Oscar nominations pooh-pooh Kate Winslet's campaign for 'The Reader'

January 22, 2009 | 7:25 am

Even though Kate Winslet campaigned in the supporting actress category for "The Reader," she landed in lead when Oscar nominations came out. It's not the first time that's happened. In previous years, Susan Sarandon ("Atlantic City," 1980) and Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider," 2002) campaigned in supporting and were put in lead by Academy Awards voters. James Cromwell ("Babe," 1995) campaigned in lead and was placed in supporting.

Unlike directors and writers, actors can only be nominated once per category at the Oscars, and it's not up to the stars where they land, as Winslet just discovered. Academy voters are free to ignore their "For Your Consideration" ad campaigns and can put them in whatever category they wish.

At the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, it's different. There's a qualification committee at the Globes that consented to Winslet's wish to be placed in supporting for "The Reader" and in lead for "Revolutionary Road." She ended up winning in both. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards, actors are placed in whatever category they wish. Not so at BAFTA, where Winslet was nominated in lead for both "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road" this year.

Photo, left: Susan Sarandon in "Atlantic City." Credit: Paramount. Photo, center: Keisha Castle-Hughes in "Whale Rider. Credit: Newmarket. Photo, right: James Cromwell in "Babe." Credit: Universal

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NOTE: An earlier version of this blog article incorrectly stated that James Cromwell campaigned in supporting and was placed in lead for "Babe." In fact, it's the other way around. The info has been corrected.

Comments

The Winslet campaign borders on cheating, if not outright making her look like a cheap gold digger.

I always liked Kate but this year has her looking really terrible with what they've done.

How could the Reader have coveted the Supporting Awards at both the Sag and The Golden Globes, locking out great performances such as Viola Davis, Amy Adams etc etc and now wants to place the same role as lead in the Oscars.

If the Oscars give Best Actress to Kate Winslet after the previous two awards for Supporting in the same role, the joke will be on the Oscar voters and it will amount to low and underhand cheating.

Right now Kate looks like a cheap Gold Digger. I just can't seem to get that picture of her coveting both trophies at the Golden Globe.

What a cheat!

Posted by: maya | February 06, 2009 at 07:01 AM

It's cheating!

Winslet can't want to have it both ways. She won for The Reader in Best Supporting Actress in the Golden Globe and Sag, which we the public knows is a bit of a wink and a nod to a woman who it seems, is always prepared to take it off!

How could she now credibly claim Lead in the Oscars???QQQQ!!!!

That would be a stretch and clearly cheating!

Posted by: Ken | February 05, 2009 at 10:04 AM

I always kinda find it funny when this happens, especially when it screws an actor out of another nomination. Hee-hee... sorry Kate. Better luck in a few years.

Posted by: Jason | February 01, 2009 at 12:27 PM

What book was The Reader based on?

Posted by: Marietta McCaiin | January 24, 2009 at 07:41 PM

Why can't they make that a new rule at the oscars -- to be able to be placed in the category you want to be placed in. They do it at the emmys.

Posted by: Sam | January 23, 2009 at 11:11 PM

Since this is "Gold Derby," an Oscar blog, you would do well to place a corresponding photo with a corresponding performance. It would be proper to see a photo of Ms. Sarandon as Sally Matthews in "Atlantic City"; not as Janet Wiess in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

This is an interesting blog; please don't make it as irrelevant as the AMPAS members have made themselves by committing sloppy mistakes.

Posted by: John Zulovitz | January 22, 2009 at 01:27 PM

Kate's nom for The Reader solidified Meryl Streep's Best Actress win. I wish Kate was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Reader wherein she will have a great chance of winning!

Posted by: Gary | January 22, 2009 at 09:21 AM

Penelope Cruz must be celebrating. the absence of Kate Winslet in the supporting actress category makes Cruz the overwhelming favourite.

I finally saw Revolutionary Road last night and found it disappointing -- artificial and stiff. Winslet's performance was oddly uncomfortable and formal. I think part of the problem was that some of the dialogue was pretty much directly taken from the book (which I read last year), and dialogue in a book does not necessarily sound convincing or "right" in the mouths of actors. I'm glad she got the nom for The Reader instead.

Posted by: Scott | January 22, 2009 at 08:11 AM

In James Cromwell's case, I believe it's the other way around, no? He campaigned in lead and was placed in supporting.

Posted by: Adriano | January 22, 2009 at 08:05 AM

James Cromwell received a supporting nomination for "Babe," not lead.

Posted by: dorothy | January 22, 2009 at 07:58 AM

Cromwell was nominating for supporting, not lead.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000342/awards

Did you fact-check this article?

Posted by: Luke | January 22, 2009 at 07:57 AM

Cromwell campaigned lead and they put him supporting

Posted by: A.J | January 22, 2009 at 07:54 AM

Wasn't James Cromwell nominated for supporting? Isn't in the other way around? He campaigned in lead but was nominated for supporting?