‘Avatar’ and ‘The Hurt Locker’ lead the Oscar race

Reuters - Oscar voters broke with several traditions on Tuesday, including handing nominations for best film to two science-fiction movies, among them box-office smash hit “Avatar,” which earned nine nominations overall.

The Iraq war movie “The Hurt Locker” also had nine nominations, including one for Kathryn Bigelow, who will be competing against ex-husband James Cameron, the mastermind of “Avatar,” for the best director award.

Bigelow’s nomination was a rarity. Only three other women, including Sofia Coppola for 2003’s “Lost in Translation,” have been nominated for best director in the 80-plus years since the world’s top film honors have been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. No woman has ever won.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations were revealed by the actress Anne Hathaway on Tuesday. The award ceremony itself will take place at the renowned Kodak theatre in Hollywood on March 7. “Avatar”, with a reported budget of between 300 and 500 million dollars, was nominated for nine awards, including best film, best director and best picture. (Photo by AFP) Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker", directed by Kathryn Bigelow - made with a budget of just 15 million dollars - was also nominated for nine awards. (Photo by AFP) “Up in the Air” directed by Jason Reitman is in the race for the best film. (Photo by AFP) Director Quentin Tarantino received a best director nomination for “Inglourious Basterds”. (Photo by AFP) Sandra Bullock received a best actress nomination for her role in “The Blind Side”. (Photo by AFP) Meryl Streep has been nominated for the 16th time for portraying Julia Child in the film “Julie & Julia”. (Photo by AFP) Other best actress nominees also included Helen Mirren, for her role as Tolstoy’s wife in “The Last Station”. (Photo by AFP)

Joining “Avatar,” which has taken in more than $2 billion at box offices, and “The Hurt Locker” in the best film field is the Disney animated movie “Up,” about an elderly man and young boy who go on an adventure after he ties helium-filled balloons to his house. “Up,” which also was nominated for best animated movie, is only the second animated film behind 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast” to earn a nod for best picture.

Meryl Streep’s performance in “Julie & Julia” earned her 16th Oscar nomination, including a 13th for lead actress. She passed Katharine Hepburn with 12 in the top category to become the most-nominated lead actress in the Oscar history.

The List of 10

Academy voters expanded field of best film nominees from five movies to 10 this year. Other films on the list include Quentin Tarantino’s World War Two fantasy “Inglourious Basterds,” which had eight nominations.

Also in the running are the corporate downsizing film “Up in the Air” and urban drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” with six nominations each. In a mild surprise, South African sci-fi film “District 9” also made the best film list.

“Only two other sci-fi films have been nominated for best motion pictures, “Star Wars” and “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.”

Rounding out the best film field was girl’s coming-of-age tale “An Education” and football flick “The Blind Side,” which also garnered Sandra Bullock a nomination for best actress.

“The voters have given us a little bit of everything ... a good sample of the movies they loved and had an impact on them,” said Academy President Tom Sherak.

Veteran Oscar watcher Tom O’Neil of awards website TheEnvelope.com called the race a close battle between major studio film “Avatar” and low-budget flick “The Hurt Locker.”

“We have a classic David and Goliath matchup between the biggest movie in history and a film that ... had no stars and is about Iraq, which is a cursed subject at the Oscars,” he said.

Nominations for best actor to Jeff Bridges playing a drunk country singer in “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney as a corporate hatchet man in “Up in the Air,” Jeremy Renner as a bomb specialist in “The Hurt Locker,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man” and Morgan Freeman for “Invictus.”

Joining Streep, who portrayed chef Julia Child in “Julie & Julia” and Bullock as a wealthy woman who plucks a homeless teen off the streets and helps him become a sports star, on the list of best actress nominees were Helen Mirren in “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education” and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious.”

 Best Picture
 
"Avatar"
 "The Blind Side"
 “District 9"
 "An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"
 
Best Actor
 
Jeff Bridges - "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney - "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth - "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman - "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner - "The Hurt Locker"

Best Actress
 
Sandra Bullock - "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren - "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan - "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe - "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by
Sapphire"
Meryl Streep - "Julie & Julia"
 
Best Director

James Cameron - "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow - "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino - "Inglourious Basterds"
Lee Daniels - "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by
Sapphire"
Jason Reitman - "Up in the Air"

Best Foreign Language Film
 
"Ajami" - Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" - Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow" - Peru
"Un Prophete" - France
"The White Ribbon" - Germany