The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced their nominations today, anointing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire with 11 nods each. The Dark Knight and Changeling were the runners-up with nine and eight nominations, respectively, though neither film was cited in the Best Film category (Frost/Nixon, Milk, and The Reader scored the other three slots instead). Here are a few other results I found interesting.
1. Slumdog star Dev Patel landed in the lead actor race alongside heavyweights Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt, and Frank Langella. In this country, his campaign has been in the supporting category.
2. Kate Winslet earned two lead actress nods, for Revolutionary Road and The Reader. The Oscars don’t allow actors to receive multiple nominations in the same category.
3. Doubt stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams all won nominations, but their scene-stealing costar Viola Davis was overlooked, and the film earned no other nominations at all.
4. Two actresses considered strong Oscar contenders for Best Actress — Anne Hathaway and Sally Hawkins — were both snubbed. Word is that UK audiences didn’t warm to Happy-Go-Lucky like American critics have.
***Note to some of the commenters below: Anne Hathaway was indeed eligible for the BAFTA. If you look at the longlists of 15 semifinalists that were announced a few weeks ago, you’ll see that she was on that list. Gran Torino, however, was not eligible this year.
Here are all the important BAFTA nominees:
BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
DIRECTOR
CHANGELING Clint Eastwood
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON David Fincher
FROST/NIXON Ron Howard
THE READER Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BURN AFTER READING Joel Coen / Ethan Coen
CHANGELING J. Michael Straczynski
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Philippe Claudel
IN BRUGES Martin McDonagh
MILK Dustin Lance Black
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Eric Roth
FROST/NIXON Peter Morgan
THE READER David Hare
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD Justin Haythe
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Simon Beaufoy
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
GOMORRAH
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
PERSEPOLIS
WALTZ WITH BASHIR
ANIMATED FILM
PERSEPOLIS
WALL•E
WALTZ WITH BASHIR
LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA Frost/Nixon
DEV PATEL Slumdog Millionaire
SEAN PENN Milk
BRAD PITT The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MICKEY ROURKE The Wrestler
LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE Changeling
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I’ve Loved You So Long
MERYL STREEP Doubt
KATE WINSLET The Reader
KATE WINSLET Revolutionary Road
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Tropic Thunder
BRENDAN GLEESON In Bruges
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN Doubt
HEATH LEDGER The Dark Knight
BRAD PITT Burn After Reading
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Doubt
PENÉLOPE CRUZ Vicky Cristina Barcelona
FREIDA PINTO Slumdog Millionaire
TILDA SWINTON Burn After Reading
MARISA TOMEI The Wrestler
MUSIC
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Alexandre Desplat
THE DARK KNIGHT Hans Zimmer / James Newton Howard
MAMMA MIA! Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE A. R. Rahman
WALL•E Thomas Newman
CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING Tom Stern
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Claudio Miranda
THE DARK KNIGHT Wally Pfister
THE READER Chris Menges / Roger Deakins
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Anthony Dod Mantle
EDITING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
IN BRUGES
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
PRODUCTION DESIGN
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
COSTUME DESIGN
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SOUND
CHANGELING
THE DARK KNIGHT
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
WALL•E
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
MAKE UP & HAIR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
FROST/NIXON
MILK
Comments (1-27) of 27 Add your comment
Here’s hoping that “Slumdog Millionaire” makes a clean sweep at the BFTAs. Dev Patal was the lead character in the film and deserves his BAFTA Best Actor nomination. Kudos to “Slumdog Movie.” the most powerful movie of the year!!!
I wonder if the rule mentioned about the Oscars not allowing an actor to be nominated twice in the same category is new. Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for both Blood Diamond and The Departed a few years back.
The rule has been there for quite some time. Leonardo did not get nominated for The Departed.
I think it’s interesting that Anne Hathaway and Sally Hawkins were both snubbed. That does not bode well at all for their chances of winning an Oscar, methinks. Not too surprised at all the noms for “Slumdog”, though I am surprised to see Freida Pinto there – I guess the Brits REALLY loved “Slumdog”! And I think Kate Winslet’s double nomination in Lead Actress portends a BAFTA win for her, because years ago Scarlett Johannson was nominated twice in the Lead Actress category and she won for “Girl With a Pearl Earring”. So I think these nominations hopefully increase Winslet’s chances of finally winning an Oscar!
seems like the Brits don’t like the blacks….interesting since two of the most talked about supporting actress turns are from black actresses who were shut out…not a total whitewash cos of Slumdog but might as well be!
I wish EW would so a spread in an upcoming issue indicating all the movies and actors nominated for each and every award from Critics ones to the BAFTA, GG, Oscars, ect. Would be interested to see a side-by-side comparison.
i still dont think slumdog was a great film. sorry for offending anybody.
I didn’t think Kate Winslet would be listed as Best Lead Actress for “The Reader.” I thought she was a Supporting Actress for that film. I think Amy Adams’s chances of getting an Oscar nomination are better now.
Was Rachel Getting Married released in the UK? Was Anne Hathaway even eligible? (Although I can see how that movie might not play as well with the Brits as it might with us.)
Bandit, looking for something like this?
http://moviecitynews.com/awards/2009/scoreboard_critics.html
A tipical british nomination. Kate Winslet doubly nominated to best actress. Why?. Because she is british. Because actually, she doesn’t deserves. I don’t care, it’s a british award!.
Seriously, The Reader for best film? It’s an awful movie and Winslet does not deserve awards for it. And she most certainly is the lead in it so she should be nominated as such. She’s in almost every scene!
Kate WInslet just did a Holocaust movie because Holocaust movies win Oscars. For proof, look here — it’s hilarious:
For those of you that said Winslet doesn’t deserve to win and that it’s a Holocaust film, that’s absolutely untrue. If you have seen “The Reader” then you know that the film really isn’t a Holocaust film. It’s really the backdrop to what the story is really about. And seriously, she doesn’t deserve to get an award? BOTH of her performances were brilliant and deserve nods from all awards show. I hope she wins the Oscar but if she doesn’t she is definitely deserving of those nominations.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE IS JUST AMAZING!!!
BAFTA’s, you have taste. Nailed the noms!
Wasn’t anne hathaway left out of the BAFTAs because ‘Rachel Getting Married’ hasn’t been screened in the UK yet?… Same with ‘Gran Torino’ I thought.
Dave should collect the facts, Rachel Getting Married wasn’t released in the UK so the film isn’t eligible for any awards. So Anne Hathaway wasn’t snubbed for her role. The Dark Knight wasn’t considered for best picture because other than the effects, the story wasn’t well recieved there, because in the UK they require a good plot or story. These nominations are the best set of nods this year. Heres hoping love for Winslet!
I don’t think Clint Eastwood show have gotten a nod for Best Director. That spot should have gone to either Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road) or Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight). And how did Robert Downey Jr. and Brad Pitt both get Supporting Actor nods over Revolutionary Road’s Michael Shannon?
And to Lauren: Leonardo DiCaprio was only nominated for Blood Diamond at the Oscars. But I believe he was nominated for both films at the Golden Globes.
I’ve always respected BAFTAs nominee choices. I REALLY hope that they don’t give up on ‘Button.’ It’s the best film of the year, and it would be a letdown of it didn’t win. It’s thought-stirring, magical and everything is just about perfect!
If ‘Slumdog’ wins, then I guess kudos, but it’s not a very traditonal Oscar film. I just hope at least the Academy notices this sweeping film!
I have no time to watch the games these days….just found a hot place, you should try it —-blackwhitefriends . c om. it is a site for hot women to date charming and rich men. some of famous business men and female celebrities are hanging out there.
I’m glad Cate Blanchett was overlooked. I think she was miscast.
http://sarahcavill.blogspot.com/2009/01/curious-case-of-brad-pitts-extreme.html
lol I opened that link you posted and read what you wrote… did you understand the movie at all? And you do know that for a performance to be good, actors don’t always have to cry throughout the movie right? Especially when that doesn’t fit and it’s not what the film asks for…
Anne Hathaway was indeed snubbed. She was eligible to be nominated for a BAFTA. She was included on BAFTA’s long list, as was the film for best original screenplay. Check the link.
http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=5588#more-5588
i agree with dave above… How come Michael Shannon isn’t being more recognized for his amazing performance in Revolutionary Road? Over Robert Downey Jr. and Brad Pitt?
I see every movie that comes out in the US, and I select Kate Winslet as today’s most gifted actress–yes, even taking over the number spot in my personal heirarchy from Meryl Streep. Meryl was great in DOUBT; however, Cherry Jones played the part even more brilliantly on Broadway. Kate took the roles in Rev Road and The Reader and soared….
“number ONE spot