2004 Academy Awards, nominations

BEST PICTURE
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Seabiscuit

BEST DIRECTOR
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Clint Eastwood, Mystic River
Peter Jackson, LOTR: Return of the King
Fernando Meirelles, City of God
Peter Weir, Master & Commander

BEST ACTOR
Johnny Depp, The Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Jude Law, Cold Mountain
Ben Kingsley, House of Sand & Fog
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Sean Penn, Mystic River

BEST ACTRESS
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider
Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give
Samantha Morton, In America
Charlize Theron, Monster
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams
Djimon Hounsou, In America
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand & Fog
Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April
Holly Hunter, Thirteen
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Steve Knight, Dirty Pretty Things
Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds, Finding Nemo
Jim, Naomi and Kirsten Sheridan, In America
Denys Arcand, The Barbarian Invasions
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini, American Splendor
Braulio Mantovani, City of God
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, LOTR: Return of the King
Brian Helgeland, Mystic River
Gary Ross, Seabiscuit



Those are the eight major awards. For the entire list, click HERE. Including all the technical awards, Return of the King leads with eleven nominations. Master & Commander is right behind it with ten. Neither film received even one acting nomination, which is unusual for so many total nominations. The ceremony is about a month early this year, on Sunday February 29th.

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Interesting selctions. I am however extremely, and I mean extremely disapointed that Andy Serksis did not get a nomination for supporting actor. I'm going to ignore that one, anyone else winning it would just be wrong.

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I didn't know this was a leap year. Where have I been?

I dunno? Seems like we just had one four years ago.

Im quite excited about this years Oscars, mostly because of Cold Mountain and Lost in Translation. Im split with Jude Law and Bill Murrey for best Actor....i think Murrey should get it and deserves it more that Jude but then again Jude is a Brit so ive gotta stay loyal

It was strange that The Last Samurai hasn't recived more nominations. from what ive heard and read it seemed the general thought was that Cruise would almost certainly be up for Best Actor this year. But his no where to be seen. It seemes that no matter how many good films he makes or how many good roles he takes he never gets an oscar. It reminds me of what Clint Eastwood said to me (through the televsion set) the other night at the Golden Globes about Sean Penn, maybe Cruise has become one of these actors where he keeps delivering such great performances that because of this he keeps being looked over. Does anyone know what his been nominated for in the past? He should definatly have been nominated for Magnolia, i think he was but im not sure.

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My surprise is that Seabiscuit beat out Cold Mountain in the lead catagory.

If the vote was entirely up to me:

PICTURE: RotK
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
ACTOR: Bill Murray
ACTRESS: Charlize Theron
S. ACTOR: Alec Baldwin
S. ACTRESS: Renee Zellweger
O. SCREENPLAY: Sofia Coppola
A. SCREENPLAY: Braulio Mantovani

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Yeah thats a good point, i never noticed Cold Mountain wasn't in the running for Best Picture. I have no desire to see Sea Biscuit but i may have to now....

I'd say i agree with your list too...

Yes, Cruise was nominated for supporting actor for his work in Magnolia, but lost to Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules (also the year Haley Joel Osment was nominated for The Sixth Sense). He's been nominated two other times in his career: the first time for Oliver Stone's Born on the Fouth of July (1989) - losing to Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot, and as the title character in Jerry Maguire (1996) - losing to Geoffrey Rush in Shine. Both of those were of course Best Actor nominations.


But I don't think Tom Cruise has the same recognition problem as Sean Penn. Penn is one of the best actors of his generation who has never won The Oscar. But Sean Penn is not a mega Movie Star who headlines $100-million projects. Cruise is a good actor, probably better than most folks give him credit for, but first and foremost he is a Movie Star. They usually have a tougher time courting Oscar gold. I don't know if your fandom of Cruise makes you think Top Gun or the Mission: Impossible flicks, Days of Thunder, Minority Report, Interview with the Vampire or Cocktail were Oscar-worthy, but...well they weren't. Crusie makes some prestige pictures, but he also makes a lot of stuff that is mainly trolling for boxoffice dollars, with artistic goals an afterthought (if at all). When you're an established star in so many mega-blockbusters, it's generally more difficult to get The Academy's attention.

This is not Sean Penn's problem. Name all the hundred-million grossers Penn was in. Oh, he's never been in one. That's right. But he is taken for granted a bit, just assumed that he'll be in top form, usually with an interesting and complex character. Yet, he's only been nominated three times before Mystic River.


Given your current avatar, I'd have thought you'd be more surprised and outraged that between Lost in Translation and The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Scarlett Johanssen couldn't muster a nomination.

Thanx for the info Holden, knew you'd be the one to ask. I totally agree with you. Cruise is a movie star, and does seem to go for big bucks rather than great script etc, where as Penn does seem to choose the perfect roles and perform them brillaintly. Im not actually a Cruise fan, i just happen to enjoy some of his films and loved his performance in Magnolia. I dont consider those films you mentioned and most of his other films Oscar Worthy, but it just always suprises me that Tom Cruise is usaully over looked at the Oscars. Perhaps its just because his been around for such a long time and starred in so many successful films. But like you said, most of his films are noted for their success at the box office rather than their success in terms of a "good" movie. To me, an actor gains credibilty when he/she gets an Oscar, and if i see their name attached to it, i will be more interested in watching the film simply becuase theyre in it. But with Cruise, for some reason he already has this status.
I only use Penn as an example as Clint Eastwood mentioned him at the Golden Globes and reffered to him as being one of thos actors who have produced some incredible performances yet are somehow overlooked becuase of how good they are. Cruise IS a (i dont want to say poor but its near enough) poor comparrison to Penn but they both seem to be the only actors/actresses that i can think of that have not had their Oscar glory yet, even though they have produced some incredible performances in the past.

yeah i did notice that but to be honest, as much as i love ( - like think im in love with and want to marry - ) Jahanssen, without Murray, i didnt think she was oscar-worthy in the film. She was very good and no-one could have done it better but i feel Murray overshadowed her performance a bit as he was SO good. It did seem a bit of a shame as it would have been great for her to be nominated for her first 'big' film. AS for Girl with a Pearl Earing iv'e yet to see her performance in that. perhaps ill be more outraged when i do. So i might watch it after the oscars

Perhaps you should learn how to spell the name of your future wife ..unless of course it is changed..

anyway what i find strange is City of God, being one of the most well known and acclaimed foreign films this year managed to get noticed in a few catagories but not the foreign film one..Are they trying to give other films a chance or just being stupid? Also how did Lost in Translation get overlooked for cinematography? Stood out a hell of a lot more than Seabiscuit did for me..

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I believe City of God was elligible for the Foreign Language film category last year, where it went unnominated. But this year it had played theatrically in The States, and was therefore able to compete for the "regular" Oscars. The foreign language films are presented by each country (one title per country), and from all the entries a special panel chooses the five that are nominees.





And I think Johnny Depp is a decent comparison to Penn in the overlooked, never awarded regard. He too so very rarely goes for the blockbuster - Pirates of the Carribean (which was certainly no guanranteed hit, and he approaced the role with a great deal of originality) being one of the very few exceptions. Somehow, this is Depp's very first Oscar nomination! He deserved nods, if not trophys, many times in the past, but again seems to be taken for granted a bit, at least partially because he's always so good, year in and year out.

The list of Oscar injustices is unending.

Thats a really good point actually. I absoloutly loved watching it in the cinema. I sat quite close and it really felt like i was looking up and down and all over the place at the wacky and wonderful Tokyo. And it was beautifully shot, especially the intimate scenes with Murray and Jahanssen.

When she is mine i shall call her anything i want....oh yes....she will be known as Sex Vessel 8 when i get her....

Even though I think Mystic River was a better film than ROTK, I am still voting for ROTK in everything it's in. My EXTREME love of the books has helped me make this choice. And I am surprised Sean Astin didn't get best supporting! He really gave this movie some UMPH! but anyway. . .here's my votes.

Picture: ROTK
Director: Peter Jackson
Actor: Sean Penn
Actress: Diane Keaton (i don't know why though)
S. Actor: Tim Robbins
S. Actress: Renee Zellweger
O. Screenplay: Sofia Copolla
A. Screenplay: PJ, PB, FW (rotk)

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Remember, remember, the 5th of November
I'm afraid I must bid you adieu.
He woke up one night with a terrible fright
And found he was eating his shoe.

Make sure you get over to Oscar's Prediction Page if you want to make predictions, and you'll have a chance to win whatever lame prize they are giving away this year. Registration is free!

Ah..Ok thanks, i forgot about that submission process. On a side note I'd like to see Japan submit a Miike film one year.

BEST PICTURE
MY PICK: Lost in Translation
MY PREDICTION: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

BEST DIRECTOR
MY PICK: Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
MY PREDICTION: Peter Jackson, LOTR: Return of the King

BEST ACTOR
MY PICK: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
MY PREDICTION: Sean Penn, Mystic River

BEST ACTRESS
MY PICK: Naomi Watts, 21 Grams
MY PREDICTION: Charlize Theron, Monster

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MY PICK: Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams
MY PREDICTION: Tim Robbins, Mystic River

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MY PICK: Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
MY PREDICTION: Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
MY PICK: Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
MY PREDICTION: Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
MY PICK: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, LOTR: Return of the King
MY PREDICTION: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, LOTR: Return of the King

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Johnny Depp is the one I'm rooting for. His Performance in Pirates of the Carribean deserves the coveted statuette. It seemes every year the Oscar goes to another (over)actor in a dramatic role. Not to say that Depp didn't over-act, it's just a damn fine performance. Of coarse, I haven't seen Mystic River yet, so Sean Penn may get the prize. In any event I'm glad the Academy has recognized Mr. Depp and his performance as one of the best of the year; I certainly thought he did a great job.....

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r66-The member who always asks WHY?

It'll be harder to pick everything else though.
I'll organise a Yahoo Oscars Pool for MoFo as soon as I'm able.

Thanks Matty.

See Ed Wood.

ETIT: And Brother Bear as best animated movie??? Man, it must have been a bad year for animation.