It's Official - The Oscar Noms Announced!

Hola everyone! I hope you are all celebrating what a momentous week this has been! What's more important than the Oscar nominations being announced? Nothing! That's right - the official 2009 nominations for Academy Awards were announced today and the best award show of the season is underway. Designers are scrambling to get their best dresses to the nominees. People are planning their speeches in case they win. And Tom Cruise is busy trying to find someway to get an invite and pretend he has a legit excuse to be there. Because Scientology is always welcome on the red carpet. Here's the list of nominees:

Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Every one of these nominations was expected, but I was blindsided when I saw Richard Jenkins was nominated. This is the man that everyone recognizes, but no one has a clue what his name is or what else he's been in (with the exception of geeks like me). He's steadily been in almost everything you've seen in television or film since the '90s - Flirting with Disaster, It Could Happen to You, "Six Feet Under", North Country, Rumor Has It, Step Brothers, Burn After Reading... The list goes on and on. You've seen him and thought - "Hey, who is that guy?" But he rarely gets more than the bat of an eyelash. Which is unfortunate because he was great in "Six Feet Under" and Burn After Reading. I haven't seen The Visitor, but I certainly will now that Richard Jenkins is finally getting the recognition he deserves after 30 years in the industry. The underdog story is always appealing to the masses, and I think his win would be a fantastic one for the people. Bravo, Richard!

Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Anne Hathaway and Kate Winslet - get ready to duke it out for this one! All are great actresses (though never heard of Melissa Leo until now), but the press has been gunning for these two ladies to take home the gold since last summer. Be prepared to hear a lot more about Anne and Kate over the next month - not that that's a bad thing! Kate looks amazing in the new issue of InStyle, btw.

Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Wow - really? Robert Downey Jr.? I totally understood the Golden Globe nom and felt it was legit if he won, but comedic performances typically have a touch chance at the Oscars. He did a good job in that movie, I just really did not like Tropic Thunder. I guess I shouldn't fault him for being associated with Tom Cruise... It's just so hard! I still haven't gotten over Meryl Streep agreeing to be in Lions for Lambs with him. We'll see if Robert Downey Jr. can surpass Heath Ledger though - the noms were announced on the one year anniversary of his death.

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Man, I need to see Doubt. They are all over these awards! Ok - that's my mission this week. Though I can't stand her, I'm happy Penelope Cruz was nominated because she really was the dominant force in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. See! I can be kind to those I hate! I'm not so evil... (Hear that, Tyra?) However, I don't really understand why Taraji P. Henson's role in Curious Case was that big of a deal? She played a mother - that's about it. She did well, but it wasn't the part of the movie that I thought much about. There's a lot of critics that would disagree with me on that, but whatevs!

Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

And the winner is... Pink Panther 2! J/K - My vote goes to Slumdog Millionaire. I loved this film! If you haven't seen it, I suggest you brave the cold and get yourself to a theater...STAT! And if you've seen Curious Case... Well, you may have enjoyed it more the first time you saw it... When it was called Forrest Gump. This video points out the similarities, none of which I noticed!

Of course, I'm participating in Pop Guru's Oscar Challenge again this year for the fourth year running. I have to see every film nominated for Best Picture before the Academy Awards so I can have an educated opinion on who should win. It's the one time of year my opinions are based on solid facts and research, so cherish the moment. They're still unsolicited, but nonetheless, knowledgeable. I challenge you all to participate in this contest as well! You get nothing in return except an empty wallet and a fat ass from all the popcorn you consume, but it's worth it! You have one month until the big day - The Academy Awards air February 22 at 8pm EST on ABC.