ROTTEN TOMATOES: Oscar Nominations Announced: "Little Miss Sunshine," "Dreamgirls," "Borat" Deemed Worthy

Oscar Nominations Announced: "Little Miss Sunshine," "Dreamgirls," "Borat" Deemed Worthy

by Jen Yamato | January 23, 2007

Summary

The expected heavy hitters made the grade -- Scorsese, Whitaker, "Dreamgirls" -- but there were a handful of surprises...let's just say, if you thought you'd never read "the Oscar-nominated 'Borat'" in print, think again! The nominees for the 79th annual Academy Awards are in! Back to Article

(61-80 of 82 posts) | Reply

Boss Fan writes:
on Jan 24 2007 11:39 AM

In reply to this comment (#853782)
Well the ONE you haven't seen is the best of the bunch. I wouldn't worry, Marty will most likely win, but if we are going to judge truly based on the greatness of the actual craft of directing for these specific nominated films, not for career achievement, Eastwood deserves the award. However, I almost don't want him to win simply because the backlash that will come after will sour the whole thing. I say give director to Marty, but give best pic to "Letters." It really is of the bunch - by far. And don't disagree if you haven't seen it but just assume nothing is better than "The Departed" - a movie Marty could have directed in his sleep. He has deserved to win in the past and I'm all for him getting it - finally - but did he do anything all the new or special. Even his lesser films like "Casino" and "Gangs..." had more going on from a directing craft standpoint.

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Circe Prankster writes:
on Jan 24 2007 12:36 PM

I agree with the many posters who have questioned DiCaprio's nomination for "Blood Diamond" over "The Departed." I thought he was phenomenal in "Departed," the best thing about the movie. Trapped in an impossible situation, his restrained but simmering tension was riveting, I thought, and when he was killed at the end I was really shocked and moved because I cared about his character. Anyway, I'd have voted for that performance to win (if they'd nominated it) - but I haven't seen Forest Whitaker's film yet.

No one has mentioned "Notes on a Scandal" - what a great, brutal, devastating movie! I'm so glad both Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett were nominated; they were both brilliant. It was one of the harshest, truest movies about loneliness and obsession I've seen in a long time. In my opinion Dench should win over Helen Mirren - but I'm sure that won't happen. If you haven't seen "Notes" yet, you should.

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hugz4thugz writes:
on Jan 24 2007 01:39 PM

Seriously, Little Miss Sunshine up for Motion Picture of the Year?? C'mon. Sure its a fairly good movie, but definitely not deserving of being called a top 5 movie of 2006. Sad to say, but this movie is more overhyped than Dreamgirls.

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Count_Vertigo writes:
on Jan 24 2007 01:43 PM

In reply to this comment (#853785)
I'm appreciative of your comments about the films and Leo's performances, but please try refraining next time from revealing the fates of the characters in the films for those of us who haven't seen them yet. Its just not right.

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emerson102 writes:
on Jan 24 2007 01:55 PM

In reply to this comment (#853787)
I've seen everything nominated for Best Picture except Letters From Iwo Jima, and loved all for different reasons. I would like United 93 for Best Picture and Volver for Foriegn Language, but the nominations were for the most part perfect. I really want The Departed to win, but either Babel or maybe Little Miss Sunshine will win.

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adb89 writes:
on Jan 24 2007 03:07 PM

hmm... i have mixed feelings about these nominations... but i do every year. Scorsese ftw in best director though...the man deserves it.

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Muddler writes:
on Jan 24 2007 04:07 PM

Pan's was amazing. One of the most original movies in years, it unfolded like a novel instead of a Bazooka Joe comic thrown in with crappy gum. I say this because a great many movies are worse than gum comics.

I'm happy that it got as many nominations as it did, and could only hope that this movie inspires more of its quality. I am already sure it will become a classic deserving of respect for the years to come. The question is whether more than a handful of people will know about it.

One thing is for certain in my mind - had it been in English, it would have gotten top honors for many more categories. Sad, but true, of all the movies made all over the world, hardly any foreign films, and even fewer foreign language films, ever even get nominated for top honors.

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JMA writes:
on Jan 24 2007 04:37 PM

My only complaint is the "actor in a leading role" category. Some great performances were overlooked.

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Basilides in Alexandria writes:
on Jan 24 2007 07:52 PM

I can't believe Children Of Men didn't get the Best Picture and Best Director nods. I seriously can't believe it! It's frustrating...

By the way, I agree with whoever said that Greg Kinnear should've been nominated for best actor...

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Lady_Eowyn writes:
on Jan 24 2007 08:51 PM

[b]very happy with the noms[/b]
my biggest surprise was to see how many nominations pan's labyrnth had. im soooo happy for that!!!!!! im pretty sure its gonna win for best foreign language film, and surely will get at least one oscar for technical achievements. im also happy for all the noms in babel, and i hope the movie gets at least one of the big awards!
the departed its also a great movie, its wonderful to see that the academy awards actually paid attention to quality movies like this, and not the s**t that (wrongful) usually prizes, so i hope this movie also wins :)

and what a great choice to leave behind beyonce and dreamgirls ...the girl thinks she is SO TALENTED AND BEAUTIFUL... duh... so sad... back to earth honey...

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steven07 writes:
on Jan 24 2007 10:10 PM

[b]The best visual effects...[/b]
...were definitively in Pan's Labyrinth. Pan's should in honesty sweep the bulk of awards, not be nominated for just a few lesser awards.

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wordweaver writes:
on Jan 25 2007 06:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#853748)
[b]thank u[/b]
I just want to sincerely thank you for ur comment. Beyonce CAN sing, she can act, she is a golden-globe nominee, she has charity organizations, she was the lead singer of the world's biggest selling female group, she has won 9 grammys, she has a grammy award-winning song with luther vandross, she has a clothing line, her hit song "irreplacable" is on its seventh week at number 1 on the billboard charts, she's the only singer that has ever performed at the oscars to sing more than 1 song on the same night and the list goes on. So for all u motherf**** racists out there who can't accept the power of a strong and successful bLack woman, you can all go to HELL. It's not her fault that you will never hav her achievements so you can change the channel the next time u see her on T.V. eventhough you will be doing that forever becos she's going to be on this bizness for a long, long, long, long time. U folks will never talk about ur white trash paris hilton, Britney spears and lindsay lohan but u will all join forces against a respectable, black woman.Pathetic, really pathetic.

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wordweaver writes:
on Jan 25 2007 06:41 PM

In reply to this comment (#853794)
[b]back to earth[/b]
well, she's back to earth; she's back to flying around the world, having platium albums, supporting her charities in america and south africa, being a rich black woman, enjoying "irreplaceable" seventh week at number 1 on the billboard charts, back wuth her family, back to her platium album, back to more movie roles, back to her loving fans, back to being a more respectable woman than all the white trash out there ( britney, paris, lindsay etc.), back to being the black woman white girls are soooo jealous of becos of her booty, back to being the southern girl who eats chicken and has wondeful CURVES, back to being the girl all white girls are jealous of because of her fine boooty, back to all the wealth, back with her 9 grammys, back to her london premieres, back to her loyal, international fans, back to her clothing line, back to her spirituality anD all that wealth. Wow! that dosent' seem like a bad earth to be back too HATER.

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unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Jan 26 2007 10:03 AM

In reply to this comment (#853797)
I haven't said a thing about her either way. But you sound very racist yourself going on how much better she is than all the white girls. Which actually makes you worse because your being a hypocrite on top of it.

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Lady_Eowyn writes:
on Jan 26 2007 04:47 PM

In reply to this comment (#853797)
You are truly pathetic... and a stupid racist; at least you could get a higher rolemodel... i mean... Beyonce... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that just demonstrates you are a perfect idiot... ( and the only trash here is you, of course)

Since when being so marketable is such a great achievement? she has many of the things she has because she appears everywhere she shows looking like a prostitute... BIG DEAL. Jennifer Hudson may be doesn�t have the looks Beyonce has, but she posseses pure, REAL talent. and talent is always gonna be better ( do you get it? i know its hard for you to use your brains, but try to make a little effort... it won't hurt you... too much) than physical - and thus, shallow- appearance; she is so much better than Beyonce... hehehe

I know its hard to fall, especially if someone feels that is perfect, but it has to happen sometime; it hurts, but she has no choice,and, as i said, back to earth honey...

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jukeboxhero6660 writes:
on Jan 26 2007 06:45 PM

[b]What about OToole[/b]
everyone is talking about how Martin Scorsese has never won and deserves it more than everyone else, which he does except for one person, PETER OTOOLE. he has given some of the greatest performances in movie history and been nominated 7 TIMES and never won, and i truly loved Whitaker in Scotland but they owe OToole this oscar for all the years they screwed up and never gave him the oscar, how didnt he win for Lawerence of Arabia he was brillant.

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wordweaver writes:
on Jan 26 2007 08:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#853799)
[b]hahahahhahahahah[/b]
WOW! listen to yourself. Listen to how confused and distorted u sound. Next time you want to get in an argument know ur facts. It's not beyonce's fault that u have to be marketable to suceed.If it was only talent,then all the singers of church choirs will be stars by now. U made mention of jennifer hudson posessing real talent.So are u trying to say that beyonce cannot sing? Have you ever heard her sing live? I guess not. When she sang "Listen" on oprah live, she blew everyone away.She was given a standing ovation and even jennifer hudson had to stand. Did you hear her sing live at the oscars?i guess not.Because beyonce is beautiful u racists out there think that she does not have talent. Is it her fault that she is more beautiful than you guys?look at christina aguilera? she is beautiful, outrageous and markaetable.Does that mean that she does not hav talent? or is it becos she is white. Look at justin timberlake? he is also a marketable artist.Does that mean he doesn't hav talent? or is it because he is white. Wake up from your dreams,if u want to suceed in this business you have to be marketable.U also contradicted urself by trying to say that jennifer hudson is a real because she is not marketable.The producers of dreamgirls used her rejection on american idol as a means to create buzz about the movie; they kept talking about her big comeback after her rejecton on american idol. She traveled all over the world to talk about dreamgirls, she lost weight, she was on almost all magazine covers, she will star in a reality series about a group of hurricane katrina victims auditioning for a dreamgirls musical. The last time i checked, all the above are marketable strategies so i don't really know what you are trying to talk about o.k? being marketable is part of the business and even the most talented people do it to stay in the bizness.But yes, beyonce is beautiful so its very different right?I think people are hating on beyonce because of her beauty. They know they will never attain it and that's why they all started supporting jennifer hudson because they feel she is more like them. I love hudson but it is unfair to pick on somebody because she is beautiful. I'm done with this argument. Beyonce does not have to prove her worth to anybody. She has sold more than 60 million records worldwide, has sold-out concerts in south africa and Nigeria, won 9 grammys and has miliions and millions of fans all over the world ( esp. in Japan where she is household name) who truly appreciate her. Haters like you will always be around to eat the crums that fall from her table. The best thing about life is that everbody remembers the inventor but nobody remebers the nasty critics; SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET.

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wordweaver writes:
on Jan 26 2007 08:43 PM

[b]Volver and Jack[/b]
How could Volver not be nominated for best foreign film? common academy, that's unfair.Why did they also snub Jack Nickolson? I was never a big fan of crime thrillers but Jack brought sexyback in the departed. To me, he gave the best performance in that movie.How on earth will they choose mark walhberg over Jack? mark was in what? like only three scenes in the movie. Some people are saying that Jck diddn't get nominated becos has been nominated 12 times. Well, it's not his fault that he is talented. If he deserves it, give it to him.

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esquire415 writes:
on Jan 28 2007 01:37 PM

It's interesting that "Flags of Our Fathers" is nominated for the other categories but "Letters from Iwo Jima" got the nomination for Best Picture. Weren't they created by the same people? They probably should have released LFIJ for 2007. Maybe they should have placed LFIJ in the Best Foreign Language Film and FOOF in the Best Motion Picture category. "Apocalypto" didn't even make the nomination for Foreign Language Film. I suspect, it's another one of those "Passion of the Christ" kinda thing where they get disqualified because they don't quite fit any category. "Curse of the Golden Flower", surprisingly, didn't make it too.

I have not seen "Little Miss Sunshine". Is this another "Sideways" or "Lost in Translation" kinda film (which i thought were over-rated)? Is it really better than "United 93", "Children of Men" or even "Dreamgirls"? And no nominations for James Bond?!

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wordweaver writes:
on Jan 28 2007 07:42 PM

In reply to this comment (#853743)
[b]I totally agree[/b]
I totally agree wit u iceghost.I was watching the SAG awards today and when little miss sunshine won i just said to myself "is this movie really better than Babel, dreamgirls,the departed and Bobby?" I am a big dreamgirl fan but ithought Babel was off the hook; it has a universal message for a generation torn apart by miscommunication.

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