Bond, Ben and Bigelow snubbed by Oscars
Sorry, James Bond.
After 50 years of faithful service to the movies, you still didn't make it to the Big Dance with “Skyfall,” your strongest shot at a best picture Oscar nomination in your series' history.
I know, I know.
Academy voters opted to nominate only nine films for best movie, even though they could have added a 10th. (Confidentially, I blame Ernst Stavro Blofeld for rigging the votes against you.)
But don't feel bad, Mr. Bond. You're in excellent company.
Poor Kathryn Bigelow. No best director Oscar nomination for her fine work on “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Poor Tom Hooper. No best director nomination for his fine work on “Les Miserables.”
Poor Ben Affleck. No best director or actor nominations for his fine work on “Argo.”
Not even Quentin Tarantino made the cut for best director, although his skewed western black comedy “Django Unchained” earned a best picture nomination when the nods were announced in Hollywood Thursday morning.
There was a slight surprise. Michael Haneke's French-language drama “Amour” emerged as a best picture contender. The critically lauded movie (opening Friday in Chicago) won nods for director, picture, foreign film, actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and original screenplay.
The prestigious National Society of Film Critics named “Amour” best picture of 2012, and it could be a dark-horse threat to Steven Spielberg's “Lincoln,” the current favorite to win best picture with its 12 nominations, the most given to a single film this year.
Columbia College film grad Janusz Kaminski picked up his sixth cinematography Oscar nomination for shooting “Lincoln.” Kaminski has photographed all of Spielberg's movies since 1993's “Schindler's List.” He won the Oscar for that movie and also for “Saving Private Ryan.”
Elmhurst native Gary Rydstrom received his 17th Oscar nomination, this time in the sound mixing category for his work on “Lincoln.”
He's taken home seven sound mixing and editing Oscars for his work on “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Titanic,” “Jurassic Park” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
Right now, “Lincoln” leads the best picture Oscar contenders “Amour,” “Argo,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Django Unchained,” “Les Miserables,” “Life of Pi,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Likewise, Daniel Day-Lewis leads the best actor category as “Lincoln.” He's up against Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook,” Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables,” Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master” and Denzel Washington in “Flight.”
You will be happy to know, Mr. Bond, that Jessica Chastain received a best actress nomination for playing a CIA agent in Bigelow's “Zero Dark Thirty.” (Does she know your pal Felix Leiter?)
Chastain should knock off Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook,” Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour,” Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and Naomi Watts in “The Impossible.”
Heavily favored “Les Misérables” star Anne Hathaway should win supporting actress over Amy Adams in “The Master,” Sally Field in “Lincoln,” Helen Hunt in “The Sessions” and Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook.”
For supporting actor, Tommy Lee Jones is the favorite for his work in “Lincoln.” Other nominees are Alan Arkin in “Argo,” Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook,” Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master” and Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained.”
The 85th Academy Awards will be announced live Feb. 24 on ABC. “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane will be the host. He's also nominated for writing lyrics to “Everybody Needs a Best Friend,” the song from “Ted,” a comedy that he directed and wrote.
I strongly suspect, Mr. Bond, that you have no shot at winning any of the five Oscar nominations given to “Skyfall,” unless Adele's theme song has an outside chance.
If not, try another day.