donna at 2011-01-25 11:07:14:

I'm curious as to your 'boring' comment, Ryan. What's missing that would have made it exciting for you?

I don't think Benning or The Kids are All Right belong in any of their categories. Fine movie, fine acting but not quite in the same caliber, in my opinion. But other than that, are you just 'bored' with the overall year of movies?

Ryan Mullaney at 2011-01-25 11:51:27:

Very, very predictable nominations. We pretty much knew more than half the winners a month ago, so I can't get excited about this.

Toy Story 3 - adapted? Nonsense. Doesn't matter, though. It's going to get screwed out of everything but Animated Feature, despite clearly being the best film of 2010.

Politics, shmolitics. The Oscars are getting more and more lame every year.

Scott at 2011-01-25 12:36:12:

Personally I think that's an excellent list of Best Pic noms. 5 by majors, 5 by specialty groups, wide range of genres, and some of them really special films.

On the screenplay side, same thing.

Have you seen Winter's Bone? The Fighter? 127 Hours? The Kids are All All Right? Another year? They're all worthy films. Then Toy Story 3, Inception, True Grit, King's Speech, Social Network.

Hard to understand antipathy toward this year's nominated films.

The_High_Dweller at 2011-01-25 13:34:54:

Great nominees.

PREDICTIONS:

The King's Speech for original

The Social Network for adapted

The Social Network for picture

Colin Firth for actor

Natalie Portman for actress

Geoffrey Rush for supporting

Melissa Leo for supporting

Toy Story 3 for animated

Darren Aronofsky for director

Biutiful for foreign

(tough call on best picture and both actress categories... very close calls)

Nate Winslow at 2011-01-25 20:22:27:

Christopher Nolan getting passed up for Best Director again makes me sort of sad. Especially this time when the film got the Best Picture nod, and when it's a movie that's so clearly his: he owned every inch of it, and regardless of "expositiony" complaints, I think Inception was one of the more compelling experiences I've had in a theater in a long time. Not sure what Nolan's going to have to do to get a nomination out of the Academy at this point. Pretty sure he got dumped in favor of the Coen Bros who, to be honest, I don't think deserved it this year. I liked True Grit, but it wasn't a masterpiece, and it wasn't even the best modern western by a looooong shot. It was just "good." Made by great talents in all the positions behind and in front of the camera, but other than Hailee Stenfield, I didn't get too excited by anything in that movie.

Same with The Kids Are Alright. Completely and totally unexceptional to me in every single way. It fits squarely in at Sundance, but I struggle to see how that's a better movie than The Town (horribly snubbed)? Its script isn't great, the story isn't great, the adults performances are good (but nowhere near Oscar-worthy) and...that qualifies you for a Best Picture nomination? In what world?

Carlos M Hernandez at 2011-01-26 14:37:28:

I disagree that The Kids Are All Right wasn't a good film. Definitely deserved a Best Picture nom.

As for Nolan, well, he directed a science-fiction film that didn't generate one billion dollars like Avatar did. Nothing against the Academy, but after a while it shouldn't surprise anyone who gets nominated.

It's no real surprise that the Best Director noms went to what I consider are the directors of the films that would be heading the Best Picture category if it were only 5 nominees instead of 10.