Today, movie lovers will unite and bask in the glory of the highest honours given to film and cinema. The official announcement of the Academy Awards are today, and for the first time in the history of the Academy, they have announced all categories on a televised programming. This is really exciting stuff because film is finally beginning to be recognized as a collaborative art; one that involves each and every individual, from so many diverse talents, all across the board. Celebrated directors J.J Abrams and Alfonso Cuaron were responsible for announcing all the technical awards, while Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and actor Chris Pine revealed the higher profile nominations.
So without any further delay, here are the 87th Annual Academy Award Nominations:
Best Original Song
Everything is Awesome- The Lego Movie
Glory- Selma
Grateful- Beyond The Lights
I’m Not Gonna Miss You- Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Lost Stars- Begin Again
Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Documentary Short Subject
Crisis Hotline
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth
Best Documentary
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Myers
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
Production Design
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr.Turner
Best Live Action Short
Aya
Boogaloo And Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call
Best Animated Short Film
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
Single Life
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kayuga
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall– The Judge
Ethan Hawke– Boyhood
Edward Norton– Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo– Foxcatcher
J.K Simmons-Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette– Boyhood
Laura Dern– Wild
Emma Stone– Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep– Into The Woods
Keira Knightly– The Imitation Game
Make Up & Hair
Foxcatcher
Costume Design
Inherent Vice
Into The Woods
Maleficent
Mr.Turner
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Robert Yeoman- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal & Ryszard Lenczewski-Ida
Dick Pope- Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins- Unbroken
Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall-American Sniper
Graham Moore- The Imitation Game
Paul Thomas Anderson- Inherent Vice
Anthony McCarten- The Theory of Everything
Damien Chazelle- Whiplash
Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris & Nicolás Giacobone- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater- Boyhood
E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman- Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Gilroy- Nightcrawler
Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat- The Imitation Game
Jóhann Jóhannsson- The Theory of Everything
Gary Yershon- Mr.Turner
Hans Zimmer- Interstellar
Best Foreign Film
Ida-Poland
Leviathan-Russia
Tangeries-Estonia
Timbuktu– Mauritania
Wild Tales– Argentina
Achievement in Directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater- Boyhood
Bennett Miller- Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum- The Imitation Game
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard- Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones- The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore- Still Alice
Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon- Wild
Best Actor
Steve Carell- Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper- American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch- The Imitation Game
Micheal Keaton- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
So there you have it folks, the official list, leaving us much to talk about.
First things first, one of the most powerful and affecting movies of the year, Selma, was snubbed royally. Actor David Oyelowo wasn’t given a nomination this year for his more than convincing turn as the iconic MLK, bringing some criticism for a very whitewashed acting nomination slate that will surely raise some eyebrows as well as snubbing director Ava DuVernay as being the first African American female to ever get a directing nomination. These are two very deserving nominations. Another very big snub is the very obvious and anxious nomination for one of the highest accoladed animated films in recent memory, The Lego Movie being nominated in the Animated Feature category was something no one saw coming.
The absence of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for their scoring work on Gone Girl is a true travesty, especially since every piece of composition they both together is almost as good if not better than anything anyone else produces. If it was not for sheer popularity, the Academy probably left them out to disallow them from winning again. American Sniper had a very big presence this year, coming out of nowhere and at the end of the year to surprise everyone. One of the most surprising fields is by far the Directing Category, leaving out Selma’s DuVernay as well as the always impressive Gone Girl director David Fincher, and instead substituting The Imitation Game’s Tyldum and the Academy’s obvious crush Bennett Miller for the hyper American Foxcatcher. What’s also surprising is the Academy’s decision to include two very surprising name to the female acting category, Laura Dern for small appearances in Wild as well as the very surprising nomination for Marion Cotillard for her work in the French Two Days, One Night. If there is one more snub that I couldn’t believe, was Canada’s snub for its indie and festival darling Mommy, by young director Xavier Dolan, who won critics and audiences alike with his small, little heart felt movie about family and dysfunctions.
So there you have it folks. There are this year’s Academy Award nominations, and while today will be the first day of many controversial talks for the Academy’s selection, we still cannot wait for the big day February 22nd when host Neil Patrick Harris conducts the 87th Annual Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest night.
What did you think of the nominations? Agree? Disagree? Snubs? Justified choices? How was 2014 for you? Leave all your comments, thoughts and questions below.
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