AND THE WINNER IS…

Michael Sheen and Frank Langella star in Frost/Nixon

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(2) Australia (Fox, 11/26, trailer)
(3) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(4) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, clip)
(5) Doubt (Miramax, 10/10, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
(7) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(8) The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers, 7/18, trailer)
(9) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12)
(10) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/25)
In the Mix
(11) The Soloist (DreamWorks, 11/21, trailer)
(12) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/TBA)
(13) Seven Pounds (Sony, 12/19)
(14) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/12, trailer)
(15) Changeling (Universal, 10/31, trailer)
On the Outside
(16) Nothing But the Truth (Yari Film Group, 12/19)
(17) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
(18) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)
(19) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, TBA, trailer)
(20) The Secret Life of Bees (Fox Searchlight, 10/17, clip)
(21) Hunger (IFC, 12/5) NEW
(22) Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax, 9/26, trailer)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) The Young Victoria (TBA, TBA)

Danny Boyle is the director of Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(2) Baz Luhrmann (Australia)
(3) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(5) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
Major Threats
(6) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
(7) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(8) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
(9) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
(10) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
In the Mix
(11) Joe Wright (The Soloist)
(12) Darren Aranofsky (The Wrestler)
(13) Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds)
(14) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(15) Clint Eastwood (Changeling)
On the Outside
(16) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)
(17) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(18) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(19) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(20) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)
(21) Steve McQueen (Hunger) NEW
(22) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Jean-Marc Vallee (The Young Victoria)

Will Smith during filming of Seven Pounds

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(2) Sean Penn (Milk)
(3) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(4) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(5) Hugh Jackman (Australia)
Major Threats
(6) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(7) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
(8) Leonardo DiCapro (Revolutionary Road)
(9) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
(10) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
(11) Robert Downey, Jr. (The Soloist)
In the Mix
(12) Michael Fassbender (Hunger) NEW
(13) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
(14) Benicio Del Toro (Che)
(15) Josh Brolin (W.)
On the Outside
(16) Daniel Craig (Defiance)
(17) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)
(18) Ben Kingsley (Elegy) NEW
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Michael Caine (Is There Anybody There?
(TBA) Martin Landau (Lovely, Still)
(TBA) Jeff Goldblum (Adam Resurrected)

David Kross, left, with Kate Winslet in The Reader

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road or The Reader)
(3) Nicole Kidman (Australia)
(4) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(5) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
Major Threats
(6) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
(7) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
(8) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
(9) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
(10) Dakota Fanning (The Secret Life of Bees)
(11) Keira Knightley (The Duchess)
In the Mix
(12) Penelope Cruz (Elegy)
(13) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
On the Outside
(14) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Stoning of Soraya M.)
(TBA) Ellen Burstyn (Lovely, Still)
(TBA) Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
(TBA) Michelle Monaghan (Trucker)

Liev Schreiber, right, with Daniel Craig in Defiance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(3) Jamie Foxx (The Soloist)
(4) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
(5) Liev Schreiber (Defiance)
Major Threats
(6) David Kross (The Reader) NEW
(7) James Franco (Milk)
(8) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
(9) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
In the Mix
(10) Brandon Walters (Australia)
(11) Woody Harrelson (Seven Pounds)
On the Outside
(12) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(13) Jamie Bell (Defiance)
(14) Dennis Hopper (Elegy) NEW
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)
(TBA) Peter O’Toole (Dean Spanley)

Viola Davis plays a small but pivotal part in Doubt

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(2) Vera Farmiga (Nothing But the Truth)
(3) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(4) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(5) Elsa Zylberstein (I’ve Loved You So Long)
Major Threats
(6) Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees)
(7) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(8) Rosemary DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
In the Mix
(9) Catherine Keener (The Soloist)
(10) Amy Adams (Doubt)
On the Outside
(11) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)
(12) Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Miranda Richardson (The Young Victoria)

The Secret Life of Bees was adapted from Sue Monk Kidd’s novel by Gina Prince-Bythewood

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(2) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(3) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
Major Threats
(6) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
(7) David Hare (The Reader)
(8) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
In the Mix
(9) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)

Vera Farmiga and Kate Beckinsale star in Nothing But the Truth, written by Rod Lurie

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie (Australia)
(2) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(3) Nick Schenk (Gran Torino)
(4) Susannah Grant (The Soloist)
(5) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
Major Threats
(6) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
(7) Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds)
(8) J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling)
(9) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)
In the Mix
(10) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(11) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(12) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
(13) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(14) Charlie Kaufman (Synechdoche, New York)
(15) Courtney Hunt (Frozen River)

This morning, a massive electrical fire at the Malibu home of actor Nick Nolte caused $1.5 million worth of damage and left the actor with minor injuries, according to media reports. The story caught my eye because Nolte’s place is, oddly enough, among the few “homes of the stars” that I have been inside. The story behind that visit is actually rather bizarre and somewhat funny…

Coming shortly.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star in Revolutionary Road

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(2) Australia (Fox, 11/26, trailer)
(3) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(4) Doubt (Miramax, 10/10, trailer)
(5) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, clip)
(7) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(8) The Soloist (DreamWorks, 11/21, trailer)
(9) The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers, 7/18, trailer)
In the Mix
(10) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12)
(11) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/25)
(12) The Road (M-G-M, 11/26)
(13) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/TBA)
(14) Seven Pounds (Sony, 12/19)
(15) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/12, trailer)
(16) Changeling (Universal, 10/31, trailer)
On the Outside
(17) Nothing But the Truth (Yari Film Group, 12/19)
(18) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
(19) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)
(20) Body of Lies (Warner Brothers, 10/10, trailer)
(21) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, TBA, trailer)
(22) Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax, 9/26, trailer)
(23) The Secret Life of Bees (Fox Searchlight, 10/17, clip)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) The Young Victoria (TBA, TBA)

Baz Luhrmann directs Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman in Australia

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(2) Baz Luhrmann (Australia)
(3) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
Major Threats
(6) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(7) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(8) Joe Wright (The Soloist)
(9) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
In the Mix
(10) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
(11) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(12) John Hillcoat (The Road)
(13) Darren Aranofsky (The Wrestler)
(14) Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds)
(15) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(16) Clint Eastwood (Changeling)
On the Outside
(17) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)
(18) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(19) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(20) Ridley Scott (Body of Lies)
(21) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(22) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(23) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Jean-Marc Vallee (The Young Victoria)

Richard Jenkins, left, with co-star Haaz Sleiman in The Visitor

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(2) Sean Penn (Milk)
(3) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(4) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(5) Hugh Jackman (Australia)
Major Threats
(6) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
(7) Leonardo DiCapro (Revolutionary Road)
(8) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
(9) Robert Downey, Jr. (The Soloist)
(10) Viggo Mortensen (The Road)
In the Mix
(11) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
(12) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(13) Benicio Del Toro (Che)
(14) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
On the Outside
(15) Josh Brolin (W.)
(16) Daniel Craig (Defiance)
(17) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey) NEW
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Michael Caine (Is There Anybody There?) NEW
(TBA) Martin Landau (Lovely, Still)
(TBA) Jeff Goldblum (Adam Resurrected)

Melissa Leo, right, with Misty Upham in Frozen River

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
(3) Nicole Kidman (Australia)
(4) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
(5) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
Major Threats
(6) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
(7) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(8) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
(9) Keira Knightley (The Duchess)
(10) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
In the Mix
(11) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(12) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(13) Dakota Fanning (The Secret Life of Bees)
On the Outside
(14) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
(15) Penelope Cruz (Elegy) NEW
(16) Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey) NEW
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Stoning of Soraya M.)
(TBA) Ellen Burstyn (Lovely, Still)
(TBA) Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
(TBA) Michelle Monaghan (Trucker)

James Franco stars opposite Sean Penn in Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Jamie Foxx (The Soloist)
(3) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(4) Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road)
(5) James Franco (Milk)
Major Threats
(6) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
(7) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
(8) Brandon Walters (Australia)
(9) Liev Schreiber (Defiance)
In the Mix
(10) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
(11) Robert Duvall (The Road)
(12) Russell Crowe (Body of Lies)
On the Outside
(13) Jamie Bell (Defiance)
(14) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(15) Woody Harrelson (Seven Pounds)
(16) John Malkovich (Changeling)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)
(TBA) Peter O’Toole (Dean Spanley)

Elsa Zylberstein,  left, with Kristen Scott Thomas in I’ve Loved You So Long

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(2) Vera Farmiga (Nothing But the Truth)
(3) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(4) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(5) Elsa Zylberstein (I’ve Loved You So Long)
Major Threats
(6) Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees)
(7) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(8) Rosemary DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
In the Mix
(9) Catherine Keener (The Soloist)
(10) Amy Adams (Doubt)
(11) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)
(12) Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds)
On the Outside
(13) Charlize Theron (The Road)
Awaiting Distribution
(TBA) Miranda Richardson (The Young Victoria)

Kate Winslet in The Reader, which was adapted from Bernard Schlink’s novel by David Hare

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(2) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(3) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
Major Threats
(6) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
(7) David Hare (The Reader)
(8) Joe Penhall (The Road)
(9) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
In the Mix
(10) William Monahan (Body of Lies)
(11) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)

Rosemary DeWitt, above, one of the stars of Rachel Getting Married, written by Jenny Lumet

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie (Australia)
(2) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(3) Susannah Grant (The Soloist)
(4) Nick Schenk (Gran Torino)
(5) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
Major Threats
(6) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
(7) Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds)
(8) J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling)
(9) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)
In the Mix
(10) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(11) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(12) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
(13) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(14) Courtney Hunt (Frozen River)