Oscar®-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence (left) and Academy President Tom Sherak announced the nominees for the 84th Annual Academy Awards in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
The Academy Award Nominations were announced in the early hours of the morning Tuesday. There were expected nods, George Clooney, of course, for his performance as a descendant of King Kamehameha in The Descendants, Meryl Streep for her turn as former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, along with films like War Horse and Hugo in the Best Picture category.
Best motion picture of the year, “Hugo” (Paramount) / A Paramount Pictures and GK Films Production, Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers. Courtesy of Paramount/Jaap Buitendijk
However, there were a few snubs and surprises as well. Though War Horse was nominated, the pic’s director, Steven Spielberg failed to get a nod. Another Spielberg flick, Tin Tin was also conspicuously absent from the animated feature category. Happily, Melissa McCarthy pulled off a Supporting Actress nomination for her wacky, unabashed and unflattering role in Bridesmaids – and the jaw-dropping 11 nominations for Hugo took everyone by surprise. Both Best Picture and Achievement in Directing for Martin Scorsese were included in those nods.
Best motion picture of the year, “War Horse” (Touchstone) / A DreamWorks Pictures Production, Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers. Courtesy of Touchstone/David Appleby
The Awards are certainly varied this year, whether it’s The Artist, a silent movie coming in loud and clear, or The Help, detailing African-Ameican maids and their pov of the white families they work for, set in the ‘60s.
However, none of the nine films nominated are blockbusters on the level of Titanic or Avatar. So, will the Academy Awards telecast generate a huge audience of viewers?
Performance by an actress in a supporting role, Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids” (Universal). Courtesy of Universal Studios/Suzy Hanover
That is a concern, Tom Sherak tells us. Sherak is the Academy’s current president and has seen Oscar shows that have had those mega-hits as well as the more subtle successes over the years.
We turned to Jim Moret, Chief Correspondent for Inside Edition, for his expertise on the nominations, including the snubs and surprises.
And we also sat down with Sherak for his assessment of the upcoming ceremony along with his thoughts on his Oscar Producers, Brian Grazer and Don Mischer as well as his host, Billy Crystal. Grazer and Crystal jumped in when Producer Brett Ratner and his choice for host, Eddie Murphy dropped out.
Check out the two videos below.