(Welcome to the Oscar Guide, your chaperone through the Academy”s 24 categories awarding excellence in film.  A new installment will hit every weekday in the run-up to the Oscars on February 24, with the Best Picture finale on Friday, February 22.)

FINALLY! The music branch smartened up about this category, changed its rules and put together five entirely respectable nominees. Two major Best Picture contenders with prominently placed songs managed to score, as did a haunting new tune for a documentary, the sultry and epic opening credits title song to a major franchise movie and the cute, somewhat tongue-in-cheek opening credits title song to a comedy about a potty-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear.

Old favorites such as Paul Williams (“Still Alive” from “Paul Williams: Still Alive”) and Dolly Parton (“From Here to the Moon and Back” from “Joyful Noise”) must be disappointed to miss the cut. Ditto for a big younger star like Keith Urban (“For You” from “Actor of Valor”). But perhaps the most obvious surprising omission is Ennio Morricone and Elisa for “Ancora Qui” from “Django Unchained”; who knows if there will be a chance to honor Morricone again? But this category has a heavy favorite, and justly so. An upset would be disconcerting to a lot of people, for a lot of reasons.

The nominees are…

“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice” (Music and Lyric by J. Ralph)
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables” (Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boubil)
“Pi”s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi” (Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri)
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall” (Music and Lyric by Adele Atkins and Paul Epworth)
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted” (Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane)

I can”t get too excited about this category and am not losing any sleep over any omissions (like, say, Bruce Springsteen for “The Wrestler”). Even so, I for one for was sad to see Morricone miss for his song, which fit perfectly into Tarantino”s demented vision and was the best sort of homage to the great Italian composer, coming from the source himself. Also, while I didn”t think “Brave” was a great movie, I can”t deny that I thought both “Learn Me Right” and “Touch the Sky” fit in perfectly. I do love Celtic music.

J. Ralph“s nomination for “Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice” resulted in the film becoming a rare documentary to be nominated in a non-documentary category. Performed by Scarlett Johansson of all people, the song fits well into the film. But while I”d say the other three nominees have about equal chances of pulling an upset on the favorite, this very surprising nominee would become a truly shocking winner. It doesn”t have any of the factors going for it that its fellow nominees do.

Nominating Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boubil for “Suddenly” from “Les Misérables” is a great tip of the hat to their amazing accomplishments. The song also fits well into the narrative as director Tom Hooper has crafted it. But I think it”s going the way of the newly contributed songs to “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls.” There”s a mammoth hit from a major star in the running that feels like a winner for so many reasons. Plus, when people look back on the film, is this really the song they”re most going to remember?

After years on the outside looking in, hard-working Canadian Mychael Danna placed for “Pi”s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi,” the song which plays over the movie”s opening credits. Interestingly, with his pair of nominations this year, he is the only contender to have more than one career nomination. (The percentage of new nominees in this category is the highest this year outside of the short categories.) Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri both wrote the lyrics and performed the song. It is well-placed and the Academy clearly liked this movie so they probably have as good a chance as the “Les Mis” group to upset. But I”m not banking on an upset.

“This is the end. Hold your breath and count to ten.” As soon as Adele“s voice hits the soundtrack in “Skyfall,” you know you”re in for a great opening credits song that will set the stage for the rest of the movie. Giving an Oscar to this big hit from the private superstar seems the perfect way to acknowledge the film. To be fair, no Bond song has ever won here, despite the franchise producing such classics as “A View to a Kill,” “Live and Let Die,” “Nobody Does it Better” and “For Your Eyes Only.” But no Bond film has ever received five nominations before, either. Nor has a 50th Anniversary Tribute made a win feel so…right. The fact that Adele won both the BFCA and Golden Globe (who didn”t love that speech?) and will be performing makes her triumphing seem very likely indeed.

Frankly, if there were an upset in this category on Oscar night, I might look to “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted.” This is not a “joke” song like, say, “Blame Canada.” But I”m of the view that it is meant to be taken in a tongue-in-cheek way given the film”s overall tone. That could result in different sets of people voting for it. Norah Jones will undoubtedly appeal to many Oscar voters, as does the chance to cite host Seth MacFarlane, to say nothing of music industry veteran Walter Murphy. But who am I kidding? We know who is winning this category.

Will Win: “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
Could Win: “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted”
Should Win: “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
Should Have Been Here: “Ancora Qui” from “Django Unchained”

Will your jaw drop if Adele doesn”t win? What will her fans do? Do you think she deserves it? Who could snatch it away?

The Evening Standard Film Awards — among the most independent-minded stops on the UK awards scene — have a rather circuitous way of revealing their nominees, first revealing a longlist too unruly to warrant a mention (this year’s featured “The Dictator” up for Best Film, for example), before announcing a three-per-category shortlist a couple of weeks before the ceremony.

In the midst of my Sundance travels, I missed the announcement of this year’s formal Evening Standard nominees, as determined by a select panel of London critics. But since the ceremony is tonight — and I’ll be in attendance — now would be a good time to post them. The nominees, which are restricted to British film and/or British artists, present a varied cross-section of the industry: the top category, for example, pits record-breaking blockbuster “Skyfall” against two dark indies, “Berberian Sound Studio” and “Sightseers,” whose combined budget would scarcely cover the cost of 007’s Tom Ford wardrobe. It’ll be interesting to see what comes out on top.

Daniel Day-Lewis stands to add yet another trophy to his bursting cabinet tonight, though he’s up against “Berberian” lead Toby Jones, who defeated him at the London Critics’ Circle Awards two weeks ago. Fans of Eddie Redmayne in “Les Mis,” meanwhile, will be glad to see the young Brit claim his first individual nomination of the season thus far. The Best Actress category, by contrast, is wholly indie-dominated.

Full list of nominees below. Look out for my report on the ceremony later — it tends to be a fun night. And you know by now to keep track of all the season’s awards thus far at The Circuit. 

Film of the Year
“Berberian Sound Studio”
“Sightseers”
“Skyfall”

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Toby Jones, “Berberian Sound Studio”
Eddie Redmayne, “Les Misérables”  

Best Actress  
Alice Lowe, “Sightseers”
Charlotte Rampling, “I, Anna”
Andrea Riseborough, “Shadow Dancer”  

Best Screenplay
Tom Bradby, “Shadow Dancer”
Malcolm Campbell, “What Richard Did”
Paul Laverty, “The Angels” Share”  

London Film Museum Award for Technical Achievement
Jacqueline Durran (costume design), Sarah Greenwood (production design) and Seamus McGarvey (cinematography), “Anna Karenina”
David Raedeker (cinematography), “My Brother the Devil”
Ben Richardson (cinematography), “Beasts of the Southern Wild”  

Peter Sellers Award for Comedy
Chris O”Dowd (actor), “The Sapphires”
Martin McDonaugh (writer-director), “Seven Psychopaths”
Ben Wheatley (director), “Sightseers”

Most Promising Newcomer
Paul Brannigan (actor), “The Angels” Share”
Sally El Hosaini (writer-director), “My Brother the Devil”
James Floyd (actor), “My Brother the Devil”  

Best Documentary
“The Imposter”
“London: The Modern Babylon”
“Marley”

“Argo” may have been ruling the awards roost in the US for a couple of weeks now, but only this week are we going to learn if the Brits are quite as enamored of Ben Affleck’s political thriller. It lost all four of its bids at the London Critics’ Circle Awards two weeks ago, but this weekend, we’ll see if BAFTA adds to its laurels — I increasingly suspect they will, though it’s no sure thing.

Still, “Argo” has received at least one British vote of confidence from the UK Regional Film Awards, representing the country’s non-London-based critics. It received their Film of the Year award, though Affleck was pipped by “Skyfall” helmer Sam Mendes to Director of the Year. In their one public-voted award, meanwhile, Robert Pattinson took British Performance of the Year for the last “Twilight” film, which must come as some consolation after being cruelly shut out all season. Winners after the jump, and at The Circuit.   

Film of the Year: “Argo”

Director of the Year: Sam Mendes, “Skyfall”

Screenplay of the Year: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Amy Jump, “Sightseers”

British Performance of the Year (voted by public): Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Pawn Part 2”

Rising Star of the Year: Ben Whishaw, “Skyfall” 

One of the reasons I get more bothered than some over the admittedly nebulous issue of so-called category fraud is that for every Christoph Waltz or Helen Hunt who gets slotted into the supporting race for a major role, it’s harder for lesser-known actors who stand out in far smaller parts to get the recognition they deserve. If Hunt is supporting in “The Sessions,” for example, then what is the superb Moon Bloodgood? So I’m glad Lisa Rosen has written this LA Times piece celebrating a number of uncelebrated faces from assorted awards contenders, including Bloodgood, Sheila Vand in “Argo” (not included in SAG’s ensemble listing, by the way) and Gina Montana in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” I’d add Jesse Plemons in “The Master” and Corinne Masiero in “Rust and Bone,” among others. What lesser-spotted supporting stars stood out to you? [LA Times]   

Oscar-nominated production designer Eve Stewart explains how the decision to use live vocals in “Les Mis” affected her job — and why she’s haunted by an error in “The King’s Speech.” [The Guardian]

In the wake of Ben Affleck’s DGA win, Nathaniel Rogers makes his peace with that he sees as an inevitable Best Picture win for “Argo,” and wonders what else it will take on the night. [The Film Experience]

Speaking of which, Clayton Davis runs with a narrative that a lot of people are latching onto, though I don’t think it’s all that likely: will “Argo” become the first Best Picture winner since “Mutiny on the Bounty” 77 years ago to win no other awards? [Awards Circuit] 

With vocal endorsements from former CIA director Leon Panetta, as well as several families of 9/11 victims, is “Zero Dark Thirty” out of the political wilderness? [The Wrap]

Though Tony Kushner’s script for “Lincoln” is widely credited as an adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” Jon Weisman considers the other sources it draws upon. [The Vote]

Tom O’Neil wonders if the principal voting hook for “Lincoln” in Best Picture should be less “a fourth Oscar for Steven Spielberg,” and more “a first Oscar for Kathleen Kennedy.” [Gold Derby]

Justin Lowe reports from the Santa Barbara fest, where Jennifer Lawrence was presented with their Performer of the Year award. [Thompson on Hollywood]

With reference to the marketing strategies for such Oscar nominees as “The Impossible” and “Flight,” Taffy Brodesser-Akner considers the tricky balancing act of what to reveal or conceal in a movie trailer. [New York Times]

On a related topic, Vadim Rizov considers the increase in character-narrated trailers — the industry’s solution to post-Don LaFontaine irony. [Press Play]

Believe it or not, there’s a bit of an Oscar angle to today’s big game. This year’s Super Bowl pits the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens, and on the offensive line of the latter, defending Joe Flacco’s blind side throughout the game, will be Michael Oher, subject of the 2009 Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side.”

The film came on strong at the end of the year that season, crossing $250 million at the domestic box office and landing a surprising Best Picture nomination in the first year that allowed 10 nominees. It also quickly became Sandra Bullock’s victory march as the actress charged on through Oscar night to the Best Actress prize for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the Memphis socialite who took Oher in when he had nowhere to turn.

The Tuohys, of course, will be attending the big game in New Orleans this year. Not only that, but Bullock, who has kept in touch with the family ever since her experience working on the film, will be there as well, rooting for the purple and black.

“She”s a great advocate of doing the right thing. She”s a big giver,” Tuohy said of Bullock in a recent Associated Press story. “She follows Michael’s career every step of the way. It”s funny. I”ll get texts during the game: ‘Why did they do this? They shouldn”t have done that.”’

For his part, Oher is fatigued with discussing his connection to the book and film. “I’m tired of the movie,” he said. “I’m here to play football.”

So how does Super Bowl week compare to Oscar night? According to Tuohy, it doesn’t. “This is way more fun, more exciting, more hyped up than Oscar week. Way more. It can”t even compare.”

Inspired by response to “The Blind Side” four years ago, the Tuohys set up the Making it Happen Foundation, which offers financial help to those committed to improving the lives of children living in poverty and unstable homes. As Tuohy puts it in the AP piece, “To me, when I look at Michael, the only down side of it is, you sit there and go, ‘If someone as immensely talented as Michael Oher, that society pretty much didn”t value, almost falls through the cracks, can you imagine who gets left behind? How many kids are out there that if given a chance can be a Michael Oher?”

If you’re interested in donating, check out the foundation’s official site here.

And by the way. Go Ravens.

Check off one more box on the “Argo” industry tour of awards season goodies. The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has crowned Ben Affleck with the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, this just a week removed from big wins from the Producers and Screen Actors Guilds. Is it really clear sailing to a Best Picture win at the Oscars from here? Or will the fact that Academy members won’t even have ballots in hand until Friday mean there’s too much time for “them” to second guess the guild circuit?

Affleck would be in rare air whichever direction the season decides to take from here. If “Argo” indeed wins at the Academy Awards, it’ll be just the fourth film in history to do so without a Best Director nomination. If it doesn’t, it will be only the second film (in a shorter history) to win the PGA, DGA and SAG ensemble prizes but fail to win Best Picture. So the question becomes, is the situation closer to “Wings”/”Grand Hotel”/”Driving Miss Daisy,” or is it closer to “Apollo 13?”

Personally, I think that’s pretzel logic. “Argo” is “Argo.” The preferential ballot is the unique element. And the industry at large has clearly spoken. Phase two hasn’t kicked in and there is time for something to change. There is time for “Lincoln” to turn things around and come off the call to worship. There is time for Fox to find the right rhythm that seemingly eluded it in phase one until “Life of Pi” ended up with 11 nominations. But personally, I think we have plenty to go on, and it’s just willful neglect to seek out other avenues. “Argo” will become its own precedent.

It’s interesting, though, that so many think that it is in this position purely due to the Best Director snub. I don’t think so. Support for the film is deep and wide, and it was before the nominations were announced on January 10. All the snub potentially did was embolden love that already existed. That kind of thing doesn’t turn a “Lincoln” lover into an “Argo” lover. So let’s not look for ways to explain it away. It’s the movie. And “they” really like it.

Elsewhere, Malik Bendjelloul won in the documentary field for his own awards season sweeper, “Searching for Sugar Man.” I feel pretty confident that it will charge on through to an Oscar win as well, but that’s a really strong field this year.

Full list of DGA winners below. Keep track of all the ups and downs of the season via The Circuit.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
Ben Affleck, “Argo”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
Malik Bendjelloul, “Searching for Sugar Man”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series
Jay Roach, “Game Change”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
Rian Johnson, “Breaking Bad”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
Lena Dunham, “Girls”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety
Glenn Weiss, “66th Annual Tony Awards”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs
Brian Smith, “Master Chef”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials
Jill Mitwell, “One Life to Live”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs
Paul Hoen, “Let it Shine”

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Best Job”

Lifetime Achievement Award
Milos Forman

Robert B. Aldrich Service Award
Michael Apted

Lifetime Achievement in News Direction Award
Eric Shapiro

Frank Capra Achievement Award
Susan Zwerman

Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award
Dency Nelson

The 17th annual Art Directors Guild awards were also held this evening. On the film side, as always, awards were given in three categories: period, fantasy and contemporary. Check out the nominees here.

On the period side of things, Sarah Greenwood triumphed for “Anna Karenina.” She and her set decorator Katie Spencer ought to still be seen as the favorite for the Oscar, though it’s interesting that David Gropman beat out some stiff competition in the fantasy field for “Life of Pi.” Could it be a surprise winner at the Oscars? The two films are nominated there alongside “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Les Misérables” and “Lincoln” at the Oscars.

Meanwhile, in the contemporary field, it was “Skyfall” that took home the win. Contemporary films so rarely get an Oscar nod but I thought this one really deserved it. Alas.

Once again, the winners of the 17th annual Art Directors Guild Awards below. Keep track of all the madness at The Circuit.

Period Film
“Anna Karenina”

Fantasy Film
“Life of Pi”

Contemporary Film
“Skyfall”

This year’s Annie Awards did a nice job of spreading out the wealth. “Brave,” “ParaNorman” and “Rise of the Guardians” all won multiple prizes. Indeed, the one film that seemed snubbed throughout was Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie.” But it was “Wreck-It Ralph” that ended up with the most prizes (five), including the award for Best Animated Feature.

Elsewhere, “The Avengers” and “Life of Pi” predictably won awards in the live action races, while both “Head Over Heels” (student film) and “Paperman” (short subject) were recognized as well. On the latter, that certainly does little to clear up their odds of picking up the Best Animated Short Oscar. But more on those when we profile the category in the Oscar Guide next week.

Check out the full list of film winners below, and as always, keep up with all the ups and downs of the 2012-2013 film awards season via The Circuit.

And stick around. There are two other awards shows going on as you read, with more winners to come. Crazy day for the season.

Best Animated Feature
“Wreck-It Ralph”

Best Animated Short Subject
“Paperman”

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
“Rise of the Guardians”

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
“The Avengers”

Character Animation in a Feature Production
“ParaNorman”

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
“Life of Pi”

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
“ParaNorman”

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Rich Moore, “Wreck-It Ralph”

Music in an Animated Feature Production
“Wreck-It Ralph”

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
“Brave”

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
“Rise of the Guardians”

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Alan Tudyk, “Wreck-It Ralph”

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
“Wreck-It Ralph”

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
“Brave”

Winsor McCay Award
Oscar Grillo, Terry Gilliam, Mark Henn

Just a note that last week’s examination of the Best Documentary Short Subject category indeed represented the beginning of this year’s Oscar Guide, our annual analysis of each category’s nominees with an eye toward guessing the outcome of the Academy Awards. As always, it’s possible that we could go back to earlier installments and update this or that prediction, which we’ll make note of, but Monday the daily stuff starts in earnest. We’ll have at least one per day, sometimes two. So check back for that then.

I suppose it’s a bit of a surprise that the George Lucas-produced “Red Tails” beat out some stiff Oscar competition in Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and Robert Zemeckis’s “Flight,” so there it is. But the wealth was spread, as Benh Zeitlin, Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington all received prizes. In fact, Washington won three awards on the night, taking Best Actress in a Drama Series (“Scandal”) and the President’s Award for public service in addition to her supporting prize for “Django.” Check out the full list of motion picture winners below, and as always, keep track of the season via The Circuit.

Best Motion Picture
“Red Tails”

Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television)
Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Best Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington, “Flight”

Best Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis, “Won’t Back Down”

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Samuel L. Jackson, “Django Unchained”

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Kerry Washington, “Django Unchained”

Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television)
“Abducted: The Carlina White Story”

Best Independent Motion Picture
(tie) “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and “Red Tails”

Best International Motion Picture
“The Intouchables”

Best Documentary (Theatrical or Television)
“On the Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of”

Welcome to Oscar Talk.

In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

It’s pretty clear now that Ben Affleck’s “Argo” is on a roll with the guilds after winning the PGA prize and the SAG ensemble award. Will that stretch into the DGA Awards this weekend?

Meanwhile, tributes at the Santa Barbara Film Festival this weekend pitted the film (via a Ben Affleck retrospective) against “Lincoln” (via a Daniel Day-Lewis retrospective).

If indeed the film continues the streak, ballots are still not in Academy members’ hands yet. That happens next week. Will “they” want to push back a bit or just fall in line?

Some categories seem to be in real flux. We discuss Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. You to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here. And as always, if you have a question you’d like us to address on a future podcast, send it to OscarTalk@HitFix.com.

“Here I Come” courtesy of Stuart Park.

The shortlisting and ensuing “bakeoff” that results in the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects is a notably imperfect process — all the more so when the Academy compressed its voting calendar by a couple of weeks. David S. Cohen looks into this year’s race, and finds that “The Hobbit” made the Academy’s 10-film shortlist despite the fact that most of the VFX committee hadn’t seen it by November 28, the day they met to draw up the list. Chairman Craig Barron describes the sight-unseen inclusion as a no-brainer, but other members were less happy: “One interest is concerned with having an awards process that is conducted as promptly as possible, and that of course has to vie with the interest that is mainly preoccupied with ensuring the process maintains its integrity,” says Jonathan Erland. “It’s self-evident that there’s a problem.” What do you think? [Variety]

“Argo” may have been banned in Iran — quelle surprise — but that hasn’t stopped bootleg DVDs from selling by the truckload. [Wall Street Journal]

David O. Russell on the scene he found hardest to write in “Silver Linings Playbook.” It’s the same scene that could win Jennifer Lawrence the Oscar. [Vulture]

Forrest Wickman thinks a lot of people need to give Anne Hathaway a break. (Still, if she was as widely disliked as his article would have you believe, she wouldn’t be an Oscar shoo-in.) [Slate]

David Koepp, writer of “Jurassic Park” and “Spider-Man,” will receive the WGA’s Career Achievement Award at the tender age of 49. As it happens, he’s never been nominated for a WGA Award. [Hollywood Reporter]

DGA president Taylor Hackford, an Oscar nominee eight years ago for “Ray,” will not be pursuing a third term at the head of the table. [Variety]

Sasha Stone traces the timeline of “Argo”‘s ascendance to frontrunner status. Some pundits had it there all along, mind you. [Awards Daily]

Why British cinema, after a strong 2011, took an artistic and commercial step back in 2012. No mention, oddly, of either the absence of a Harry Potter film, or the Conservative Party scrapping the UK Film Council. [The Guardian] 

Denzel Washington is planning to direct the long-awaited film adaptation of August Wilson’s “Fences,” for which he and Viola Davis won Tony Awards on its last revival. Could be major. [Empire]

Want to go see all the Best Picture nominees back-to-back? Of course you don’t. Still, the opportunity is there if you change your mind. [AMC]

To say that comedies find difficulty being nominated for Best Film Editing would be quite the understatement. So the nomination of Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers for David O. Russell”s “Silver Linings Playbook” is a testament to the esteem in which their colleagues hold them and their film.

The editing of “Silver Linings Playbook” is not as showy as some of the work from the duo’s fellow nominees, such as “Argo” or “Zero Dark Thirty,” but they never felt the need to be excessively flashy with their craft. “The first obligation is to tell the story,” Cassidy says. “We have to just to go with the material and tell the story as [director] David [O. Russell] has conceived it.”

But there were still challenges. In particular, Cassidy notes the difficulty in balancing the comic and serious tones of the film. Even so, they knew what they were getting into. “The bipolar shifting back and forth was in the script,” he says. “That part of the road map was very clearly articulated by David before we got involved.”

Adds Struthers, “The other thing we”re trying to do is recognize this is a personal film for David and it”s his story to tell. The editing should not be in the way of that, ever.”

The importance of this film for Russell became apparent in the editing process, during which the director was very involved, Cassidy says. “He thinks the editing is an extension of the writing. He”s worked it out on the set with the actors.”

Struthers notes that despite this, however, Russell was “very fun to work with. He also trusts us to make the film better, which is of course a great feeling.”

But perhaps the greatest contribution that Russell gave the editors was how he films. Neither Cassidy nor Struthers were in Philadelphia during filming but they nevertheless felt like they were because of a unique approach of Russell to filming – starting the camera on any given day and then never turning it off. The editors were therefore able to see what has been praised as the film”s greatest asset – its acting – being molded.

“He wants the actors to get in the moment and stay in the moment and repeat the moment,” Cassidy explains. “He”s doing it for the sense of the scene and the only way he can do that is to put the pressure on the actors. The actors are all on the set. They don”t leave the set and they work the whole time. The intensity is incredibly refreshing. Like the theatre, they can never go out of character. It”s one of David”s techniques. The fact is that he”s successful with it and actors who work with him say it”s one of the most rewarding experiences they”ve had.”

“We could hear David giving the actors directions,” Struthers says. “The performances that it produces for us in the editing room far outweigh any cost of having to go through more material.”

In helping Russell find his voice, however, they certainly encountered challenges.

“With Bradley Cooper”s character, there was a tremendous range in terms of what his behavior could be,” Cassidy says. But in order to not lose their audience, they needed to ensure that they didn’t want the character sent back to the looney bin, that they were on board for his journey in a rooting capacity. “You have to understand this imperfect person,” he says.

Struthers agrees that taking Cooper”s character too far, too soon was a real risk. “We had done that in earlier cuts,” he admits. “For the end of the first act – where he takes his medication for the first time [after his blow-up with his parents] – to have the impact that it had, we didn”t want to take him too far too early. We wanted it to have to the emotional impact that it had.”

While “Zero Dark Thirty” had multiple editors, as did the last two winners in this category (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Social Network”), most films rely on just a single editor. So how did their collaboration work?

“I was on to begin with,” Cassidy says. “When Crispin came on, he took some chunks and worked on them. There were scenes when the re-cutting got going and other times where it was more efficient for one of us to keep on a scene because he had started it. We divided it up somewhat arbitrarily and sent it back to each other, and to David.”

Struthers found the rhythm created by this could be refreshing as Russell would go back and forth between the two of them. The reward was great. “Our first preview was a very powerful experience,” he says. “Very intense and memorable.”

Cassidy was previously nominated five years ago for Sean Penn”s “Into the Wild,” though the experience of awards season success is still overwhelming. “It is such a compliment to be included with the group of films that have been nominated,” he says. “And to me, I have friends that have been nominated. You know your work has been recognized by your peers in a way that is enormously gratifying and humbling.”

Struthers, on the other hand, is a first-time nominee – indeed, the only one in the category. (The trend of having few first-time nominees was seen across many many branches this year.) “It”s very exciting, quite unexpected,” he says. “Look at the people we”re up against. It”s amazing to be considered [among] this terrific competition. I wasn”t ever expecting it.”

Looking back at the overall ride of “Silver Linings Playbook,” Cassidy cites Jennifer Lawrence”s speech in accepting the SAG Award as capturing how he felt about the film. “She said it so well – David made a film for his son,” he says. “The very first conversation I had with him on the telephone was about his son. That was always the thing driving him. With a little distance, you can see that from an artistic endeavor, that was the thing that was driving him. He”s somehow given something to his son. He can find a place in the world in spite of all the issues he”s had. When something is coming from a very personal point of view for a filmmaker, there”s a certain respect for what”s driving the guy who wrote this.”

With their roles in the cutting room, Cassidy and Struthers are proud to have helped their director achieve his vision. We”ll now have to wait and see how they do at the ACE Eddie awards (where their odds seem very strong), and then the Oscars.

In what could be a rather smart campaign move in a tight race for Best Animated Short, Disney have decided to make their charming black-and-white romance “Paperman” — previously shown in theaters ahead of “Wreck-It Ralph” — available for all to view online for three weeks, starting today. Film critic Tim Robey, however, doesn’t believe the film even needs such an advantage, claiming “the race looks pretty much over” — on merit alone. “Paperman is the best thing Disney have done in years,” he writes. “There are only seven minutes of it, but they”re perfect … It may, in its modest way, point towards a new frontier in animation, where computer-generated visuals are brought face to face with old-style hand-drawing, because it uses both at once.” I’m not entirely sure I agree, and I suspect underdog power will prevail in the Oscar race, but it’s a popular point of view. [The Telegraph]  

On the contrast — in terms of both approach and effectiveness — between the campaigns of “Argo” and “Lincoln.” [LA Times]

Tom Shone on why the mixed signals of the season thus far portend an Oscar night of split fortunes. [The Guardian]

Variety profiles the five cinematographers in the running for the Oscar this year. A fun fact I hadn’t realized: Robert Richardson has lost as many times with the ASC as Roger Deakins has with the Academy. [Variety]

After initially appearing to condemn the film, Martin Sheen has come out in support of “Zero Dark Thirty.” [The Carpetbagger]

Jon Weisman, meanwhile, wonders if the torture debate has shifted enough for the film to rebound in the Best Picture race. [Variety]

Tom O’Neil explains why some Oscar pundits likening “Argo” to “Apollo 13” aren’t recalling the 1995 race correcly. [Gold Derby]

Steve Pond talks to animator David Silverman about nominated short “The Longest Daycare” and the Simpson family’s long-awaited trip to the Oscars. [The Wrap]

“Fruitvale” for Best Picture 2013? Kyle Buchanan and Jada Yuan offer eight big takeaways from Sundance this year. [Vulture]

Finally, moving away from the Oscar race: marriage is one of our most fundamental social institutions, so why does Hollywood find it so hard to grapple with? [Salon]

An accidental blessing it may be — and one that has only come into effect since the Academy moved its calendar forward a few years ago — but situating the Sundance Film Festival in the middle of Oscar season is a blessing nonetheless. A week of conversation about freshly unveiled, critically malleable films is a necessary tonic at a stage when the same small selection of Academy-approved contenders has been discussed, debated and designated for anything from two months to an entire year.

Observing a film like Grand Jury Prize winner “Fruitvale” still finding its feet with audiences and critics alike at the same time as “Beasts of the Southern Wild” manfully chugs its way to Oscar night is a reminder of how far the latter has come, sure, but also of how the conversation around this distinctly conversation-worthy film has settled, long before awards season has finished with it. Chatter may still be brewing around provocative, comparatively recent releases like “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Django Unchained,” but for most of this year’s nine Best Picture nominees, it feels like critics are just about ready to leave them to posterity. “Argo” may be the current favorite, but the Oscar discussion has long since left the film itself to dwell on its statistical anomalies.

In at least one case, however, I’m not sure the conversation ever quite got off on the right foot. “Silver Linings Playbook” has been playing the long game with audiences — opening on limited release way back around Thanksgiving, it has only recently escalated to the point where Tuesday’s grosses placed it at #2 on the US box office chart, its total having steeply risen to $70 million since the Oscar nominations. Over four months on from its buzz-igniting Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, David O. Russell’s spiky sorta-romantic comedy has found its audience — and that obviously includes much of the Academy, who rewarded it with a better-than-expected haul of eight nominations. 

Yet in my conversations with colleagues and non-film folk alike, “Silver Linings Playbook” is the Best Picture nominee for which I’m struggling to gauge much affection. My evidence is anecdotal rather than scientific, but where I’ve encountered gushing devotees of everything from “Amour” to “Argo,” even to the aggressively polarizing “Les Mis,” I’m still in the process of identifying the “Silver Linings” faithful. In the Oscar blogosphere, meanwhile, many responses to the film veer from the indifferent to the resentful, among bloggers as well their readers.

“Lightweight” is a frequent complaint, though so is “overbearing.” The unapologetically screwy sexual politics of Jennifer Lawrence’s Tiffany have been called into question in some quarters; in others, the film’s whimsical portrait of surmounting mental illness. The presence of both Russell and Harvey Weinstein hasn’t endeared many to its cause: Russell may be one of the most vital American filmmakers of his generation, but his past personal reputation is a sticking point for the stubborn, while Weinstein’s record of Oscar success ensures he’ll always be regarded somewhat warily in the race. Even within the Weinstein pool, “Silver Linings” is taking some flak for being the softest of his company’s options, prioritized over spinier contenders like “Django Unchained” and “The Master.” 

The one purported comedy in the Best Picture lineup — though it’s roughly as dramatic as “Django” is comedic — “Silver Linings Playbook” is therefore getting much the same Oscar-season treatment as last year’s “The Artist,” the hip critical line on which went swiftly from odd-duck Cannes darling to middle-of-the-road bluehair bait before the season was out. Unlike “The Artist,” “Silver Linings Playbook” doesn’t look like much of a threat for the top prize, yet you can still hear the makings of a backlash for de facto Best Actress frontrunner Lawrence, a sparky movie star giving a sparky movie-star performance amid graver thesping from more senior actresses. (At least she looks like a veteran beside Quvenzhane Wallis.)

Yet after a second viewing that passed the test of in-flight diminishment, I couldn’t be more pleased that “Silver Linings Playbook” is in the race, or that the individuals involved have received due recognition. Watching it again, particularly its jagged, garrulous, positively hostile first act, I was surprised anew that anyone could think of it as the marshmallow option in this Best Picture lineup: David O. Russell has long specialized in comedies of conflict, and there’s an ugly-but-genuine sense of hurt to the film’s unruly early rhythms, which only settle into the more comfortable (and comforting) structures of classic romantic comedy as the characters find their own feet; this is a film that fights hard for its conventions.

Like Russell’s “The Fighter,” an even better film that many also dismissed as a formulaic Oscar makeweight, “Silver Linings” uses a Hollywood template to galvanize a less structured examination of disorderly families and communities. The film’s resulting screwball chaos may strike others as more contrived than that, but either way, it’s no easy Academy sell — Russell may have climbed down to slightly more reachable heights than the gonzo perch of “I Heart Huckabees,” but his latest nonetheless strikes me as one of the weirdest, woolliest films in the Oscar race. I’d personally rank it third on my preferential ballot, behind “Amour” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” but it may be a rarer bird than either of those two more immaculate works. 

I’m thrilled that Russell’s off-kilter sensibility has been so warmly embraced by the Academy over two consecutive films, and not especially bothered that he’s made some smart concessions to the mainstream to get there. I’m glad that Jennifer Lawrence, whether she wins or not, is getting as much credit as she is for a quick-witted star turn that dares not to betray the effort behind it, half-nodding to Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard and any number of actresses who deserved more prizes than they got for this sort of thing.

I’m pleased that Bradley Cooper, my second-favorite of the Best Actor nominees, has been allowed to nail a role that taps into his Will Tippin adorkability rather than his ill-fitting “Hangover” smarm — and that the Academy, all too often shy of matinee idols, noticed the difference. I’m even happy for Jacki Weaver, whose supremely unlikely Best Supporting Actress nod not only sounds a victory for character actors and genuine supporting roles in a category often forgetful of them, but consolidates one of the most remarkable career rebirths in recent memory.

I find so much to be pleased for in the current awards journey of “Silver Linings Playbook” that I’m sometimes taken aback by the frosty reactions it prompts among many of my fellow awards-watchers — not that the film, for all its positioning as the feelgood contender in a conscientious field, quite radiates or reflects warmth in the manner you’d expect of an Academy crowdpleaser. For all the complaints directed at the Academy on the occasions they don’t nominate one, comedies routinely get a hard time in the Oscar race, perhaps because it takes some distance before we can identify which ones to take seriously. Too sweet for universal respect, too acrid for universal relief, “Silver Linings Playbook” is perhaps the Oscar player that would benefit least from an unreserved embrace.

(The Oscar Guide will be your chaperone through the Academy’s 24 categories awarding excellence in film. New installments will hit every weekday in the run-up to the Oscars on February 26, with the Best Picture finale on Friday, February 22.)

This year’s Oscar nominees in the Best Documentary, Short Subject category are, as ever, a varied an eye-opening bunch. But emotion reigns throughout, always a key to capturing voters’ hearts and securing support.

The doc shorts were not, however, part of the three categories newly opened to the entire membership. It will go at least one more year of providing select screenings of the contenders and therefore all voters will have to prove that they attended the screening in order to vote. Recent winners in the category have included “Saving Face,” “Strangers No More,” “Music by Prudence” and “Smile Pinki,” and there’s really no connective tissue there. Sometimes you have to just go with your gut on what might win the day.

The nominees are…

“Inocente” (Sean Fine and Andrea Nix)
“Kings Point” (Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider)
“Mondays at Racine” (Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan)
“Open Heart” (Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern)
“Redemption” (Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill)

The line-up this year was mostly stellar, I thought. Lots of emotion, plenty of well-told stories and great subjects captured throughout.

We’ll start off with what would appear to be the frontrunner based on nothing more than, well, it’s slick, affecting and follows a magnetic subject. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix “Inocente” is a profile of 15-year-old Inocente, a homeless, undocumented immigrant from a violent, broken home determined to express herself through vibrant, colorful art. The film has a high formal value, is well-shot and edited and is, again, just very slick overall. That could go a long way, along with the emotion it taps, toward bringing it the prize. Fine and Nix were nominated in the documentary feature category six years ago for “War/Dance.”

There are two other films, however, that feature less impressive production value but find equally emotional highs, and the first of those is “Kings Point.” But Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider’s film finds a unique level of feeling in its depiction of a Florida retirement community. There’s something profound there; its various subjects talk of fearing connection this late in life, where a new love could pass away any day, and the kind of relationship that reality can manifest. It’s a bit of a downer but I found it moving in its own way, and unique for it.

Then there’s “Mondays at Racine,” Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan’s tale of a Long Island beauty salon open every third Monday of the month to women undergoing chemotherapy. Peripheral to that, and really, the heart of the movie, is its various profiles of the women undergoing that treatment, how their cancer has affected relationships and ultimately, deeper considerations of their lives when faced with the possibility of losing their fight. I would say watch out for this one because it earns those emotions by sneaking up on you. Wade won the Oscar in this category five years ago for “Freeheld.”

Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern’s “Open Heart” is a noble effort about eight Rwandan children journeying to the Sudan and the only free-of-charge hospital in Africa for open heart treatment. It certainly has its share of emotional moments, it didn’t ring the same note as the other films did for me. It’s sometimes a bit more clinical overall in its approach, measured, though plenty illuminating. It could nevertheless be something to watch for in this race, as it does share plenty of similar traits with some recent winners. It’s all subjective, but the others resonated more for me.

Finally, the first of the nominees I saw before it was even a nominee: Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill’s “Redemption.” A glimpse of canners in New York (individuals who collect recyclables from waste baskets throughout the city), the film has something obvious to say about the state of the economy and jobs in America, but it also produces a real sense of community by having subjects casually interview one another. That was an interesting touch. Alpert and O’Neill were nominated three years ago for “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province.”

So in closing, here’s what I’m thinking…

Will win: “Mondays at Racine”
Could win: “Open Heart”
Should win: “Inocente”
Should have been here: (abstain)

As strongly as “Lincoln” has been performing throughout the season, Steven Spielberg has yet to receive much in the way of individual recognition for the film. That could change on Oscar night, of course. Until then, however, the American Cinema Editors have taken it upon themselves to reward the director, naming him the recipient of their annual Golden Eddie Award for Filmmaker of the Year.

The honorary award, which will be presented at the ACE’s Eddie Award ceremony on February 16, used to be something of a career achievement prize for less active filmmakers, with recent recipients including Norman Jewison and Richard Donner. For the last two years, however, it has gone to a name already in the thick of the awards race: Christopher Nolan was their choice in the year of “Inception,” while “The Descendants” writer-director Alexander Payne was last year’s honoree.

In both cases, their film was also nominated for the ACE’s Best Film Editing (Drama) award, though it’s not necessarily an omen of further success with the group. “Inception” lost the Eddie to “The Social Network,” which went on to win the Oscar. “The Descendants,” however, rather surprisingly won the Eddie over more slickly edited fare — beating “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” which would eventually pull off a significant upset on Oscar night.

Might the editors be as down with Spielberg and “Lincoln” this year as they were with Payne and “The Descendants” last year? “Lincoln,” obviously, is nominated for their dramatic editing award, and it’ll be one of the more critical precursors to watch. If “Argo” takes it, as I suspect it will, it’ll be comfortably on course for a win on Oscar night, potentially presaging a Best Picture victory. However, If the Eddie goes to “Lincoln” editor Michael Kahn — a favorite of the ACE, with four past wins and a Career Achievement Award to his name — things could get interesting. An Oscar win, meanwhile, would be his fourth, making him the most-awarded editor in Academy history.

Anyway, back to Spielberg, who makes complete sense for this award, given that 11 of his films (nine of them cut by Kahn) have been nominated by the ACE, with “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan” all taking the gold. A spokesperson for the ACE’s Board of Directors states:

“Steven Spielberg is a cinematic treasure. For over four decades he has been moving audiences around the world with his unique, powerful brand of storytelling. As one of the most successful directors in history, he has brought us beloved films, which have not only delighted us but have been indelibly woven into our cultural fabric. Throughout it all, he has worked side by side with the great Michael Kahn, A.C.E., forming a director-editor partnership that has lasted decades. It is our pleasure to recognize him with the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honor, especially in a year where he has, once again, created a masterpiece with his latest film, Lincoln.”

Saying “throughout it all” does a disservice to the women — Verna Fields and Carol Littleton, respectively — who so artfully edited “Jaws” and “E.T.,” but it’s true that Spielberg and Kahn are as essentially intertwined a director-editor duo as Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker. It’ll be interesting to see if the editors call them both to the podium on Eddie night.

Harvey Weinstein has had enough success in the Oscar campaigning game — including twin Best Picture bids this year for “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Django Unchained” — that it can’t pain him too much to admit to the odd miscalculation. Still, it’s interesting to see him do so in an interview with Deadline’s Mike Fleming. Weinstein blames Quentin Tarantino’s absence from the Best Director category (hardly an easy race to crack this year, as Ben Affleck can tell you) on his own tardiness in sending out DVD screeners. He also claims he mismarketed Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master”: “I think the audience had trouble with the movie and needed to be guided and eased into it … My attachment to ‘The Master’ was not the Scientology or religion; it was that in WWII, people like my dad and other combat veterans came back and were just lost after the war. Maybe if I”d explained the movie in those terms, that it was more of a spiritual quest for a veteran who had seen action and got lost, people might have responded differently.” [Deadline]

Barbra Streisand will sing at the Oscars for the first time in 36 years. (Now that she’s available, I hope the music branch thoroughly regrets not nominating “100 Black Coffins.”) [Variety]

“The Sapphires” has swept the AACTAs — Australia’s answer to the Oscars — by winning all 11 awards for which it was nominated. Sweet film, but that’s excessive. Can the Weinsteins get any Oscar traction for it in 2013? [The Australian]

Richard Lawson on why “Zero Dark Thirty” isn’t doing quite as well as it should be in this year’s Oscar race. [Atlantic Wire]

Stanley Fish defends “Les Misérables” and its “refusal to afford the distance that enables irony.” [New York Times] 

Rogriguez, the hero of Oscar-nominated doc “Searching for Sugar Man,” is returning to the recording studio for the first time in 42 years. [The Guardian]

I haven’t linked yet to Press Play’s nice series of video essays on this year’s top oscar races. This one on Best Actor is the most recent. [Press Play]

Ed Gonzalez ranks all but one of the 52 titles nominated at the Academy Awards this year. (Look away, “Les Mis” fans.) [The House Next Door]

John Horn wonders if “Argo” will deliver a “shocker” at the DGA Awards this weekend. At this point, wouldn’t it be more of a surprise if Ben Affleck lost? [LA Times]

An excellent piece by Scott Tobias on why, in the complicated hierarchy of movie grading, there’s more dignity to an F than a D-. [AV Club]