LOS ANGELES, Jan 31: A pack of art house movies with serious social themes dominated Academy Award nominations on Tuesday, led by the lovelorn cowboys of “Brokeback Mountain,” which scored eight nominations including best film.
“Brokeback Mountain” won many early movie awards, and is now the clear front-runner for the best film Oscar. It also earned nominations for Ang Lee as best director, Heath Ledger as best actor, Jake Gyllenhaal as best supporting actor and Michelle Williams in the best supporting actress category.
“I thought it was a small work of love,” director Lee told Reuters. “I never thought it would play like this.”
But despite wowing critics, the media and now Oscar voters, “Brokeback” faces a pitched battle for best movie because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never before given its top honour to a film with an overtly gay love story.
Its biggest challenge may come from moody race relations drama “Crash,” which has made a comeback in the Oscar hunt in recent weeks, and George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” a tale of newsman Edward R. Murrow’s attack on McCarthyism. The story resonates today as people question whether civil liberties are being lost in the war on terrorism. Both had six nominations apiece, and “Good Night” earned David Strathairn, who plays Murrow, a best actor nomination.
Not far behind are “Capote,” about writer Truman Capote’s questionable ethics, and “Munich,” Steven Spielberg’s story of the moral price Israel paid for hunting down the killers of its athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. “Capote” and “Munich” scored five nominations each, including best film.
FRESH FACES: In acting categories, 14 of the nominees are first-timers, giving the Academy a chance to show off some fresh faces to mainstream audiences watching the March 5 awards show.
“It’s wonderful, of course, because the Academy nomination is the greatest honour you can receive,” said Britain’s Rachel Weisz, nominated as best supporting actress for her portrayal of an activist in “The Constant Gardner.”
Among best actor nominees, Ledger and Strathairn were joined by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the title role in “Capote,” Terrence Howard as a pimp in “Hustle & Flow” and Joaquin Phoenix playing singer Johnny Cash in romance “Walk the Line.”
“It’s a real honour, and it helps when your partner is nominated and you can roll over and give her a hug,” he said.
Best actress nominees were Reese Witherspoon playing singer June Carter in “Walk the Line,” Felicity Huffman as a transgendered character in “Transamerica,” Keira Knightley for romance “Pride & Prejudice,” and previous winners Judi Dench in World War II-era “Mrs. Henderson Presents” and Charlize Theron in sexual harassment drama “North Country.”
Joining Gyllenhaal in the supporting actor category were Clooney in “Syriana,” Matt Dillon in “Crash,” Paul Giamatti in “Cinderella Man” and William Hurt for “A History of Violence.”
In the supporting actress group, Williams and Weisz were joined by newcomer Amy Adams for “Junebug,” Catherine Keener in “Capote” and Frances McDormand in “North Country.”
Joining Lee in the race for best director will be Bennett Miller for “Capote,” Paul Haggis with “Crash,” Clooney with “Good Night, and Good Luck,” and Spielberg for “Munich.”
Foreign language film nominations went to Italy’s “Don’t Tell,” France’s “Joyeux Noel,” Germany’s “Sophie Scholl - The Final Days,” South Africa’s “Tsotsi,” and Palestinian film, “Paradise Now.” —Reuters
LOS ANGELES, Jan 31: A pack of art house movies with serious social themes dominated Academy Award nominations on Tuesday, led by the lovelorn cowboys of “Brokeback Mountain,” which scored eight nominations including best film.
