Hello one and all. Well, it is that time of year again, when bloggers and puntits try to guess what a group of 5000-plus filmmakers decide what the “best” that cinema had to offer this past year. This year has a lot of wrinkles (namely, how Best Picture nominees will be limited to only films that get 5% of the Academy’s first-place votes), and has already seen a lot of surprises (at least until the rest of the Guilds chime in, there are three legtimate possibilities for Best Picture). On Tuesday, the Academy announces its list of nominees. Rather than trying to predict those myself, here are the films/individuals I would put forth for my own Oscar ballot.
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
Best Picture:
“Hugo”
“The Beaver”
“The Symphony”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
“Hanna”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Warrior”
“Missing Pieces”
“Rango”
Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
David Yates, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
Michael LaPointe, “The Symphony”
Steven Spielberg, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” & “War Horse”
Joe Wright, “Hanna”
Honorable Mention: Gavin O’Connor, “Warrior”; Brad Bird, “Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol”; Jodie Foster, “The Beaver”; Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Jonathan Levine, “50/50”; Kenton Bartlett, “Missing Pieces”; Rupert Wyatt, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”; Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”; Mike Mills, “Beginners”; Chris Weitz, “A Better Life”; Nicolas Winding Refn, “Drive”; David Fincher, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Matthew Vaughn, “X-Men: First Class”; Edgar Muniz, “On Parade”; Jeff Nichols, “Take Shelter”; Werner Herzog, “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” & “Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life”; J.J. Abrams, “Super 8”; Eric Leiser, “Glitch in the Grid”; Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”; Tate Taylor, “The Help”; Kevin Chenault, “Young Islands”; James Wan, “Insidious”; George Nolfi, “The Adjustment Bureau”; Steve McQueen, “Shame”
Best Actor:
Mel Gibson, “The Beaver”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50”
Robin Zamora, “The Symphony”
Demián Bichir, “A Better Life”
Honorable Mention: J.K. Simmons, “The Music Never Stopped”; Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter”; Michael Fassbender, “Shame”; Tom Hardy, “Warrior”; Joel Edgerton, “Warrior”; Michael Parks, “Red State”; Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; Ewan McGregor, “Beginners”; Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”; Asa Butterfield, “Hugo”; Ed Helms, “Cedar Rapids”; Steve Carell, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”; Daniel Craig, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”; Mark Boone Jr., “Missing Pieces”; Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”; Will Farrell, “Everything Must Go”; Ryan Gosling, “Drive” & “The Ides of March”; Matt Damon, “The Adjustment Bureau” & “We Bought a Zoo”; Joel Courtney, “Super 8”; Edgar Muniz, “On Parade”; Rainn Wilson, “Super”; Matthew McConaughey, “The Lincoln Lawyer”; AJ Bowen, “A Horrible Way to Die”; Jason Bateman, “Horrible Bosses”; Jamie Bell, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”; Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
Best Actress:
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Saoirse Ronan, “Hanna”
Honorable Mention: Jessica Chastain, “Take Shelter”; Jodie Foster, “The Beaver”; Emma Stone, “The Help”; Robin Wright Penn, “The Conspirator”; Laura Benson, “On Parade”; Emily Blunt, “The Adjustment Bureau”; Mia Wasikowska, “Jane Eyre”; Marissa Merrill, “The Symphony”; Julianne Moore, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”; Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”; Amy Seimetz, “A Horrible Way to Die”
Best Supporting Actor:
Andy Serkis, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” & “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”
Ben Kingsley, “Hugo”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners” & “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Hunter McCracken, “The Tree of Life”
Honorable Mention: Seth Rogen, “50/50”; Albert Brooks, “Drive”; Min-sik Choi, “I Saw the Devil”; Corey Stoll, “Midnight in Paris”; Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”; Nick Krause, “The Descendants”; Tom Hiddleston, “War Horse”; Stellan Skarsgard, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Niels Arestrup, “War Horse”; Michael Fassbender, “X-Men: First Class”; Matthew Lillard, “The Descendants”; José Julián, “A Better Life”; George Clooney, “The Ides of March”; Lou Taylor Pucci, “The Music Never Stopped”; Daniel Hassell, “Missing Pieces”; Anton Yelchin, “The Beaver”; Bryan Cranston, “Drive”; Sacha Baron Cohen, “Hugo”; Phillip Seymour Hoffman, “The Ides of March” & “Moneyball”; John Hawkes, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”; Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”; Bill Oberst Jr., “The Symphony”; Kevin Kline, “The Conspirator”; Ron Perlman, “Drive”; Paul Giamatti, “The Ides of March”; Brad Pitt, “The Tree of Life”; Rupert Grint, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; Riley Griffiths, “Super 8”; Christopher Jordan Wallace, “Everything Must Go”; John C. Reilly, “Cedar Rapids”; Alan Rickman, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; Anthony Mackie, “The Adjustment Bureau”; Ryan Phillippe, “The Lincoln Lawyer”; John Lithgow, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”; Kevin Spacey, “Horrible Bosses”
Best Supporting Actress:
Carey Mulligan, “Shame”
Anjelica Huston, “50/50”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Marion Cottilard, “Midnight in Paris”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help” & “The Tree of Life”
Honorable Mention: Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”; Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”; Anna Kendrick, “50/50”; Cate Blanchett, “Hanna”; Jennifer Lawrence, “The Beaver” & “X-Men: First Class”; Amara Miller, “The Descendants”; Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”; Sarah Paulson, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”; Lin Shaye, “Insidious”; Tova Stewart, “Take Shelter”; Chloe Grace Moretz, “Hugo”; Naomi Watts, “J. Edgar”; Judy Greer, “The Descendants”; Anne Heche, “Cedar Rapids”; Taylor Engel, “Missing Pieces”; Jennifer Aniston, “Horrible Bosses”; Julia Ormond, “The Music Never Stopped”; Ellen Page, “Super”; Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; Elle Fanning, “Super 8”; Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Best Original Screenplay:
Kyle Killen, “The Beaver”
Will Reiser, “50/50”
Mike Mills, “Beginners”
Michael LaPointe, “The Symphony”
Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorfman, “Warrior”
Honorable Mention: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Kenton Bartlett, “Missing Pieces”; David Farr & Seth Lochhead, “Hanna”; Edgar Muniz & Seth Johansson, “On Parade”; Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan, “Shame”; John Logan, “Rango”; Kevin Chenault, “Young Islands”; Eric Leiser, “Glitch in the Grid”; Jeff Nichols, “Take Shelter”; Eric Eason & Roger L. Simon, “A Better Life”; Phil Johnston, “Cedar Rapids”; J.J. Abrams, “Super 8”; Leigh Whannell, “Insidious”; Simon Barrett, “A Horrible Way to Die”; Hoon-jung Park, “I Saw the Devil”; Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”; Drew Bolduc, “The Taint”; Dan Fogelman, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”; Zachary Block & Joaquin F. Palma, “Fathoms Deep”; Dustin Lance Black, “J. Edgar”; Roland Joffe, “There Be Dragons”; James Gunn, “Super”; Kevin Smith, “Red State”
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Steve Kloves, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
Amanda Silver & Rick Jaffa, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
John Logan, “Hugo”
Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”
Honorable Mention: Steven Zallian, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin, “Moneyball”; Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn, Sheldon Turner, Bryan Singer, “X-Men: First Class”; Tate Taylor, “The Help”; Dan Rush, “Everything Must Go”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”; George Nolfi, “The Adjustment Bureau”; Hossin Amini, “Drive”; Lee Hall and Richard Curtis, “War Horse”; James Solomon, “The Conspirator”; Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, “The Music Never Stopped”; Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, “Captain America: The First Avenger”; Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne, J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Protosevich, “Thor”
Best Original Score:
The Chemical Brothers, “Hanna”
Rob Simon, “The Symphony”
John Williams, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” & “War Horse”
Cliff Martinez, “Drive”
Michael Giacchino, “Super 8”
Honorable Mention: Howard Shore, “Hugo”; Alan Silvestri, “Captain America: The First Avenger”; Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”; Hans Zimmer, “Rango” & “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”; David Wingo, “Take Shelter”; Alexandre Desplat, “The Tree of Life” & “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”; Dario Marianelli, “Jane Eyre”; Thomas Newman, “The Adjustment Bureau” & “The Help”; Jeffrey Leiser, “Glitch in the Grid”; Harry Escott, “Shame”; Henry Jackman, “Winnie the Pooh” & “Puss in Boots”; Marcelo Zarvos, “The Beaver”; Stephen Warbeck, “There Be Dragons”; Harry Gregson-Williams, “Cowboys & Aliens”; Michael Giacchino, “Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol”
Best Original Song:
“So Long” from “Winnie the Pooh” (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward)
“Pictures in My Head” from “The Muppets” (Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, Chen Neeman)
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” (Bret McKenzie)
“The Star Spangled Man” from “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Alan Menken & David Zippel)
“The Backson Song” from “Winnie the Pooh” (Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez)
Honorable Mention: “Life’s a Happy Song” from “The Muppets” (Bret McKenzie); “Me Party” from “The Muppets” (Bret McKenzie & Paul Roemen); “It’s Gonna Be Great” from “Winnie the Pooh” (Robert Lopez); “All That You Are” from “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (John Rzeznik & John Shanks); “Collision of Worlds” from “Cars 2” (Robbie Williams & Brad Paisley); “Let’s Talk About Me” from “The Muppets” (Ali Dee Theodore & Bret McKenzie)
Best Animated Feature
“Rango”
“Winnie the Pooh”
“The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”
“Arthur Christmas”
“Puss in Boots”
Best Foreign Language Film
“I Saw the Devil”
“13 Assassins”
Best Documentary Feature
“Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life”
“Viva! Saint Agrippina”
“Buck”
“Cave of Forgotten Dreams”
Best Visual Effects
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
“X-Men: First Class”
“Thor”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Best Sound
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
“Insidious”
“The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“War Horse”
Best Sound Editing
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Insidious”
“The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”
“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Best Cinematography
“Hugo”
“Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Super 8”
“Insidious”
Best Film Editing
“Hanna”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
Best Art Direction
“Hugo”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
“The Artist”
“Jane Eyre”
“War Horse”
Best Makeup
“X-Men: First Class”
“Hugo”
“Insidious”
Best Costume Design
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“Captain America: The First Avenger”
“X-Men: First Class”
“Thor”
