Boobs, Politics, and Golden Statues

Two weeks ago, Sid Ganis, the president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and Salma Hayek, the cleavage at an otherwise mundane 5:30 a.m. press conference, announced the nominations for the 79th Annual Academy Awards. There were the contenders we all expected, some big snubs, and a few Cinderella stories. Let the games begin.

Best Picture: “Babel,” “The Departed,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Queen”

This year, the Academy has chosen to acknowledge films from all over the world. “Babel” has characters speaking four languages, and the Clint Eastwood-directed “Letters” is done entirely in Japanese. The selections for the year’s biggest prize are quite eclectic for the Academy’s taste—besides “The Departed,” which grossed over $100 million, none of the nominees have done very well at the box office.

The category’s very noticeable absence of “Dreamgirls” incited controversy. Despite having the most nominations—a grand total of eight, due largely to three for Best Original Song—the film failed to make the cut, a first in Oscar history. However, the Academy has acknowledged the brilliant star-making turn of Jennifer Hudson and veteran comedian Eddie Murphy. What replaced “Dreamgirls” is surprise nominee “Little Miss Sunshine,” which nabbed the Producers Guild Award for Best Picture in January, a strong indicator of the Oscar winner.

Best Director: Clint Eastwood, “Letters from Iwo Jima”; Stephen Frears, “The Queen,”; Paul Greengrass, “United 93”; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Babel”; Martin Scorsese, “The Departed”

Ok, this is ridiculous. Three 6 Mafia, the blinged-out rapping trio, has an Oscar, while the man who directed “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and “Goodfellas” has never won. Scorsese’s recent “Gangs of New York” and “The Aviator” are admittedly not his best work, but “The Departed” marked his successful return to the crime thriller genre and was lauded by critics. The clear favorite to win, he took home the Directors’ Guild award last week and the Golden Globe in January.

Greengrass picked up a surprise nomination for his tasteful depiction of 9/11 events in “United 93,” snubbing “Dreamgirls” director Bill Condon and husband-and-wife team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Best Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Volver”; Judi Dench, “Notes on a Scandal”; Helen Mirren, “The Queen”; Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”; Kate Winslet, “Little Children”

Embodying Queen Elizabeth II, Mirren has demolished the competition and stands alone as the one to beat. Cruz, whose English language films like “Vanilla Sky” and “Sahara” have never showcased her talent, has been recognized for her work in Pedro Almodovar’s “Volver.” Unexpectedly snubbed in the Best Foreign Language category, it is the Spanish film’s sole nomination. Meryl Streep further solidified her most-Oscar-nominated-actor title, landing a fourteenth for her comic turn as the devilish Miranda Priestly. Kate Winslet could edge out the competition for “Little Children.” At 31, she is the youngest to ever have received five nominations.

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “Blood Diamond”; Ryan Gosling, “Half Nelson”; Peter O’Toole, “Venus”; Will Smith, “The Pursuit of Happyness”; Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”

While big stars like Will and Leo will draw plenty of red carpet attention, the real race lies between two performances in much smaller films. O’Toole, who received a lifetime-achievement Oscar but has never won for a performance, collected serious kudos for the early-May-late-December-romance dramedy “Venus.” However, his lack of attendance at the Globes and SAG awards could hurt his chances, as the Academy often rewards those who show up. Whitaker, a character actor who first broke onto the scene in “Fast Times at Ridgmont High,” has been labeled the favorite and, like Mirren, has won every major award so far. But his long and monotonous acceptance speeches and lack of star power could work against him.

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, “Little Miss Sunshine”; Jackie Earle Haley, “Little Children”; Djimon Hounsou, “Blood Diamond”; Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”; Mark Wahlberg, “The Departed”

Murphy has a lock on the Oscar. But even though his performance as Jimmy Early garnered more critical acclaim than he’s gotten in his full twenty-five year career, can anyone picture an ad for “Norbit” featuring the words “starring Oscar Winner” and take it seriously? Would anyone have more respect for the next installment in “The Nutty Professor” franchise?

Some weighty competition will come from Wahlberg, whose fast-talking turn in “The Departed” steals every scene, and former child star Haley, who, as fate would have it, plays a pedophile in “Little Children.” This year, the Academy snubbed some big stars. Major names such as Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck were all shut out of the race, despite receiving Golden Globe nominations.

Best Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, “Babel”; Cate Blanchett, “Notes on a Scandal”; Abigail Breslin, “Little Miss Sunshine”; Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”; Rinko Kikuchi, “Babel”

After American Idol, no one expected to hear from Hudson ever again. Now, not only has she stolen the movie from Beyoncé, but the first-time actress and nominee has quickly become the clear favorite. Blanchett won this award two years ago for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in “The Aviator.”

Both from “Babel,” Kikuchi, who plays a sexually-frustrated deaf girl, and Barraza, the nanny of Pitt and Blanchett’s children, provide two of the most heart-breaking performances of the year. Ten-year-old Breslin, the optimistic contestant from “Little Miss Sunshine,” could be the surprise upset.

Overall, the competition is stiff and should make for an exciting night celebrating the best in film. Watch Sunday, February 25th with host Ellen DeGeneres for the fashions, the speeches, and— if Hayek presents—more cleavage.

­—Staff writer Christopher C. Baker can be reached at ccbaker@fas.harvard.edu.