Monday, AO Scott is going to host the Gotham award nominations live this Monday at 1pm. Scott will read the nominees on a live webcast. IFP’s exec director Michelle Byrd told Variety that it is “the first time in the history of our organization we’ve announced the nominees in this fashion.”
The honorees already include: Kathryn Bigelow, Natalie Portman, Stanley Tucci and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, according to Variety.
Last year’s nominees featured very well reviewed, but indie indies. That is, films that aren’t generally considered for the major awards at the Oscars. The nominees for Best Pic were:
Frozen River
Ballast
Synecdoche
The Visitor
The Wrestler
Of these, Frozen River got an Oscar nod for actress and screenplay (so deservedly). The Wrestler and The Visitor bot got Best Actor nods. The year before it went like:
Into the Wild — the winner, all but shut out at the Oscars
Great World of Sound
I’m Not There – (horribly ignored by the Academy)
Margot at the Wedding
The Namesake
So again, not exactly big time Best Pic material there, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Finally, the year before that we get a little Best Pic action.
Half Nelson, the winner
Little Children
Marie Antoinette
Old Joy
The Departed
So hot that they honored The Departed, a big fat Hollywood movie.
Given all of this, one might predict a single film that could somehow squeak through in the ten open Best Picture slots.