The Broadcast Film Critics Association claims that their choices for their awards predict Oscar’’s choices something like 90% of the time. Well, yes, that’s because they pick 10 movies in the running for Best Picture, and sometimes six nominees in other categories; you give me a list of 20 movies released in the last few months and a dartboard and I could probably be an awesome Oscar predictor.
Still, they came up with some strong contenders as nominees for their awards; winners will be announced at a ceremony on January 7. Into the Wild led with seven nominations, a shocker after most regional critic’s groups failed to mention it at all. It got a nod for Best Picture, director and screenplay for Sean Penn, lead actor for Emile Hirsch, supporting actor for Hal Holbrook, supporting actress for Catherine Keener, and best song for Eddie Vedder’s “Guaranteed.”
Juno was right behind it with six nominations, including picture, and Atonement, Sweeney Todd, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men and Hairspray each got five nominations apiece; each of those movies were on the Best Picure list except for Hairspray.
It’s hard to have a ton of surprises when you’re casting such a wide net of nominees, but the Broadcast Critics pulled it off somehow. American Gangster made its way into the list just when it’s snub by every critical group and the super-mainstream National Board of Review had it looking DOA. Cate Blanchett managed to rack up two nominations, as leading actress for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and supporting for I’m Not There. So did Michael Cera, of all people: he was nominated twice for Best Young Actor, for Juno and, I kid you not, Superbad. I really hope this inspires someone to start a stealth Oscar campaign for Superbad, just so I can see McLovin in a tux.
This bunch tends to be pretty mainstream in their tastes, which explains Amy Adams’ Best Actress nomination for Enchanted and the love for Atonement that it never found with the other critics. That makes it all the more surprising to me that There Will be Blood has a significant presence here, up for Best Picture, Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), and Best Composer (Jonny Greenwood). I’ve been prattling on for weeks that Blood could never, ever be nominated for an Oscar, but someone out there seems determined to make me eat my words.
I was personally thrilled to see love for Ryan Gosling from Lars and the Real Girl and Casey Affleck from The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (though what happened to the attention for Brad Pitt in that movie, I’ll never know). And as much as I know that Hairspray was a fluffy musical, the fact that it got lumped into Best Ensemble with the cast of Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Gone Baby Gone shows that someone recognizes how hard it is to keep a fluffy musical afloat.
I know as a real film critic I’m supposed to be looking down on these “popular” awards while twirling my pretentious mustache and putting down Amy Adams, but hell-- that’s no way to live. Yay Michael Cera, award winner! You go, Amy Adams! If this is what it takes to make awards season a happy season, count me in.
