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Tony’s 2012 Oscar® Nominations & Winners

by Tony Medley

Generally, every year I have to come to the Academy’s rescue shortly after the Academy Awards, so out of touch have they been. However, this year, except for a couple of incidents, they got it pretty much right. The two exceptions are not nominating Ben Affleck for best director for Argo, an incomprehensible decision, and placing Christoph Waltz in the supporting actor category, instead of best actor. Waltz was the main mover in Django Unchained, and should have been in the best actor category.

While I’m at it, I will say that this year’s Academy awards telecast was the best in many years. Seth McFarlane was superb and the skits were right on. It was a wonderful show. I thought the song and production number, “We saw your boobs,” funny and on target. The show moved with fine pace, the women were beautiful and interestingly attired, and the awards, for the most part, appropriate.

That said, here are my nominations and awards for 2012. These are not meant as predictions, because I write this article after the Oscars have been awarded. These are just the way I would have nominated and chosen (since they are my nominations, I’m not limited to five; I don't have to have at least five; and I’m not bound by the Academy’s characterizations, so Christoph Waltz is properly placed in the Best Actor category). My winner is indicated by an asterisk (sorry about Best Actress; I just couldn’t choose between the two):

 

Best Original Screenplay

Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

Nicholas Jarecki, Arbitrage

Rashida Jones, Celeste and Jesse Forever

*Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer, The Oranges

Josh Radnor, Liberal Arts

Jill & Karen Sprecher, This Ice

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Chris Terrio, Argo

David Magee, Life of Pi

David O Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Skip Hollandsworth & Richard Linklater, Bernie

*Richard Nelson, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Nick Cave, Lawless

 

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin, Stand Up Guys

Antonio Banderas, Ruby Sparks

Rhys Ifans, The Amazing Spiderman

Samuel West, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

Samuel L Jackson, Django Unchained

*Guy Pearce, Lawless

 

Best Supporting Actress

Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

*Helen Mirren, Hitchcock

Juno Temple, Killer Joe

Mia Wasikowska, Lawless

Alia Shawkat, The Oranges

Elizabeth Olsen, Liberal Arts

 

Best Actor

*Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Greg Kinnear, Thin Ice

Bill Murray, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Hugh Laurie, The Oranges

 

Best Actress

*Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

*Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone

Shirley Maclaine, Bernie

Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Charlize Theron, Snow White and the Huntsman

Emma Stone, The Amazing Spiderman

 

Best Director

Ang Lee, Life of Pi

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

*Ben Affleck, Argo

Jill Sprecher, Thin Ice

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Richard Linklater, Bernie

 

Best Movie

Django Unchained

*Argo

Silver Linings Playbook

Life of Pi

The Impossible

Hyde Park on the Hudson

Salmon Fishing on the Yemen

Thin Ice

Moonrise Kingdom

 

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