For the first time ever, the Academy is releasing the first top 10 list for Best Picture. According to the Associated Press:
Oscar organizers decided last summer to double the best-picture field to 10 movies, saying they felt there were more than five worthy contenders.
The expanded best-picture category caught Hollywood by surprise, with filmmakers, actors, studio executives and others divided over the idea. Some say it opens the Oscars up to a broader range of films, others think it might allow lesser movies to sneak into the best-picture competition.
The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are:
• Vera Fermiga, “Up in the Air”
• Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
• Mo’Nique, “Precious”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
•Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
The nominees for Best Supporting Actor are:
• Matt Damon, “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
The nominees for Best Actress are:
• Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
• Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
• Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
• George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
• Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
The nominees for Best Director are:
• Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
• Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
• James Cameron, “Avatar”
• Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
The nominees for Best Animated Feature are:
• “Up”
• “Coraline”
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
• “The Princess and the Frog”
• “The Secret of Kells”
The nominees for Best Original Screenplay are:
• “The Messenger”
• “The Hurt Locker”
• “A Serious Man”
• “Up”
• “Inglourious Basterds”
The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are:
• “An Education”
• “In the Loop”
• “Precious”
• “Up in the Air”
• “District 9”
Foreign Language Film; “Ajami,” Israel; “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” Argentina; “The Milk of Sorrow,” Peru; “Un Prophete,” France; “The White Ribbon,” Germany.
Art Direction: “Avatar,” ”The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” ”Nine,” ”Sherlock Holmes,” ”The Young Victoria.”
Cinematography: “Avatar,” ”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” ”The Hurt Locker,” ”Inglourious Basterds,” ”The White Ribbon.”
Sound Mixing: “Avatar,” ”The Hurt Locker,” ”Inglourious Basterds,” ”Star Trek,” ”Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
Sound Editing: “Avatar,” ”The Hurt Locker,” ”Inglourious Basterds,” ”Star Trek,” ”Up.”
Original Score: “Avatar,” James Horner; “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Alexandre Desplat; “The Hurt Locker,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders; “Sherlock Holmes,” Hans Zimmer; “Up,” Michael Giacchino.
Original Song: “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog,” Randy Newman; “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog,” Randy Newman; “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36,” Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas; “Take It All” from “Nine,” Maury Yeston; “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart,” Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.
Costume: “Bright Star,” ”Coco Before Chanel,” ”The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” ”Nine,” ”The Young Victoria.”
Documentary Feature: “Burma VJ,” ”The Cove,” ”Food, Inc.” ”The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers,” ”Which Way Home.”
Documentary (short subject): “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province,” ”The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner,” ”The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant,” ”Music by Prudence,” ”Rabbit a la Berlin.”
Film Editing: “Avatar,” ”District 9,” ”The Hurt Locker,” ”Inglourious Basterds,” ”Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”
Makeup: “Il Divo,” ”Star Trek,” ”The Young Victoria.”
Animated Short Film: “French Roast,” ”Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty,” ”The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte),” ”Logorama,” ”A Matter of Loaf and Death.”
Live Action Short Film: “The Door,” ”Instead of Abracadabra,” ”Kavi,” ”Miracle Fish,” ”The New Tenants.”
Visual Effects: “Avatar,” ”District 9,” ”Star Trek.”
Here are the trailers for the Best Picture Nominees:
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire
Up in the Air
District 9
Up
A Serious Man
An Education
The Blind Side