The Departed
79th Annual Oscar Nominations List
Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Predicted Winner: This one is a toss up. Letters from Iwo Jima is on the most top-ten lists, but Little Miss Sunshine recently got the nod from the PGA. Lets go to Iwo Jima.
Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio- Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling- Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole- Venus
Will Smith- The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker- The Last King of Scotland
Predicted Winner: Another tough one! I am surprised that Leonardo's nomination nod was for Blood Diamond and not The Departed; so let's count him out. Ryan Gosling should have it clenched, but Will Smith's popularity could help stop the upcoming actor from walking off with the award.
Actress:
Penelope Cruz- Volver
Judi Dench- Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren- The Queen
Meryl Streep- The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet- Little Children
Predicted Winner: Since they are not going to give Best Picture to The Queen, they might as well give Best Actress to Helen Mirren; who has an astounding performance in the film.
Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin- Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley- Little Children
Djimon Hounsou- Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy- Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg- The Departed
Predicted Winner: I am going to go with my favorites on this one. Eddie Murphy if only because he proved he does still belong in front of a camera. Unfortunately his part is kind of short, so why not give it to Mark Wahlberg for being one of the few characters to survive The Departed?
Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza- Babel
Cate Blanchett- Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin- Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson- Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi- Babel
Predicted Winner: A first-timer (in all regards apparently), Rinko Kikuchi stole the spotlight from both Blanchett and Pitt.
Director:
Clint Eastwood- Letter from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears- The Queen
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu- Babel
Martin Scorsese- The Departed
Paul Greengrass- United 93
Predicted Winners: Scorsese is due, but critics have been hoping for Clint Eastwood and Paul Greengrass. If Greengrass's open political comments don't hurt his chances on the voting -- they haven't yet -- he will likely take this one.
Original Screenplay:
Babel- Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Letters from Iwo Jima-
Written by Iris Yamashita
Little Miss Sunshine- Written by Michael Arndt
Pan's Labyrinth- Written by Guillermo Del Toro
The Queen- Written by Peter Morgan
Predicted Winner: The story spent over a decade accumulating inside Guillermo Del Toro's diary and is easily one of most unique films to hit theatres in 2006. Might as well throw this award down Pan's Labyrinth.
Adapted Screenplay:
Borat
Children of Men
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
Predicted Winner: Children of Men. If only because the mix of desperation, violence, and a tiny spark of hope are perfectly in line with the book.
Foreign Language Film:
After the Wedding
Days of Glory
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Water
Predicted Winner: I think Pan's could have taken Best Picture, so it should easily take this bracket.
Cinematography:
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men
The Illusionist
Pan's Labyrinth
The Prestige
Predicted Winner: Pan's Labyrinth for its violence and fantastical elements or Children of Men for its violence and war torn Europe. I would have given it to The Illusionist, but then these two films were released.
Animated Short Film:
Binta and the Great Idea
Eramos Pocos
Helmer & Son
The Saviour
West Bank Story
Predicted Winner: Eramos Pocos. Don't ask me why, it just is.
Visual Effects:
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest- John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall
Poseidon- Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chaz Jarrett and John Frazier
Superman Returns- Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover and Jon Thum
Predicted Winner: Warner Bros may have spent millions to convince audiences that a man can fly, Disney showed off some believable CG characters that didn't distract. This one should go down to ol' Davy Jones Locker.
Costume Design:
Curse of the Golden Flower- Yee Chung Man
The Devil Wears Prada- Patricia Field
Dreamgirls- Sharen Davis
Marie Antoinette- Milena Canonero
The Queen- Consolata Boyle
Predicted Winner: Since Dreamgirls is bound to take a few of their brackets, might as well give this one to them. The Academy may, however, dig Antoinette's mix of pop on period fashion.
Film Editing:
Babel- Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise
Blood Diamond- Steven Rosenblum
Children of Men- Alex Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón
The Departed- Thelma Schoonmaker
United 93- Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson
Predicted Winner: Children of Men. With a mixture of both (way) extended and short shots, the film still runs smoothly and maintains that needed tension during its entire running time.
Sound Mixing:
Apocalypto- Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Fernando Camara
Blood Diamond- Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ivan Sharrock
Dreamgirls- Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie Burton
Flags of Our Fathers- John Reitz, Dave Campbell, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest- Paul Massey, Christopher Boyes and Lee Orloff
Predicted Winner: Another toss up. But why not collect bonds for Flags of Our Fathers?
Sound Editing:
Apocalypto- Sean McCormack and Kami Asgar
Blood Diamond- Lon Bender
Flags of Our Fathers- Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Letters from Iwo- Jima Alan Robert Murray
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest- Christopher Boyes and George Watters II
Predicted Winner: Apocalypto had to depend on sound editing thanks to the environment and atmosphere. Well, that and only ten lines of dialogue. I had hoped Pan's Labyrinth would end up in the bracket, the attention to sound in that was fantastic.
Original Score:
Babel Gustavo Santaolalla
The Good German Thomas Newman
Notes on a Scandal Philip Glass
Pan’s Labyrinth Javier Navarrete
The Queen Alexandre Despla
Predicted Winner: Pan's Labyrinth, for the humming lullaby alone.
Original Song:
"I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth, music and lyric by Melissa Etheridge
"Listen" from Dreamgirls, music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler; lyric by Anne Preven
"Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls, music by Henry Krieger; lyric by Siedah Garrett
"Our Town" from Cars, music and lyric by Randy Newman
"Patience" from Dreamgirls, music by Henry Krieger; lyric by Willie Reale
Predicted Winner: Since I have a three out of five chance by going with Dreamgirls, why not show some "Patience"?
Makeup:
Apocalypto- Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
Click- Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso
Pan’s Labyrinth- David Marti and Montse Ribe
Predicted Winner: Pan's and Apocalypto are going head to head on this one. If enormous amounts of face jewelry counts as makeup, let's give it to Apocalypto. If not, Pan's Labyrinth should take another one home.
There you have it! The list of nominees for the 79th Annual Academy Awards.
Stay tuned for updates.
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