(thanks to N8)
Excellence in period film:
- Deborah Hopper for “Changeling”
- Jacqueline West for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
- Michael O’Connor for “The Duchess”
- Danny Glicker for “Milk”
- Albert Wolsky for “Revolutionary Road”
Excellence in contemporary film:
- Laura Jean Shannon and Rebecca Bentjen for “Iron Man”
- Ann Roth for “Mamma Mia!”
- Patricia Field for “Sex and the City”
- Suttirat Larlarb for “Slumdog Millionaire”
- Amy Westcott for “The Wrestler”
Excellence in fantasy film:
- Isis Mussenden for “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
- Lindy Hemming for “The Dark Knight”
- Sanja Milkovic Hays for ” The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”










55 Responses for "Costume Designers Guild Nominees"
Finally! A place where they don’t nominate Frost/Nixon
(Dedicated to Londoner)
I hope the Oscars nominate:
Sex
Button
Duchess
Australia
Brideshead
Alt: Changeling
They didn’t nominate THE FALL among the fantasy films!!! Eiko Ishioka was robbed!!!!!
interesting how Iron Man went into contemporary but Dark Knight into fantasy.
I know Bob, is ridiculous…
I am so sorry for Australia. It was a very nice looking film but no guild has given it recognition. I still think it has a shot with AMPAS, as well as TDK,.
Locks ? O’Connor, Hopper and West, i think.
The Fall was robbed!!! Pft.
And yes “The Five” are on here with the exception of Frost/Nixon. U-oh. Heh.
yikes, Bob W. Too right. wtf?
If I had to pick a superhero to join us in the real world, it wouldn’t be Iron Man.
Isn’t Iron Man a little, I don’t know, more fantastical than The Dark Knight?
Bob W.
I noticed the same thing. Ironically, it can be argued that The Dark Knight is less fantasy than Iron Man. I just hope the former makes the final cut!
Australia?!?!?!??!?!!?
Such a shame there’s no Australia, Brideshead, or The Fall here.
YET, Slumdog, TDK, TCCoBB, & Milk …. again.
Ugh. How boring.
LINDY HEMMING has the best name for a costume designer! XD
I’m disappointed by Australia’s snub. Sure, the film was kinda lame, but Catherine Martin’s threads were not only historically realistic, but also managed to be appropriately unrealistic in terms of colour and camp, which really captures the melodramatic feel Luhrmann was going for. Hopeful Oscar can remedy this unfair exclusion.
Another absolutely disgraceful “Australia” snub. Best Costumes of the year for me.
“Such a shame there’s no Australia, Brideshead, or The Fall here. YET, Slumdog, TDK, TCCoBB, & Milk …. again.”
@John: Slumdog is not in the same category as the films you wanted to be nominated. So moot point on that one. Just saying.
Strange. How could they not nominate The Fall? Thankfully The Duchess is on this list. The costumes from that movie are fantastic.
While one of The Five have finally faltered, I’m afraid that is still no bearing on on the state of the BP race. Although, I would have thought that wardrobe would be a pretty big deal for Frost/Nixon, but I guess in that movie the hair and makeup contributed more to the 70s illusion than the threads.
And ROFL at “Linda Hemming”!
I completely agree with Waltizzle. Completely. Think it’s down to Brideshead vs. Changeling for the last spot. Maybe both are in if Sex is out. Australia will definitely make it in. This is just a pro-American thing by the Guild. They don’t always do it with foreign films, but it’s been happening all year with Australia. Hmm.
But since Catherine Martin won the Oscar for Moulin Rouge (and wasn’t even nominated by the CDG, in a screwy year), I have faith.
This is Australia’s best chance at a nomination.
Though really The Other Boleyn Girl should be here too. Give it to the epics!
Mamma mia?????
Changeling is an absolute lock. It amazes me how people can still doubt that.
I know it’s not an obvious choice, but I would give any Best Costume award to The Dark Knight.
And I’m not a TDK fanboy, just in case.
agree, Kraisky.
Changeling made me feel 1928 like I’ve never felt it before. Authentic down to each speck of dust.
“Changeling made me feel 1928 like I’ve never felt it before. Authentic down to each speck of dust.”
Didn’t know you were over 80.
Hooray for Michael O’Connor and THE DUCHESS. It was a great-looking movie.
Now if only Rachel Portman could get a little more buzz for her lovely score.
Veyry true, Ryan. I guess I meant, in general. That said, even though I loved Slumdog Millionaire (my number 2), I actually AM surprised it popped up here, as well. Such huge support!
The MUMMY love is baffling.
Um…not to be shallow, but the Mamma Mia costumes are ugly. I’m just saying.
I thought Leatherheads had some of the best period costumes of the year.
I’m guessing that Iron Man’s “fantasy” elements were more special effects driven, while The Dark Knight’s included more actual clothing. So the costumes in question for Iron Man are stuff like Tony Stark’s sharp suits, while in the Dark Knight, you have things like Two-Face’s half burned suit, and the Joker’s costume, which the script describes as custom. In that sense, The Dark Knight is much less realistic (and better designed, again, I’m just saying.)
This is crazy Australia snubbed all around. After seeing the film I thought it was a lock for: Cinematography, Art Dir, Cost. Des
A good chance for: S. Mix, Vis. Ef, Or. Score, Editing.
But now it looks like Cinematography is a no-go, Art direction still in play and that’s about it.
Everything is perfect, except that they left out The Fall
This is going to be a very difficult category to predict for the Oscars, considering the ridiculous number of period films this year. Defiance, The Reader, Other Boleyn Girl and Australia could all sneak in.
ok, the slumdog love is insane…
how they nominee a costume design so boring and unimaginative when you had the poppy’s wardrobe in the consideration list?
probably worst guild awards’ list of nominations. too many snubs, even more no deserving nominees.
My predictions for the oscars so far:
1. The Duchess
2. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
3. Changeling
4. Revolutionary Road
5. Brideshead Revisited
6. Australia
7. Milk
8. The Dark Knight
When a film isn’t as popular and hasn’t been seen by as many guild members, good work somtimes goes unnoticed and unnominated unless it’s such a standout that people talk about it.
Personally, I thought the costumes for Revolutionary Road were quite authentic, supportive of the film and subtly done, though subtlety doesn’t always win awards.
I can’t decide which is worse – including those horrible things from Mamma Mia! or excluding the great work in The Fall.
Finally some love for The Duchess. Am I the only one who thought Keira Knightly’s work was Oscar-nomination-worthy?
And SpeedRacer???!!?!?!?!!
That movie got no love at all. It was underrated!
The fact that ‘The Fall’ is completely absent in this category makes me very mad… The inclusion of ‘Mamma Mia!’ makes me downright furious.
*Sad Sigh* Oh, well.
The nominate a F&%!ing Mummy movie over The Fall. This is crap.
Am I the only one who thinks Happy-Go-Lucky was snubbed for contemporary? All those whacky things Poppy wore in that movie deserved mention, I think.
Wouldn’t the Mummy be kinda period? I realize the film is fantasy, but it’s also sorta historical.
I think Revolutionary Road, The Duchess and Benjamin Button are pretty locked with Australia, Changeling, The Dark Knight and Milk fighting for the other 2 spots. I’m guessing The Dark Knight and Australia. (The CDG also snubbed Moulin Rouge!)
They used to combine period and fantasy films at the CDG
Rourke just on Leno
Why would Revolutionary Road be considered anything close to a lock?
I also liked Poppy’s goofy clothes.
I agree. Too much Slumdog love.
The yellow scarf at the end of the movie matching her dress from the early scenes… how.. revolutionary.
Effective costuming is when it helps tell the story – when it conveys an emotion the way an expression of an actor would, establishes a setting the way a set would… when it says something about the character that isn’t said by something else. It can be “in your face” and purposefully noticeable (Dark Knight) or subtle and understated (R. Road).
I love that, in Changeling, she has the same long coat. I’d expect her to, on her income and slight pre-occupations. And I love that Sarah Jessica’s belt was named “Roger” by the crew in Sex and the City.
But ENOUGH with Slumdog. Ugh.
No, Larry you’re not the only one. I thought Keira was just brilliant in that movie; I’ve never seen her so mature or so authentic. She is worthy in every way, but that movie never could get enough buzz.
Slumdog Millionaire… but no The Fall?
DOH
T.
Yaaaaay changeling
I honestly hope that Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Animate Feature.
Frack WALL•E !!!
The contemporary categories are always iffy. Rarely do they acknowledge truly character-making work and instead go with what movie merely had the best looking clothes (“Iron Man”’s suits and party dresses etc).
[...] shut out, which kind of bugs me because “Iron Man” got in. I just don’t get it. [Awards Daily] Excellence in contemporary film: “Iron Man” – Laura Jean Shannon & Rebecca [...]
i am from India and would love to see Slumdog get a lot of love (and a few oscars), though it is for purely partisan reasons.
an enormously over-rated movie and i cannot belelieve that it is getting nominations for best costume. that is just plain bizarre.
This is not meant as a negative criticism, but can someone explain to me the rules for Costume Design as it applies to something like Sex and the City? I mean I love Pat Field, but isn’t she more of a wardrobe stylist? Nothing was actually designed or created was it? She just pulls designer clothes that are appropriate for the characters. Again, I’m not hatin’, just looking for some insight.
I can’t believe Australia was snubbed again for it’s costumes . This is such a blatant snub. Still hoping for an Oscar nod for it’s costumes as well as a few more techs.
doublB,
Contemporary films like Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada (which was nominated) have to think about the same things… what is each person wearing – how does it make them feel? How does it project their characterizations? How do the clothes make them look in relation to one another? etc. etc.
There are additional struggles too. Much of the audience for Sex and the City is fashion conscious – that is, they may read fashion magazines and follow trends themselves. The costuming for the film becomes that much more of a challenge. “How do we dress the fashion conscious characters in a way that relates to the fashion conscious viewer?”
I’d invite you to watch the commentary on either Sex and the City or Devil Wears Prada for some more insight.
I like the separation into three categories, since they all require different skills. historical usually gets the attention, but by allowing five nominees, they can let in something not-so-showy, like MILK. when I saw that movie, I thought “Man, this thing actually looks like it took place in the ’70’s”, and the costumes were a big part of that.
Contemporary movies are often overlooked because their work doesn’t stick out like THE DUCHESS. IRON MAN has his funny uniform, lots of suits and dresses, military garb, and the clothes of Afghanistan. Lots of work, just not something that is Oscar-grabbing.
Then sci-fi/fantasy is probably the most fun, since the costumers get to use their imagination. Here is the one misstep of these otherwise respectable nominees: the designer for THE DARK KNIGHT is dealing largely in modern reality. The Joker and his apparel are nuts, but he’s very much a modern-day nutcase. Otherwise, we’re dealing in power suit, prison garb, street wear, etc. , the sort of work honored in the contemporary category. This isn’t fair for anyone in the fantasy category, since THE DARK KNIGHT is really no match in showiness for THe MUMmY 3 or pRINce caSPIAN, while those two averagely reviewed films may lose this award to TDK simply because it’s the big hit Oscar contender, and not on the merits. Were TDK in the contemporary category, it would be matching its powersuits against Tony Stark’s and Mr. Big’s, which would be a fair showdown. Of course, that would drop one of the current nominees, but I would argue that costuming a dancing chorus in snorkels and flippers should nullify a nomination. Also, this would allow THE FALL into the fantasy category, and while those three fantasy movies don’t belong anywhere near a best picture category, they would sure make one helluva strong costuming line-up.
A number of terrific period pieces weren’t nominated (AUSTRALIA, THE OTHer bOLEYN GIrL, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL), but the five movies in the running for historical film are all excellent, so I see no complaint there.
I hope they nominate some contemporary movies in this year’s costume design nominees. It’s alway nice to see some stylish clothing that are in now movies once in awhile instead of the past.
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