Last Minute Wild Oscar Guess: 'Dark Knight' Gets Snubbed for 'Wall-E'

I pray that the snub goes to Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I don't think that movie is going to have any sort of impact, and will be forgotten six months from now. I'd love to see Wall-E and TDK get nominations. I thought they were both spectacular.

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Please don't get my hopes up. I've long since abandoned hope that Wall-E will get the nomination it really, really deserves. I personally feel like artistically it is drastically superior, not just to TDK, but to all the other films up for best picture.

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Here are my predictions: http://thefilmstage.com/2009/01/20/oscar-predictions/

I'm confident TDK will get that last spot.

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What about Revolutionary Road?!?!

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Had the exact same thought of Wall-E taking the TDK spot the other day when deciding wether or not i should put a bet on.
I didn't.

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Best Picture - Benjamin Button
Best Director - Danny Boyle - Slumdog
Best Male Lead - Sean Penn - Milk
Best Supporting Female - Cate Blanchett - Button
Best Female Lead - Meryl Streep
Best Supporting Male - Heath Ledger - Dark Knight

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WallE, TDK, Gran Torino and Revolutionary Road are all better than Benjamin Button.

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I completely agree that Wall-E deserves to be nominated and wo win best picture this year.

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After all the good stuff I heard about Wall-E I finally saw it just the other night and I gotta say, it was incredibly underwhelming. I think Wall-E is so loved online because it is suffering from the typical internet fandom that comes when one guy with a semi-popular blog claims something is great. I know of all the people I know in the flesh, none of them thought it was this cinematic triumph (especially not Best Picture triumph).

Summary: Wall-E is just OK.

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2009 predictions

These may be a little out there but the academy usually always has a few big surprises

Best Picture

The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
The Wrestler
Wall-E

Yes Benjamin Button is missing. But I think it is this year’s Dream Girls, a film that has only gotten its previous nominations from ridiculous hype. There are too many in the academy that will be disappointed by the film. The Wrestler, on the other hand is the real deal. No one who has seen it has been unmoved. WALLE is the animated film that can go the distance. It transcends its genre and more than any other Pixar film is being seen as a true work of art.

Best Director

Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
Gus Van Sant (Milk)
Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale)

Sorry, it’s not Fincher’s year. That was last year with Zodiac and the academy missed out. I still don’t see how he has a chance. Benjamin Button was too much of a mess for enough sympathy votes. It’s actually Boyle, Aronofsky, Nolan, and Van Sant’s year. They all turned out (what many agree) are their finest films to date. And I know Desplechin is an out there pick but those few who have seen A Christmas Tale will surely agree. It has topped an impressive amount of critics’ lists. There is usually a room for a great film that is ineligible for best Foreign film (Letters From Iwo Jima, Talk To Her, Amélie, Vera Drake, Pan’s Labyrinth, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, City of God, and Cache)

Original Screenplay

Charlie Kauffman (Synecdoche, New York)
Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
Roger Segal (The Wrestler)
Mike Leigh (Happy Go Lucky)

Woody Allen’s screenplay for Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a big disappointment to many (Narrator, anyone?). Much of the films success was due to the scenery and the outstanding work of the cast. Wall-E, of course, is a masterpiece, but with so little dialogue, it could easily be left out. It’s such a crowded category that The Coen Brothers (Burn after Reading), Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale), and Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) will be the unfortunate casualties. I think that Kauffman has just enough ardent supporters for Synecdoche, New York to get a nod. Unfortunately, Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir will be dismissed as a documentary screenplay. IT’S STILL A SCREENPLAY!!

Adapted Screenplay

Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In)
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso & Roberto Saviano (Gomorra)
Laurent Cantet (The Class)

Eric Roth’s script for Benjamin Button seems to be adapted more from his own Forrest Gump than F. Scott FitzGerald’s short story. The academy should see how much of a mess it really is. Being a weak category this year there shouldn’t be any surprises here other than Cantet’s The Class, which is a shoe in to win Best Foreign Film. It should garner enough love to go the extra mile. The same could go for Gomorra, which is being touted as this year’s City of God.

Best Actor

Brendan Gleason (In Burge)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Frank Langella (Frost Nixon)
Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

I don’t see how Brad Pitt has gotten any buzz at all. Many are confusing his performance with the accomplishments of CGI and Makeup. And even awards shows are getting tired of Clint Eastwood. Dicaprio’s performance in Revolutionary Road was good but not good enough for another nod. This leaves a spot open for Benicio Del Toro for Che, but let’s be honest, a tiny fraction will muster up the nerve to sit through it. That’s why I think Gleason has a more that worthy shot (like Laura Linney last year). The fans of the film will try to get it nominated in any category they can and this seems the most likely one.

Best Actress

Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky)
Kirstin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
Melissa Leo (Frozen River)

Although Winslet won the Golden Globe, her chances at an Oscar nod are still slim. The main reason why she won is due to her multiple losses. The Globes wanted a Susan Lucci moment. Also Revolutionary Road’s buzz has dwindled significantly with mixed reviews and her performance in it has very little champions. Too bad Michele Williams will be overlooked simply because not enough have seen Wendy and Lucy. If Jolie gets a nod, it will not be for this year’s performance, but for last year’s.

Best Supporting Actor

Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Josh Brolin (Milk)
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Dev Petal (Slumdog Millionaire)
Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

Another predictable race with the strong possibility of an omitted P.S. Hoffman. His performance may have been up to par with everyone else in the cast, except he has not had the praise. His previous nominations have mostly been part the Doubt Oscar train. Many academy members could just forget to include him. It seems that Michael Shannon has the better chance with his few fierily scenes in Revolutionary Road, that had everyone talking. Eddie Marsden (Happy Go Lucky) could also slide in, if only everyone didn’t focus on just Sally Hawkins.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Viola Davis (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
Rosemarie Dewitt (Rachel Getting Married)

The only real upset should be Dewitt, who has won almost every critics award, and has yet to be nominated for a major award (possibility of too many breakthroughs at one time). Her performance has plenty of ardent supporters who should secure the nod. The breakthrough performance that could get the boot is Taraj P. Henson, one of the few things good about Benjamin Button, may be deemed as too much of a stereotype by many.

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definetely WALL-E all the way. I don't think Benjamen Button might get nominated because i heard it got good reviews but not great reviews. I've only seen the Dark Knight once so my opinion of it is still up in the air. Frost/nixon definetely deserves to be nominated but I think WALL-E should win

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I wouldn't be surprised to see Pitt left out of the Best Actor race. If memory serves, he's only received one previous nomination, and that in the supporting category. So it's not as if the Academy is itching to reward the guy.

I wouldn't be surprised to see DiCaprio take his place, as the Academy seems to love nominating him (after snubbing him for Titanic). Or the kid from Slumdog.

As much support as Wall*E is receiving, I can't imagine an animated film being nominated for best feature anytime soon. It's a shame, too. The animated category kinda works against some deserving films.

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Anthony - you know what you are talking about. I hope your forecast is correct.

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So Wall-E will get nominated for Best Picture and Best Animated Feature?

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