Oscar Nominations (Part One)

It's 7:27 and my eyes aren't quite open yet. I'm laying in bed while Keith Urban is talking about the wonders of rehab and apparenty Oprah had a baby when she was fourteen. It's too early to be watching E.

I think they just brought out their style expert to predict the nominees. He said Helen Mirren might take the whole kit and caboodle. There are five minutes to go, I think I'll get some water.

It's starting now, Salma Hayek is reading the nominees, along with someone nobody cares about.

Supporting Actress:

Adrianna Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Good to see that Abigail Breslin made it.

Supporting Actor:

Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

No Jack Nicholson, who are they going to keep cutting to in the crowd on Oscar night? I would be upset but they went with Wahlberg instead, who probably gives a better performance. Will Jackie Earle Haley arrive on a dirt bike? Eddie Murphy has to be the favorite to win at this point.

Lead Actress

Penelope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children

No surprises.

Best Actor:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, Last King of Scotland

Hmm, DiCaprio nominated for Blood Diamond instead of The Departed. Good that Ryan Gosling made it.

Best Director:

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93

No Bill Condon or Dayton/Faris. This does not bode well for Dreamgirls and Little Miss Sunshine. Letters from Iwo Jima is looking better.

Original Screenplay:

Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little MIss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen

Another nominee for Letters. The style expert just realized that Jackie Earle Haley was in Bad News Bears.

Adapted Screenplay:

Borat
Children of Men
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal

Borat and Children of Men, good. Again, no Dreamgirls.

Foreign Film:

After the Wedding
Days of Glory
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Water

No Volver. I don't know much about the others.

Animated Film:

Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

They need to hand out 3D glasses when they show the Moster House clip.

Best Picture:

Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Wow, no Dreamgirls. I can't say I'm upset. I have no idea who are the front runners are at this point.

I'll be back to post the rest of the list soon. I guess I need to head off to watch Letters from Iwo Jima, Pan's Labyrinth, Last King of Scotland and maybe even Blood Diamond.