Oscar Nomination Wishes

Things are getting Oscar crazy around here, and things will only get worse as the big night approaches.  On the eve of the nominations, here are my 10 wishes for tomorrow morning's announcement.

1. The Tree of Life not relegated solely to the Best Cinematography category.  Earlier in the year, Terrence Malick's masterpiece seemed like a shoo-in for Best Picture, and a likely contender for Best Director, as well.  The new rules for Best Picture even seemed to work in its favor (the people who love it, love it, Sean Penn not included).  Now, with no support from the guilds, it looks like it only stands a chance in the tech categories, specifically cinematography, where it's considered the frontrunner.  I'm hoping The Tree of Life manages to get at least one additional nod, even if it's for special effects or in the sound categories.

2. Kristen Wiig gets nominated for Best Actress.  While costar Melissa McCarthy is likely to score a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Wiig should show up in the Original Screenplay category with cowriter Annie Mumolo, the star will surely lose out in the Best Actress race, which is full of towering performances.  Wiig doesn't simply deserve to be nominated, but to win for her fully realized portrayal that is both touching and gut-bustingly hilarious.  Hopefully Bridesmaids at least convinces the Academy to take comedies more seriously.

3. Hugo scores an acting nod.  While the most likely candidate from Martin Scorsese's 3-D Parisian love letter to get a nomination is Ben Kingsley, I would love to see Asa Butterfield get recognized for his wonderful portrayal as the titular orphan who discovers the transportive power of the movies.

4. "Never Be Daunted" gets nominated for Best Original Song.  Josh Radnor's directorial debut, happythankyoumoreplease, was a pleasant bit of Woody Allen lite that was buoyed by Jaymay's wonderful music, including this great song that was written specifically for the film.  Sadly, the Muppets will likely be hogging the category (they deserve a couple nominations, but why not give a slot up?), so Jaymay, one of my favorite singers, won't make it in.

5. Some sort of recognition for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.  I was fully prepared to jump on the bandwagon of hate for Stephen Daldry's take on Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, being a huge fan of the book and wary of the marketing campaign.  Turns out that Daldry, screenwriter Eric Roth, and the great ensemble brought the touching story to life with care, humor, and genuine emotion that is not the manipulative, exploitative mess many critics have deemed it.  Max Von Sydow and Sandra Bullock are both worthy of nominations (if Bullock had been half this good in The Blind Side, her Oscar would've been well-deserved), as is Roth's wonderful screenplay and Alexander Desplat's score.

6. Ryan Gosling up for Best Supporting Actor for Crazy, Stupid, Love.  I know this one won't happen (as most of these won't), but Gosling's dual leading roles (Drive and The Ides of March) aren't going to get him nominated, so why not recognize his funny, pitch-perfect turn in the charmingly romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love?  So much more than a Hitch clone, Gosling brought his character a charming clarity in addition to apparently Photoshopped abs.

7. Remember Jane Eyre?  The adaptation of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel was one of the year's first truly great movies, and it's a worthy contender for Costume, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay (the frame device worked brilliantly to move the story along), and Supporting Actor.  Of these, a Costume nod seems the most feasible.

8. Kung Fu Panda 2 makes it into the Best Animated Feature race.  This one should be a no-brainer, but Dreamworks' fantastic sequel, which improved on its predecessor in every way, has been inexplicably hit and miss this awards season. Sure things The Adventures of Tintin and Rango have slots tied up, but the other three nominees are up in the air.  Hopefully Kung Fu Panda 2 makes it in before uninspired dreck like Rio.

9. Bill Cunningham New York gets nominated for Best Documentary.  This is probably the most likely wish to come true, as the insightful, funny, and oddly touching fashion doc has been getting lots of acclaim and awards attention.  If you've yet to see this story about an 80+ year-old fashion photographer for the New York Times who does it for love, not money, you're missing out on one of the year's best documentaries.

10. Something, anything for Weekend or Like Crazy.  Two of my absolute favorite films of the year are also two films that have no Oscar prospects.  While Felicity Jones and Tom Cullen ought to be top contenders in the Best Actress and Best Actor races, respectively, their films will go unrecognized by the Academy.  It's a shame, as these two unconventional romances served to rejuvenate an often-tired genre with boldness and sincerity, whether by providing the most bittersweet ending in recent memory in Like Crazy or claiming the tropes of romance for the gay community in Weekend.