti – John Adams
Kevin Spacey – Recount
Kiefer Sutherland – 24: Redemption
Tom Wilkinson – Recount
Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Eileen Atkins – Cranford
Laura Dern – Recount
Melissa George – In Treatment
Rachel Griffiths – Brothers And Sisters
Dianne Wiest – In Treatment
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
Denis Leary – Recount
Jeremy Piven – Entourage
Blair Underwood – In Treatment
Tom Wilkinson – John Adams
Meet Me In Montauk 
No surprises here, though I didn’t know that In Bruges was a comedy. I’m sorry to see FNL shut out again, of course. I also find it very strange that Kevin Connolly was nominated as leaad actor from Entourage; how is his part any bigger than the the rest of them? What do you think?
Oh, and I hope Recount wins everything, and I especially hope Denis Leary wins, as I want to hear his acceptance speech 🙂 And I’m glad that Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet were both nominated for two awards each; they’re two of my very favorite actresses, so it’s good to see them shine in such an actor driven year.
Yeah, the Kevin Connolly nomination struck me as odd, too. If there’s a lead actor in that show, it would have to be Adrien Grenier. But it’s truly an ensemble.
I second the love for Recount, though I’m sure John Adams or other more “serious” fare will take it.
It’s also odd that Tropic Thunder received two acting nominations but didn’t make the cut for Best Picture.
I didn’t think In Bruges was a comedy, had some funny moments, but go figure. I have read amazing things about Kristin Scott Thomas in I’ve loved you so long that I expect she’ll also get an academy nomination as well. I too am happy to see Kate Winslet get two nominations; although I didn’t realize Revolutionary Road was so grim, (didn’t see it just read about it and the author Yates); as far as TV, since we don’t watch much, I was surprised to see the little we do watch–In treatment, Mad Men and True Blood are contenders. I also agree that entourage is an ensemble, and have my fingers crossed for Recount.