Here’s an easy one for serious Oscar trivia geeks: what’s unusual about Hal Mohr’s 1935 Best Cinematography win for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream?” I offer no prize, but pat yourself on the back if you knew that Mohr was the first and only person to win an Oscar on write-in votes — or in other words, that he won despite not being nominated.
Mohr’s victory was the result of a groundswell of industry support for his work on the Best Picture nominee after he surprisingly failed to secure a nomination; the year before, Bette Davis was the beneficiary of a more famous, but less successful, write-in campaign for her acclaimed, un-nominated work in “Of Human Bondage.”
As it turned out, she received fewer votes than two of the three actresses who beat her to the nomination, but the legend stuck — and Davis got a blatant make-up Oscar a year later.
75 years on later, the Academy has got too big (and the awards game too monolithic) for rebel campaigns of this nature ever to be successfully engineered — but that doesn’t mean Academy members can’t exercise the write-in option as a point of principle, should they feel particularly strongly about a snubbed film or individual. I remember hearing one Academy voter two years ago boast that she was planning to write in her Best Picture vote for “The Dark Knight,” and had persuaded some of her colleagues to do the same — suffice to say history wasn’t made (and today’s preferential balloting system for the top race doesn’t exactly mesh with the write-in concept), but good on them for the gesture.
This year, there are more than a few categories where I’d like to color outside the lines as an Academy voter. We all know Best Actor is a done deal, so why not fly the flag one last time for the year’s best, and most disappointingly snubbed, performance? By nominating only four contenders, the Academy is all but begging for write-in candidates for Best Original Song — that invisible fifth slot is a “use your imagination” invitation if I ever saw one.
The following categories, then, are all ones where the impractical dreamer in me would be tempted to stick up for the year’s finest work. Who would your ideal write-in candidates be?
Best Picture: “White Material”
Best Director: Claire Denis, “White Material”
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling, “Blue Valentine”
Best Actress: Emma Stone, “Easy A”
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, “Fish Tank”
Best Supporting Actress: Charlotte Rampling, “Life During Wartime”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Claire Denis and Marie N’Diaye, “White Material”
Best Foreign Language Film: “White Material”
Best Art Direction: Bjarne Hansen, “The Illusionist”
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, “The Fighter”
Best Makeup: “Black Swan”
Best Original Score: Daft Punk, “TRON Legacy”
Best Original Song: “Welcome to Burlesque” from “Burlesque”
Best Sound Editing: “127 Hours”
Best Sound Mixing: “The Temptation of St. Tony”
Best Visual Effects: “TRON Legacy”
Best Animated Short: “The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger”
[Photo: The Weinstein Company]
Comments
52 responses to “Who would get your write-in votes?”
Andrew Garfield, Daft Punk.
Best Picture: “Blue Valentine”
Best Director: Lee Unkrich, “Toy Story 3”
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling, “Blue Valentine”
Best Actress: Emma Stone, “Easy A”
Best Supporting Actor: Ned Beatty, “Toy Story 3”
Best Supporting Actress: Ellen Wong, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
Best Original Screenplay: Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Simon Blackwell, “Four Lions
Best Art Direction: “Black Swan”
Best Costume Design: “Black Swan”
Best Makeup: “Black Swan”
Best Original Score: Clint Mansell, “Black Swan” (Don’t care that it’s not – technically – original)
Best Original Song: “Bangers, Beans and Mash” from “Get Him to the Greek”
Best Sound Editing: “Black Swan”
Best Sound Mixing: “Black Swan”
Best Visual Effects: “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
Never knew I had such affection for Scott Pilgrim, apart from Wong, until now… huh! Black Swan love was always obvious to me, though.
Aaron Eckhart for Rabbit Hole
David Michod for Animal Kingdom
Loretta Devine for For Colored Girls
Best Picture: Mother
Best Director: Gaspar Noé, Enter the Void
Best Actor: Jim Carrey, I Love You Phillip Morris
Best Actress: Kim Hye-ja, Mother
Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, The Social Network (still can’t quite believe this one)
Best Supporting Actress: Alice de Lencquesaing, The Father of My Children*
Best Original Screenplay: Please Give
Best Foreign Language Film: “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past lives
Best Original Score: I Am Love
Best Visual Effects: The Social Network
Best Cinematography: Enter the Void
Best Animated Short: The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger
*Best Supporting Actress was really, really hard. I could have easily written Dale Dickey, Dianne Wiest or Olivia Williams. All would be worthy nominees.
I’m 100# with Jonathan Spuij with one addition: Inception for editing.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer
Mark Whalberg, The Fighter (note: I haven’t seen Blue Valentine yet)
Kate Jarvis, Fish Tank
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Barbara Hershey, The Black Swan
Best Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Visual Effects: Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Shutter Island in Art Direction for Sure. Tron in Original Score. Gosling in Actor. Manville in Lead/Supporting. Nolan for Director.
Thank you for mentioning Black Swan for Make-up, Guy – weird snub.
Best Picture: How to Train Your Dragon.
Best Director: Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine.
Best Original Screenplay: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis – Blue Valentine.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Adam F. Goldberg, Peter Tolan, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders – How to Train Your Dragon.
Best Actor: Jim Carrey, I Love You Phillip Morris.
Best Actress: Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank.
Best Supporting Actor: Christos Stergioglou, Dogtooth.
Best Supporting Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year.
Best Original Score: The Illusionist.
Best Original Song: “Mother Knows Best”, Tangled.
Best Editing: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Best Animated Feature: Idiots and Angels.
Best Foreign Language Feature: Bal, Turkey.
Best Documentary Feature: Catfish.
Given the paucity of really great Best Art Direction nominees, I would write-in The Ghost Writer without blinking an eye. Also throw in some love for Daft Punk and one of the Scott Pilgrim songs.
So is Emma Stone your choice for Best Actress, Guy?
Best Picture: Blue Valentine
Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Inception
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Kids Are All Right
Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Supporting Actress: Marion Cotillard, Inception
Adapted Screenplay: Harry Potter
Original Screenplay: Black Swan
Art Direction: Black Swan
Cinematography: Blue Valentine
Costume Design: Harry Potter
Film Editing: Inception
Make Up: Black Swan
Original Score: The Ghost Writer
Original Song: “We Are Sex Bob-omb” from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Sound Editing: Black Swan
Sound Mixing: Black Swan
Visual Effects: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Best Picture: Shutter Island
Best Director: Christopher Nolan
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling
Best Actress: Julianne Moore
Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, TSN
Best Supporting Actress: Lesley Manville
Best Costume Design: Burlesque
Best Makeup: 127 Hours
Best Original Score: Daft Punk, TRON Legacy
Best Original Song: “Welcome to Burlesque” from Burlesque
Best Visual Effects: TRON Legacy
Robert: She is, yes. But the category’s an embarrassment of riches this year — I have no complaints there.
Forgot Ghost Writer for Art Direction. Absolutely.
Shutter Island, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island), Christopher Nolan, Daft Punk
Best Picture: Blue Valentine
Best Director: Martin Scorsese
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling (still pissed about this)
Best Actress: Julianne Moore
Best Supp Actor: Justin Timberlake
Best Supp. Actress: Lesley Manville (equally pissed about this)
Best Original Screenplay: Blue Valentine
Best Art Direction: Shutter Island
Best Cinematography: Shutter Island (still baffling how this missed)
Best Costume Design: Harry Potter
Best Make-up: Black Swan
Best Sound Editing: 127 hours
Best Sound Mixing: Black Swan
Best Score: Harry Potter
Oh and how can i forget best film editing. For me, definitely a tie between Inception and Shutter Island.
Going with choices no one has cited as yet Picture: Rabbit Hole
Director: David Michod for Animal Kingdom
Actor: Stephen Dorff for Somewhere
Actress: Patricia Clarkson for Cairo Time
Supporting Actor: Sullivan Stapleton for Animal Kingdom
Supporting Actress: Dianne Wiest for Rabbit Hole
Screenplay (Original): Michod for Animal Kingdom
Screenplay (Adapted): Lindsay Abaire for Rabbit Hole (by far the season’s most puzzling snub for me).
Editing: The Ghost Writer
Cinematography: Shutter Island (so weird)
Sound Editing: Shutter Island
Sound Mixing: Agora
Costumes: Agora
Art Direction: Agora
Makeup: The Runaways
Song: Anything in Burlesque
Score: Rabbit Hole
Visual Effects: Scott Pilgrim vs the World
You know, in a weird way, I’m not even sure if I disagree with you. She worked absolute magic on fairly mediocre writing from start to finish.
Picture–Exit Through the Gift Shop
Director–Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Actor–Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
Actress–Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Supp. Actor–Ben Mendelsohn, Animal Kingdom
Supp. Actress–Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
Orig. Screenplay–Four Lions
Adap. Screenplay–The Ghost Writer
Editing–Inception
Cinematography–Valhalla Rising
Art Direction–Black Swan
Costume–Shutter Island
Makeup–The Fighter
Original Score–Carter Burwell, True Grit
Original Song–You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me, Burlesque
Sound Mixing–Black Swan
Sound Editing–Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Visual Effects–Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Noomi Rapace, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Matt Damon, True Grit
Pete Postlethwaite, The Town
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Mila Kunis & Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
Best Director
David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Chris Nolan, Inception
Art Direction, Costumes, Makeup, Sound, Sound Editing, Score
Black Swan
Visual Effects
Black Swan….the best of this year, even more so than Inception…but just my opinion
I prefer “silent” visual effects rather than their “loud” equivalent…chock it up to an underdog story
Acting: Edgar Ramirez, Ryan Gosling, Tilda Swinton, Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey.
“Shutter Island” in at least 5 categories: Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, Film Editing, Art Direction and Cinematography.
Lesley Manville and Andrew Garfield.
Best Picture: “The Ghost Writer”
Best Director: Roman Polanski, “The Ghost Writer”
Best Actor: Mark Wahlberg, “The Fighter”
Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, “The Social Network”, Ned Beatty, “Toy Story 3”
Best Supporting Actress: Olivia Williams, “The Ghost Writer”, Rooney Mara “The Social Network”, Juliette Lewis, “Conviction”
Best Adapted Screenplay: “The Ghost Writer”
Best Art Direction: “The Ghost Writer”
Best Costume Design: “The Fighter”
Best Makeup: “True Grit”
Best Original Score: “The Ghost Writer”
Best Original Song: “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque”
Best Sound Mixing: “Black Swan”
Picture: Everyone Else
Director: Maren Ade, Everyone Else
Actor: Ben Stiller, Greenberg
Actress: Kim Hye-ja, Mother
Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, Fish Tank
Supporting Actress: Alice De Lencquesaing, The Father Of My Children
Adapted Screenplay: Sylvain Chomet, The Illusionist
Original Screenplay: Bong Joon-ho & Park Eun-kyo, Mother
Art Direction: Michel Barthelemy, A Prophet
Cinematography: Thimios Bakatakis, Dogtooth
Costume Design: Mark Bridges, The Fighter
Editing: Walter Fasano, I Am Love
Makeup: Black Swan
Original Score: Lee Byeong-woo, Mother
Sound Editing: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Sound Mixing: I Am Love
Visual Effects: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
My biggest write-ins would be – to echo Speaking English – Lesley Manville & Andrew Garfield. I’d also put Shutter Island high up there. Those are my big 3.
Picture: Blue Valentine
Actor: Ryan Gosling
Actress: Lesley Manville
Best Picture: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Director: Danny Boyle “127 Hours”
Actor: Mark Wahlberg “The Fighter”
Actress: Julianne Moore “The Kids Are All Right”
Supp. Actor: Andrew Garfield “TSN”
Supp. Actress: Mila Kunis “Black Swan”
Orig. Screenplay: “Black Swan”
Adapt. Screenplay: “The Town”
Art Direct: “The Ghost Writer”
Cinematography: “127 Hours”
Costume: “Get Low”
Makeup: “Black Swan”
Editing: “Inception”… DUH!
Score: “Never Let Me Go”
Sound Edit: “127 Hours”
Sound Mix: “TRON: Legacy”
VFX: “The Social Network”
Animated: “Tangled”
Song: We Are Sex Bob-omb- “Scott Pilgrim”
Picture: Rabbit Hole, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Never Let Me Go
Director: Roman Polanski (is it possible for a film that is not-good to be well directed?)
Actor: Jim Carrey (Philip Morris…)
Actress: Naomi Watts (Fair Game)
Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield (TSN)
Supporting Actress: Olivia Williams (Ghost Writer)
Picture: Tangled
Director: Christopher Nolan (Inception)
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception)
Actress: Emma Stone (Easy A)
Supporting Actor: Vincent Cassel (Black Swan)
Supporting Actress: Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
Original Screenplay: Black Swan
Adapted Screenplay: How to Train Your Dragon
I just saw Outside the Law. Those production values are downright top-tier. Definitely should have gotten more recognition for Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Sound Mixing… it’s very impressive work all around.
The story itself ? It’s okay. It’s engaging enough, though it feels less profound as it wants to be, like Blood Diamond.
Picture – Blue Valentine
Director – David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Actor – Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Actress – Lesley Manville, Another Year
Supporting Actor – Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Supporting Actress – Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer
Original Screenplay – Four Lions
Adapted Screenplay – The Ghost Writer
Film Editing – Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Cinematography – Enter the Void
Art Direction – Black Swan
Costume Design – Black Swan
Makeup – 127 Hours
Original Score – The Ghost Writer
Sound Mixing – 127 Hours
Sound Editing – 127 Hours
Visual Effects – Scott Pilgrim vs the World
My write-in votes…
Director: Christopher Nolan, Inception
Film Editing: Inception
Makeup: Alice in Wonderland
Sound Mixing: Shutter Island
Director: Edgar Wright, “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”
Actress: Katie Jarvis, “Fish Tank”
Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, “Fish Tank”
Supporting Actress: Mila Kunis, “Black Swan”
Original Screenplay: “Fish Tank”, Andrea Arnold
Adapted Screenplay: “How To Train Your Dragon”, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Original Score: “The Ghost Writer”, Alexandre Desplat
Film Editing: Just clear the ballot save for Black Swan and TSN, and throw in Exit Through The Gift Shop, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and Inception, with Inception for the win
Picture: Shutter Island
Director: Christopher Nolan – Inception
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – Shutter Island
Actress: Catherine Keener – Please Give
Supporting Actor: Matt Damon – Hereafter
Supporting Actress: NAOMI WATTS – MOTHER AND CHILD
Original Screenplay: How ’bout correct placement for Toy Story 3 and The Social Network?
Adapted Screenplay: No idea if I can put The Illusionist here, since it’s adapted from an original screenplay? Whatever that means…
Cinematography: Robert Richardson – Shutter Island
Art Direction: Shutter Island
Costume Design: Shutter Island
Makeup: Shutter Island
Visual Effects: TRON: Legacy
Film Editing: Lee Smith, Thelma Schoonmaker
Sound Editing: How to Train Your Dragon
Sound Mixing: Black Swan
Original Score: Sylvain Chomet – The Illusionist
Original Song We Are the Sex Bomb-Omb – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Foreign-Language Film: I Am Love – Italy
Documentary Feature: I’m Still Here
Animated Feature: The one cateogry I agree with 100%
Best Picture: Blue Valentine, Another Year, The Father of Her Children
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling
Best Actress: Lesley Manville
Best Supporting Actress: Sissy Spacek, Get Low; Gemma Jones, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Naomi Watts, Mother and Child
Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, Never Let Me Go; Miles Teller, Rabbit Hole
Best Original Screenplay, Blue Valentine; Please Give
Best Cinematography: Shutter Island
Best Editing: Inception
Best Cinematography: Never Let Me Go
Best Music Score: The Ghost Writer
Ughh, this just feels like a rehash of this year’s entire Oscar season’s debate within one thread. Me thinks me will pass. LOL
Picture – Blue Valentine , Animal Kingdom
Director – Chris Nolan
Actor – Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Actress –Noomi Rapace -GWDT
Supporting Actor – Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Supporting Actress – Ann Morgan Guilbert-Please give , Barbra Hershey – Black Swan
Original Screenplay – Black Swan
Adapted Screenplay – Scott Pilgram vs the world
Art Direction – Black Swan
Costume Design – Black Swan
Makeup – Black Swan
Original Score – Black Swan
Visual Effects – Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Animated Short – Cow who wanted to be a Hamburger
Guy,
This is too funny.
http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/nikki-finke-spoils-oscars-academy-yanks-credentials-25073
chris nolan for inception, inception for editing , ryan gosling for best actor, and andrew garfield for supporting actor
Woody Allen.
Picture: Never Let Me Go
Director: Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
Actor: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Actress: Carey Mulligan, Never Let Me Go
Supp. Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Supp. Actor: Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Original Screenplay: Black Swan
Adapted Screenplay: Never Let Me Go
Song: Me & Tennessee, Country Strong
Score: Rachel Portman, Never Let Me Go
Film Editing: Inception
Art Direction: Black Swan
Visual FX: Tron Legacy
Sound Editing and Mixing: Black Swan
A lot of your personal picks are my own wins! Great choices. White Material is my top film for 2010.
Best Picture: White Material
Best Director: Claire Denis, White Material
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, Fish Tank
Best Supporting Actress: Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
Best Adapted Screenplay: White Material
Best Original Screenplay: Blue Valentine or Everyone Else
Best Actress–Isabelle Huppert, White Material
AND
Tilda Swinton, I Am Love
Best Supporting Actress–Elle Fanning, Somewhere
Best Adapted Screenplay–The Ghost Writer
Best Score–The Ghost Writer
Best Film Editing–The Ghost Writer
Best Picture: The Ghost Writer
Best Director: Nolan
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island
Best Actress: Lesley Maneville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Bill Murray, Get Low
Best Supporting Actress: Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
Best O. Screenplay: Black Swan
Best A. Screenplay: The Ghost Writer
Bette Davis came in third in 1934, besting actual nominee Grace Moore. You can check it at the Academy Awards Database.
http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/BasicSearchInput.jsp
Picture, Screenplay, and Visual Effects – Scott Pilgrim
Director – Polanski
Costumes and Make-Up – Black Swan
Actress – Swinton
Supporting Actress – Williams
Supporting Actor – Garfield
Art Direction and Score – The Ghost Writer
Picture: Scott Pilgrim & Animal Kingdom.
Actor: Ryan Gosling
Actress: Carey Mulligan
Sup. Actor: Ben Mendelsohn & Andrew Garfield
Sup. Actress: Barbara Hershey & Mila Kunis
Director: Christopher Nolan & Edgar Wright
Org. Screenplay: Animal Kingdom
Adp. Screenplay: Scott Pilgrim
Cinematography: Shutter Island
Editing: Inception
Original Score: Tron: Legacy & Never Let Me Go
Art Direction: The Ghost Writer
Sound & Visual Effects: Scott Pilgrim
Documentary Feature: The Tillman Story
Original Song: Ramona, Scott Pilgrim
I’m happy with the rest.
Best Picture: The Ghost Writer
Director: Mike Leigh
Actor: Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine)
Actress: Lesley Manville (Another Year)
Supp. Actor: Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom)
Supp. Actress: Elle Fanning (Somewhere)