These nominations, I think, do a couple of things. The first thing they do is pretty much seal the deal for Slumdog Millionaire. Of course, many of the headlines said “Slumdog Millionaire leads the nominations.” But it didn’t really. It tied with Benjamin Button, which is significant. While the BAFTA also loved Little Miss Sunshine, if you’ll recall, their support for Slumdog will likely go much deeper, it being a global film and they being much more global-thinking than Sunshine was.
There is an interview with Danny Boyle where he talks about poverty in Mumbai and he says something like, “you see it every night on TV, why would anyone want to pay to see that?” But of course, Americans most certainly do not see that every night on TV because they don’t watch anything comparable to the BBC, but for a small fraction who watch the News Hour on PBS.
This is bad news for The Dark Knight, as it really shouldn’t have missed here with that many nominations. It perhaps forecasts an Academy snub on Tuesday, but it’s impossible to tell right now; the DGA is still the best predictor. Still, I wonder, how did it miss? The Reader I can understand their voting it in, what with Minghella’s passing, and it being Stephen Daldry and Kate Winslet, but they barely liked Milk, though they liked it enough to call it one of the best films of the year. Still, it’s quite significant, I think. And it’s slightly worrisome for me, as I thought The Dark Knight easily one of the best films of the year, despite the hokey dialogue at times, the Batman’s voice and the weird third act.
Clearly, it isn’t a BAFTA movie – and it isn’t really an Academy movie either. It’s certainly not a sure thing heading into the race. Dreamgirls was also snubbed by BAFTA.
Despite it all, I feel strongly that things are changing from the top down over here in America, and this change might not be reflected quite yet elsewhere. We may be at the beginning of a renewed appreciation for the blockbuster, not just because it tapes back together our sagging economy but because of the sheer numbers of fans there are in this country. The Academy cannot continue to divide itself from those films for long, not when it’s one of the top three on all of the top ten lists in the country. And not when it’s made $530 million. Film awards, in my opinion, have to be able to see the bigger picture.
But what of this Button love?Slumdog has the edge because it isn’t an effects-driven film and yet it was nominated for almost every category it possibly could have been nominated for. And it also got British Film as well. It will likely sweep the awards.
Finally, this could have been really good for The Reader (and it still might very well be) but there isn’t any time to rally. If ballots were still outstanding, this could have been a nice jumping off point.
So let’s see who got what:
Benjamin Button
Picture
Director
Screenplay
Actor
Score
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Costume Design
Visual Effects
Makeup and Hair
Slumdog Millionaire
Picture
British Picture
Director
Screenplay
Actor
Supporting Actress
Score
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Sound
Frost/Nixon
Picture
Director
Screenplay
Actor
Editing
Makeup and Hair
The Reader
Picture
Director
Screenplay
Actress
Cinematography
Milk
Picture
Actor
Screenplay
And for the highest nominees of films that didn’t, for one inexplicable reason or another, not make the Best Pic cut?
The Dark Knight
Supporting Actor
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Costume Design
Sound
Visual Effects
Makeup and Hair
Changeling
Director
Actress
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Costume Design
Sound
Films that were nominated recently for Oscar that didn’t get a BAFTA nod:
The Lives of Others and American Gangster were replaced by Michael Clayton and Juno in 2007.
Last King of Scotland was replaced by Letters from Iwo Jima in 2006.
Constant Gardener was replaced by Munich in 2005.
The Motorcycle Diaries, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Vera Drake were replaced by Ray, Sideways and Million Dollar Baby in 2004.
Big Fish and Cold Mountain were replaced by Mystic River and Seabiscuit in 2003.
Perfect match in 2002 (right around the time of the date change).
Amelie and Shrek were replaced by Gosford Park and In the Bedroom in 2001.
At some point in BAFTA’s history, though, you have to stop counting, as they used to hold their awards after the Oscars and therefore, it is impossible to really judge their tastes. However, the last film after that time to win the Oscar without being nominated for a BAFTA was Million Dollar Baby in 2004 (and that was a film they hadn’t seen before it was time to vote).
