How did this nom slip by? Art Directors Guild nominations Contemporary: "Babel," Brigitte Broch "Casino Royale," Peter Lamont "The Da Vinci Code," Allan Cameron "The Departed," Kristi Zea "The Queen," Alan Macdonald Period: "Curse of the Golden Flower," Huo Tingxiao "Dreamgirls," John Myhre "Flags of Our Fathers," Henry Bumstead "The Good Shepehrd," Jeannine Oppewall "The Prestige," Nathan Crowley Fantasy: "Children of Men," Jim Clay, Geoffrey Kirkland "Pan's Labyrinth," Eugenio Caballero "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," Rick Heinrichs "Superman Returns," Guy Hendrix Dyas "V for Vendetta," Owen Patterson

I liked LMS... a lot. But I'd wait a couple of weeks when things settle for a prediction. It really looks like anything could win at this point. Well, it does look wide open, I agree. I've been having a sense that LMS will be the ultimate winner lately, though. Too many folks really like that little movie and it makes a great story at the oscars. Remember The Little Engine That Could....well, that could be LMS. If so, just let Marty win Director and I'd be happy enough.

I think it's hard to say what will win best picture. Obviously, I want "The Departed," but I know it may be too gritty, violent and downbeat for the Academy's tastes. That being said, I think Best Picture has been difficult to predict the last few years. In 2005, "The Aviator" won the Globe and the PGA, then Eastwood won the DGA and "Million Dollar Baby" won best picture. "The Aviator" had a lot of things the Academy tends to like - a biopic set in Old Hollywood, extravagence, great cast and two other factors that favored it's winning, the best box office of the other nominees and the most nominations. The downside for the "The Aviator," I think, was that it's view of Hollywood wasn't particularly positive and it's ending, while true to the story - after all, Hughes did succumb to his mental problems - was probably not as upbeat as the Academy likes. Plus, it didn't have the all important "message." Last year, "Brokeback Mountain" won the Globe and PGA and Ang Lee won the DGA. But "Crash" won best picture. Not only was that an upset, but the fact a movie like "Crash" won made it even more surprising. Lee did win Best Director. So this year, "Babel" won the Globe and "Little Miss Sunshine" the PGA. So I think it's really up in the air as to what will win. It would be nice if, and I still feel it's a big IF, Scorsese wins Best Director, that they would also award his movie Best Picture. At one time when I was only a wee one, the Academy showed some guts and actually awarded controversial films - "Midnight Cowboy," which was rated X when it was released and had gay themes (to me more racy for its time than "Brokeback Mountain"), "The French Connection" and "The Godfather." Of course, that was a time of a lot of societial questioning - the late 1960's and early 1970's - as compared to today's more conservative, complacent time. Sadly, I fear the Academy will nominate The Clint and "Letters." They love him too much. Although, these thoughts make my acid reflex act up. Anyway, I hope they don't screw DiCaprio out of a nomination because the idiots couldn't figure out how to mark their ballots. :roll: Take care, Piglet

Awards
I love that growing Awards List above! Thanks for all the info pn awards, Arnz And Congrats to all the winners...so far! 8)

I don't personally believe LMS should be considered the very top best film of 2006. It's an enjoyable at times, cute movie but I wouldn't call it by any stretch of the imagination the best or even close to best movie of the year. The story is very cliched and many of the circumstances unbelievable; if some of the the things which happened in the movie occurred in real life, there would have been some police intervention,LOL. what you have is a bunch of oddball characters and you're suppose to love them because they're such oddballs and forget all the plot conveniences and I thought it was all very predictable. I usually like them but Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette were both very obnoxious and irritating characters. I can't believe this ensemble has won a couple of times over The Departed and some other films.

Arnz Thanks for BFCA voter counts ...as well as...Art Direction nods ...Go Kristi ! :) Had posted them at WC and thought someone had already posted them here...but...see noone had ...so GOOD thing your "eagle eye' didn't let it slip by ! And as to Oscars/BP ..agree with your comment below But I'd wait a couple of weeks when things settle for a prediction. It really looks like anything could win at this point. Piglet Yes..for sure research will show that in recent years not the Globes or the PGA have been for sure indicators of future BP winners. Or as Sasha of OW always says "Nobody knows anything" :)

I know it's too early here, but I predict Babel will win. I haven't seen it yet though (I plan on seeing it very soon) ...and I too think Little Miss Sunshine is being overpraised. It was cute, quirky, so forth.. but certainly not best pic.

Congrats to : The Departed/ Marty/Mark/William/Thelma ! :) And Congrats to DiCaprio for Lead Actor BD :) Tho was shocked no Nicholson....and no "Dreamgirls" for BP

OMG!! no nods for jack and leo at the oscars I can't believe it!! We can only congrat mark, mr. scorsese and monahan I know Leo is for BD but c'mon!... BTW, I'm afraid of Clint Eastwood

:shock: OMFG! Clint is in? shit shit shit :!:

scream - LOL

great for whalberg, he's amazin but i repeat it's shame leo is not for TD how was that stuff about the ballots?? I mean leo was categorized as lead or as supporting finally for TD??? I don't think he can win, sad very sad BTW, considering according to Imdb that Dignam was offered to Dennis Leary , what marky mark has achieved is amazing. I can only think of him playing Dignam, can't picture Leary shooting at matt damon's head

Congratulations to The Departed for FIVE Oscar Nominations!! I am not really surprised that Letter from Iwo Jima made the cut, but I really thought that Babel would be left off the list and not Dreamgirls. Not that I think Dreamgirls was a better film than Babel, it just seemed to have more Oscar Buzz. Personally, I liked Blood Diamond better than both of those movies. I am really happy Leo got a well deserved Oscar nomination. Both his performances were stellar and worthy of an Oscar nomination. I think his performance in Blood Diamond has a better chance of knocking off Forest Whitaker, than his performance in The Departed. Mainly because he is a true Lead Actor in Blood Diamond and not part of an A-List ensemble cast, where as Whitaker's role is said to be really a supporting role and not a lead role. Also, Leo nails a very difficult accent in Blood Diamond and it is said that the Oscar voters are suckers for accents.

Az Sun Having seen "Last King of Scotland"...yes...James McAvoy has the most screen time ...is the true lead.....the situation with Forest/McAvoy reminds me of Streep/ Devil Wore Prada" scenario where we are really following the life happenings of Anne Hathaway's character ( similar to scenario with McAvoy's character )....her dealing with Streep's character ....and other characters = Stanley T/Emily Blunt /her boyfriend (Adrien G ) and her friends..... so her character is really the 'lead'....but a memorable performance by a well known supporting actor Streep (Whitaker ) overshadows Anne's ( James ) and Streep/Whitaker get lead actorl nods As to DiCaprio maybe suprising everyone and winning...for sure possible....look at 2003 when all thought it was a neck and neck with DDL and Nicholson and Adrien Brody won..... I mean typically the "Old Boyz' the last several years have given BA to a young female .....so who knows...this year they may go ...like with Brody...with a young male actor .... ..... one thing for sure = nothing is certain And for sure his BD performance was excellent as was his "TD" performance Having seen Babel/LMS/The Queen...I'm still rooting for "TD" and Scorsese" to be the winning combo ! Oscar reaction from Graham King When they read the nominees, my mouth dropped," said Graham King, producer of both "The Departed" and "Blood Dia-mond." "To get 10 nominations between the two movies is really an achievement." Asked if this could be "Departed" helmer Martin Scorsese's year, King said: "Marty's driven by the art and creativity of mov-iemaking, not awards. But, personally, I would love to see him take it home. It's long overdue. O'Neil/Goldderby/Eastwood Notice that O'Neil who was always championing "DG" and claiming only males were supporters of "TD" is now trying to claim that Eastwood may take it away from Scorsese...anything to continue to aim the 'negative' at "TD"/Scorsese... Personally I know that will NEVER happen as I will personally go through my tv screen and tackle Eastwood before he would ever get on the stage !!!!

Hi all :) Congratulations to everyone who was oscar-nominated, especially to Marty and Graham King, for their third consecutive film to get both picture and director nominations. It's time they both won it. A bit sad to see only five nominations for the Departed - and only one in the acting categories. I wish Leo had been nominated too. So what do you all think of the chances for Best Picture now? Better or worse? Peanut, thanks for King's comments :)