Could 'Curious Case of Benjamin Button' suffer the worst shut-out in Oscars history?
In our video chat with Associated Press reporter Christy Lemire, she mentioned something truly curious -- the possibility that the movie that leads with the most nominations at the Oscars, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," could lost all 13 bids.
If that happened, it would surpass the two films currently tied for suffering the worst Oscars shut-out when they lost all 11 nominations: "The Turning Point" (1977) and "The Color Purple" (1985).
But don't fret, "Button" fans. While "Slumdog Millionaire" seems to be top dog in the leading categories, "Button" is the front-runner in a few tech races.
BEST ART DIRECTION
"Curious Case of Benjamin Button" won the Art Directors Guild Award, which makes it the leader here, but so did "The Dark Knight." That's because the guild has separate categories for period films ("Button") and fantasy ("Dark Knight"). However, when other co-winners battled at the Oscars in the past, period films usually prevailed, probably because voters consider "art" in this category name in a high-brow way. "The Duchess" may be a serious contender here because it also, by its very title and look, seems artsy.
BEST MAKEUP
Theoretically, "Hellboy II" has hope to win because popcorn pix like "Chronicles of Narnia" sometimes prevail, but it's only got a snowball's chance in you-know-where because "Hellboy" a horror flick.
So is that other nominee, in a way ("The Dark Knight"), but its makeup was one of its stand-out features -- how crazily it was smeared on the Joker's insane face. And it's a prestige flick that earned the second-most money in film history and should've been nominated for best picture of 2008.
But the Oscars' voters are suckers for seeing stars age through time on screen, of course. That's why "La Vie en Rose" won last year. Without "The Reader" in the running here, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has the edge because Brad Pitt ages in reverse. Isn't that the same thing? Yes, but much of that wizardy was done via visual effects, not makeup, which could be a big issue with voters here. If they think about it. Which they probably won't.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Superhero films like "Spider-Man 2" have won here in the past, but they comprise two of the three nominees here. "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" will probably knock each other out, leaving "Ben Button" the last man standing.
Photo: Paramount
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As a new author I am beginning to follow these things more closely. My book just came out and I hope in a few years it too will grace the big screen like Narnia and LOTR
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/TheRingOfKnowledge.html
Posted by: Carl Wiley | February 21, 2009 at 03:24 PM
sorry, zach, but you're mistaken. Spidey 2 won. Aviator wasn't nommed.
Posted by: tomoneil | February 20, 2009 at 10:58 PM
What film is a poster child for CGI?
What movie star presents as an actor?
What studio has promoted and secured an undeserved nomination for best actor?
What awards show would lose even more credibility should it win more than two Oscars?
I thought so ...
Posted by: Beth | February 20, 2009 at 10:47 PM
If you guys want to use a really good Oscar pool site, then I recommend checking out AwardsPicks.com. It's really the best site out there to run an Oscar pool.
Posted by: Jerry Neely | February 20, 2009 at 06:04 PM
Being handsome and blond to boot didn't keep Paul Newman or Charlton Heston from being recoginzed as serious actors, and they were real men. Brad Pitt is not handsome. He looks like an aging Peter Pan and he and the big A have become a joke.
Posted by: Lakeswan | February 20, 2009 at 04:23 PM
That's wrong. Spider-Man 2 lost VFX to Best Pic nominee The Aviator.
And as long as Button wins VFX, Art Direction, and Makeup as expected, it will (1) not go home empty-handed and (2) lose at most its 10 other nominations, unlike The Color Purple and The Turning Point, which lost all 11 (but tied with Gangs of New York, which lost all 10).
Posted by: Zach | February 20, 2009 at 02:58 PM
No it will win one less award than LOTR FOTR did. THat did horrendously by only converting 13 nominations into 4 wins. Button will get 3 out of 13 which is also bad but not a total shut out which would be worse.
Posted by: Brian | February 20, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Earlier this afternoon I just blogged my Oscar picks (http://www.dmbosstone.com/2009/02/oscar-watch-and-the-winners-will-be/)
and I found myself giving a lot of love to Slumdog Millonaire and perhaps not enough to Benjamin Button- I'm happy to see I wasn't the only one fearing a possible shutout.
And how about Doubt? They have nominations in all four acting categories but might lose out on them all.
Posted by: Patrick | February 20, 2009 at 10:54 AM
It's a stretch to call Hellboy a horror film, but I suppose it could come off that way to those who hadn't seen it. Those who have (and hopefully everyone voting in this category has) would see that it's more of a comic-book action movie like X-Men.
Posted by: Plutarch | February 20, 2009 at 09:51 AM