Oscar Nominations Preview: What to Expect Thursday
The Dark Knight
Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards will be announced Thursday, which means time's ticking to finalize predictions. Here are some things you can keep in mind for the big reveal.
For almost a year, we've heard talk about The Dark Knight being a factor in the Oscar race. Their safest bet, of course, is a supporting actor nod for Heath Ledger. (Thursday, by the way, is also the one-year anniversary of his death.) Beyond that for the film, nothing's as certain, but thanks to a hat trick of precursor nominations from three of the Guilds (Producers, Writers and Directors), The Dark Knight is looking good to land on the best picture list.
Frontrunner Slumdog Millionaire, along with Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon, are likely to join Knight in the lineup. All were shortlisted by the DGA and PGA as well.
In the acting races, all eyes will be on double Golden Globe-winner Kate Winslet to see if she will double-up on nominations for Revolutionary Road (lead) and The Reader (supporting), or if she'll miss out completely. Vote-splitting and category confusion — many feel her role in The Reader is lead and could nominate her as such — could leave the five-time nominee out in the cold.
If Winslet does double dip, she will become the 12th person to be nominated in both supporting and lead categories in the same year. The most recent was Cate Blanchett, who was nominated last year for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and I'm Not There.
Brad Pitt (Button) and Angelina Jolie (Changeling) could nab his-and-hers lead nominations if all goes according to plan — which hasn't for Jolie in the past. Last year, she racked up a slew of precursor nominations for A Mighty Heart, but failed to show for the Oscars. She's having a similar run this year, but she may have some added Oscar luck with Changeling director Clint Eastwood.
If you're not aware, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loves Eastwood. Four years ago, with no precursor nominations under his belt, he memorably bumped Sideways' Paul Giamatti off the best actor lineup for his turn in Million Dollar Baby. He can very well knock out (no pun intended) someone this year with his sleeper hit Gran Torino, but only time will tell.
Nominations will be announced by Forest Whitaker and AMPAS president Sid Ganis at 8:30 am/ET.
Check back to TVGuide.com and follow us on Twitter Thursday morning for all the nominations.
