77th Annual Academy Award Nominations Announced; "Aviator" Scores 11 Noms. | Playbill

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News 77th Annual Academy Award Nominations Announced; "Aviator" Scores 11 Noms. Nominees for the 77th Annual Academy Awards were announced Jan. 25. "The Aviator" — penned by playwright John Logan — received 11 nominations, the most of any film of the season just ended. It will vie for the Best Picture Oscar in a field that also includes "Finding Neverland," "Million Dollar Baby," "Ray" and "Sideways."

"The Aviator," the biography of Howard Hughes that explores his relationships with Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner, earned 11 nominations, including those for stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Alan Alda and Cate Blanchett. In addition to Best Picture, the film was also nominated for Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Best Picture, Sound Mixing and Writing (Original Screenplay). John Logan, the playwright of Never the Sinner, was nominated in the latter category. Logan is also reportedly adapting Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd for the silver screen.

"Finding Neverland," the touching film about playwright James M. Barrie and his writing of Peter Pan, earned seven nominations, including Best Picture. Johnny Depp was also nominated for his work as the late writer who influences an entire family. The film also picked up nominations for Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Music (Score) and Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

Joel Schumacher's "The Phantom of the Opera," based on the Tony Award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name, earned three nominations, including those for Art Direction, Cinematography and Best Song ("Learn to Be Lonely"). And, the film adaptation of Patrick Marber's "Closer" — directed by Mike Nichols — scored two nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Clive Owen) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Natalie Portman). Both Owen and Portman recently won Golden Globe Awards for their work in the film based on the acclaimed play.

Other nominees of interest to theatre fans: Theatre regulars Annette Bening and Laura Linney were nominated for their performances in, respectively, "Being Julia" and "Kinsey." Bening was nominated in the Actress in a Leading Role category and Linney in the Actress in a Supporting Role group. And, playwright Jose Rivera, whose Massacre (Sing to Your Children) will be presented in May by LAByrinth Theatre Company, was nominated for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for "The Motorcycle Diaries."

Comedian Chris Rock will host the annual Oscar ceremony, which will be broadcast Sunday, Feb. 27 at 8 PM ET on ABC-TV. The complete list of 77th Academy Awards nominees follows:

Actor in a Leading Role
Don Cheadle - "Hotel Rwanda"
Johnny Depp - "Finding Neverland"
Leonardo Dicaprio - "The Aviator"
Clint Eastwood - "Million Dollar Baby"
Jamie Foxx - "Ray"

Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Alda - "The Aviator"
Thomas Haden Church - "Sideways"
Jamie Foxx - "Collateral"
Morgan Freeman - "Million Dollar Baby"
Clive Owen - "Closer"

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening - "Being Julia"
Catalina Sandino Moreno - "Maria Full of Grace"
Imelda Staunton - "Vera Drake
Hilary Swank - "Million Dollar Baby"
Kate Winslet - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - "The Aviator"
Laura Linney - "Kinsey"
Virginia Madsen - "Sideways"
Sophie Okonedo - "Hotel Rwanda"
Natalie Portman - "Closer"

Animated Feature Film
"The Incredibles"
"Shark Tale"
"Shrek 2"

Art Direction
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"A Very Long Engagement"

Cinematography
"The Aviator"
"House of Flying Daggers"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"A Very Long Engagement"

Costume Design
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"Ray"
"Troy"

Directing
Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"
Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
Taylor Hackford, "Ray"
Alexander Payne, "Sideways"
Mike Leigh, "Vera Drake"

Documentary Feature
"Born Into Brothels"
"The Story of the Weeping Camel"
"Super Size Me"
"Tupac: Resurrection"
"Twist of Faith"

Documentary Short Subject
"Autism Is a World"
"The Children of Leningradsky"
"Hardwood"
"Mighty Times: The Children's March"
"Sister Rose's Passion"

Film Editing
"The Aviator"
"Collateral"
"Finding Neverland"
"Million Dollar Baby"
"Ray"

Foreign Language Film
"As It Is in Heaven"
"The Chorus"
"Downfall"
"The Sea Inside"
"Yesterday"

Makeup
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Sea Inside"

Music (Score)
"Finding Neverland"
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
"The Passion of the Christ"
"The Village"

Music (Song)
"Accidentally in Love" - "Shrek 2"
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - "The Motorcycle Diaries"
"Believe" - "The Polar Express"
"Learn To Be Lonely" - "The Phantom of the Opera"
"Look to Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - "The Chorus"

Best Picture
"The Aviator"
"Finding Neverland"
"Million Dollar Baby"
"Ray"
"Sideways"

Short Film (Animated)
"Birthday Boy"
"Gopher Broke"
"Guard Dog"
"Lorenzo"
"Ryan"

Short Film (Live Action)
"Everything in This Country Must"
"Little Terrorist"
"7:35 in the Morning"
"Two Cars, One Night"
"Wasp"

Sound Editing
"The Incredibles"
"The Polar Express"
"Spider-Man 2"

Sound Mixing
"The Aviator"
"The Incredibles"
"The Polar Express"
"Ray"
"Spider-Man 2"

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
"I, Robot"
"Spider-Man 2"

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"Before Sunset"
"Finding Neverland"
"Million Dollar Baby"
"The Motorcycle Diaries"
"Sideways"

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Aviator"
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
"Hotel Rwanda"
"The Incredibles"
"Vera Drake"

For more information, visit oscar.com.

 
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