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Thoughts on the Oscars

Today's the day!

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced, and this is one of the most surprising ballots in recent memory.

Let's start from the top:

Best Supporting Actor

The big shocker here is Nick Nolte. He gave a great performance in a movie, but that movie (Warrior) was completely ignored aside from him. The only mention of him being nominated was EW's short list awhile back, but I have to say, I'm happy to see the film get represented in some way. Max Von Sydow became the token "he won't get nominated for any of the flashy stuff but he'll make it to the Oscars" nominee. The rest were the usual suspects.

If It Were Up To Me:

I'd leave Nick Nolte alone, but I'd bounce Jonah Hill in favor of Albert Brooks. If we're talking about a comedic actor in a dramatic role, Brooks embraced the challenge much more than Hill did. Plus, Drive was woefully under-appreciated, which is probably how Hill (from the more high-profile Moneyball) was recognized.

Best Supporting Actress

The question going around this awards show season was: Will Melissa McCarthy get that nomination? Answer: Yes. That means for the first time since Helen Hunt won the Oscar for As Good As It Gets, an actor on a crummy sitcom is now an Oscar nominee. You have to love today's Hollywood landscape. (Okay, maybe Mad About You wasn't as bad as "Mike and Molly," but you get what I'm saying.) McCarthy bounced Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley, but the rest of the nominations stayed intact. (If it seems like I'm talking as if the Golden Globes are a direct transition to the Academy Awards, you're right--because they are. This year, however, they did deviate quite a bit in some categories, but they tend to be the foundation for the Oscar nominations.)

If It Were Up To Me:

I would probably bump Jessica Chastain for Carey Mulligan from Shame. Chastain wasn't anything special in The Help, and compared to her own co-star Octavia Spencer, she seems out of her league. I think they just honored her because she's the new Hollywood It Girl. It would have been more innovative to nominate her for Take Shelter.

Best Lead Actor:

I know you think I'm going to say that the nomination for Demián Bichir is an upset, but he was the Entertainment Weekly "For Your Consideration" pick that I actually thought seemed most likely to make his way onto the ballot. Gary Oldman, on the other hand, is a total shocker. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy seemed destined to fall into that pile of movies labeled "Great Movies That Got Lost in the Mix." Who knew it would battle back? The other nominees were all standard.

If It Were Up To Me:

I thought Michael Fassbender was incredible in Shame. The degree of difficulty involved in performing and pulling off that role was insanely high, and he nailed it. I liked Brad Pitt in Moneyball, but I didn't find his performance to be any sort of revelation. I would swap him out for Fassbender. (I know, I keep swapping out the Moneyball actors--but what can I say? It was an okay movie, but I don't think it was anything award-worthy, aside from the screenplay.)

Best Actress

A category with virtually no shockers. Tilda Swinton got bumped so that Michelle Williams come be included, which was expected. (Why do websites always say that someone was snubbed, but then fail to say who it is they were snubbed for? One year E! Online listed almost ten snubs for Best Actor, but where would all those people have gone? You can't list a snub in case you say who it is they should have replaced.)

If It Were Up To Me:

It was a great year for actresses. I can think of a lot of runners up, but I'd leave this list just as it is.

Best Director:

I had a feeling George Clooney wouldn't get any Ides of March love in this category, but I was a little surprised to see Terrence Malick take his place. (I get the feeling Steven Spielberg is starting to get a sense of how much relevance he's lost. Not even a Tintin nomination? Ouch.)

If It Were Up To Me:

Believe it or not, I'm not an Alexander Payne fan. I would have swapped him out for David Fincher. I'm not sure why The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo got so little love. It was really well done.

Best Picture:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Tree of Life were the surprises here, although it's hard to gauge what's a surprise and what isn't because nobody had any idea exactly how many nominees there would be this year. If we had known there would be this many nominations, I wouldn't have been surprised to see these two on the ballot.

If It Were Up To Me:

I was never really a big fan of Hugo. I would have put The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in its place. Maybe I would have gone an extra step and swapped one surprise for another--Tree of Life for My Week With Marilyn. Oh, and maybe...

You know what?

I'd better stop there.

Otherwise I'll be at this until they give out the awards.

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