Spike Jonze’s “Her” has been on limited release for the better part of a month now, but it finally goes wide today — so those of you still left out of the loop can now find out why a film in which Joaquin Phoenix falls for a computer has attracted such critical superlatives across the board, as well as Best Picture prizes from the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Association and National Board of Review.

I’m firmly in the fan club, having named it one of my top 15 films of 2013: I was touched by its high-concept romance, which I think touches on a number of hard truths about the way we communicate (or, more often don’t) in the online age, was tickled by the gorgeous retro-futurism of its visuals, and think Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of the performances of the year. (Props to Scarlett Johansson’s deft voice work, too, though I think Amy Adams is the unsung heroine of the piece.) Kris, however, is less convinced. Where do you land? Share your thoughts in the comments, and vote in the poll below.

After what has been universally acknowledged as a banner year for black filmmakers and black-themed cinema, the NAACP Image Awards — usually an awards haven for popular film in the Tyler Perry vein — have an unusual amount of prestige titles to recognize this year. Oscar frontrunner “12 Years a Slave,” of course, figures heavily into the equation with six nominations, but its Lee Daniels’ summer sleeper hit “The Butler” that leads the way with eight.

Those two will presumably duke it out for Best Film, where “Fruitvale Station” and “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” are also nominated — making Malcolm D. Lee’s amiable romcom sequel “The Best Man Holiday” stick out like an agreeably sore thumb. The Best Actor category is even more stacked, with “42” star Chadwick Boseman joining the buzzier Ejiofor-Whitaker-Elba-Jordan quartet.

The Best Actress field, however, suggests 2013 wasn’t quite so generous with its black female leads. (Halle Berry, I thought, was on rather good form in “The Call,” but I sense her awards campaign stops here.) Still, If nothing else, this is likely to be the only awards ceremony this year where two actresses’ interpretations of Winnie Mandela — one excellent, one by Jennifer Hudson — are up for gold.

Elsewhere, it’s nice to see “Blue Caprice” up for the Best Independent Film honor, though a shame that “Mother of George” was left off the list entirely.

Some winners will be announced at a non-televised ceremony on February 21, with the remainder at a televised ceremony the next day. Full list of film nominees below. Keep up with the season thus far at The Circuit.

Best Film
“The Best Man Holiday”
“Fruitvale Station”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Director
Malcolm D. Lee, “The Best Man Holiday”
Jono Oliver, “Home”
Lee Daniels, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Justin Chadwick, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”

Best Actor
Chadwick Boseman, “42”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Idris Elba, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”
Forest Whitaker, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

Best Actress
Angela Bassett, “Black Nativity”
Nicole Beharie, “42”
Halle Berry, “The Call”
Jennifer Hudson, “Winnie Mandela”
Kerry Washington, “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples”

Best Supporting Actor
Morris Chestnut, “The Best Man Holiday”
Cuba Gooding Jr., “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Terrence Howard, “The Best Man Holiday”
Terrence Howard, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
David Oyelowo, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

Best Supporting Actress
Naomie Harris, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Octavia Spencer, “Fruitvale Station”
Oprah Winfrey, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Alfre Woodard, “12 Years a Slave”

Best Screenplay
“42”
“Fruitvale Station”
“Gravity”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
“12 Yeares a Slave”

Best Independent Film
“Blue Caprice”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Fruitvale Station”
“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete”
“The Trials of Muhammad Ali”

Best International Film
“Call Me Kuchu”
“High Tech, Low Life”
“La Playa D.C.”
“Lion Ark”
“War Witch”

Best Theatrical Documentary
“Call Me Kuchu”
“Free Angela and All Political Prisoners”
“Girl Rising”
“The New Black”
“20 Feet from Stardom”

The American Cinema Editors (ACE) organization has announced nominees for the 64th annual ACE Eddie Awards, and “American Hustle” has predictably kept its strong guild showing going with a notice in the comedy or musical category.

Interesting that the film was submitted there with ACE while it was submitted as a drama (later reversed) to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the Golden Globes. ACE doesn’t push back when it comes to category classification so I suppose Sony could have gone with drama if they wanted, but in any case, the film joins the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) in the comedy field along with “August: Osage County,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Nebraska.”

On the dramatic side of things, the only thing slightly surprising is that veterans Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill didn’t manage a spot for the top-tier work on Ron Howard’s “Rush.” But the nominees fell down somewhat expectedly otherwise, though “Her” shows up drama here whereas it’s comedy at the Globes.

The Coen brothers and Steven Soderbergh were nominated for “Llewyn” and “Behind the Candelabra” via their Roderick Jaynes and Mary Ann Bernard (respectively) pseudonyms. At the end of the day I think we can expect “Captain Phillips” and “American Hustle” to win out in their categories, probably “Frozen” in animated and “20 Feet from Stardom” in doc.

Oh, and just look at that TV side of things. FOUR “Breaking Bad” episodes nominated alongside a single “Good Wife” entry. That’s going out on a high note.

Check out the full list of nominees below and remember to follow the race at The Circuit.

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
“Captain Phillips” (Christopher Rouse)
“Gravity” (Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger)
“Her” (Eric Zumbrunnen & Jeff Buchanan)
“Saving Mr. Banks” (Mark Livolski)
“12 Years a Slave” (Joe Walker)

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
“American Hustle” (Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers & Alan Baumgarten)
“August: Osage County” (Stephen Mirrione)
“Inside Llewyn Davis” (Roderick Jaynes)
“Nebraska” (Kevin Tent)
“The Wolf of Wall Street” (Thelma Schoonmaker)

Best Edited Animated Feature Film
“Despicable Me 2” (Gregory Perler)
“Frozen” (Jeff Draheim)
“Monsters University” (Greg Snyder)

Best Edited Documentary (Feature)
“Blackfish” (Eli Despres)
“Tim’s Vermeer” (Patrick Sheffield)
“20 Feet from Stardom” (Douglas Blush, Kevin Klauber & Jason Zeldes)

Best Edited Documentary (Television)
“American Masters: Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin'” (Stephen Ellis, Gordon Mason & Phil McDonald)
“American Winter” (Aaron I. Butler)
“The Assassination of President Kennedy” (Chris A. Peterson)

Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television
“30 Rock” – “Hogcock!/Last Lunch” (Meg Reticker, Ken Eluto)
“Arrested Development” – “Flight of the Phoenix” (Kabir Akhtar & A.J. Dickerson)
“The Office” – “Finale” (David Rogers & Claire Scanlon)

Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television
“Breaking Bad” – “Buried” (Skip MacDonald & Sharidan Williams-Sotelo)
“Breaking Bad” – “Felina” (Skip MacDonald)
“Breaking Bad” – “Granite State” (Kelley Dixon & Chris McCaleb)
“Breaking Bad” – “Ozymandias” (Skip MacDonald)
“The Good Wife” – “Hitting the Fan” (Scott Vickrey)

Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television
“Game of Thrones” – “The Rains of Castamere” (Oral Norrie Ottey)
“Homeland” – “Big Man in Tehran” (Terry Kelley)
“House of Cards” – “Chapter 1” (Kirk Baxter)

Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television
“American Horror Story: Asylum” – “The Name Game” (Stewart Schill)
“Behind the Candelabra” (Mary Ann Bernard)
“Phil Spector” (Barbara Tulliver)

Best Edited Non-Scripted Series
“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown – Tokyo” (Nick Brigden)
“Beyond Scared Straight” – “The Return of Hustleman” (Rob Goubeaux, Mark S. Andrew, Paul J. Coyne, Jennifer Nelson, Martin Skibosh, Trevor Campbell)
“Deadliest Catch” – “Mutiny on the Bering Sea” (Josh Earl, Alex Durham, Rob Butler)

For a while now, awards-watchers have noted the transformation of BAFTA from a quirky British outsider to a fairly slavish Oscar follower in the awards race — and it turns out some voters have too. One, in particular, has anonymously admonished the organization (himself included) for dishonest voting: “The voting process is based less on artistic merit than on a combination of coercion, trend-following and pot luck … Bafta voting guidelines state explicitly that you must only vote for films you have seen. Which makes perfect sense. But I’ve done it. And I bet everyone else has, too. You vote for the ones you think are going to win. We’re sheep. And we follow the sheep in front of us … It’s why the same old names appear year after year.” Not exactly a revelation, this, nor is it is exclusive to BAFTA. [The Guardian]

Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes on a recent shift in Oscar convention: the most-nominated film no longer takes Best Picture as a matter of course. [New York Times]

Steve McQueen is developing a BBC TV drama focusing on the experience of British black families. [Screen Daily]

Matthew Eng on “American Hustle’s” Jennifer Lawrence problem. I don’t quite agree, but a great read. [The Film Experience]

Tim Gray wonders if “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” will perform even less well in next week’s nominations than its predecessor, which netted three nods last year. [Variety]

Meanwhile, the film’s production designer, Dan Hennah, discusses his process. [Below the Line]

The Hollywood Film Awards will be televised in future. Steve Pond, like everyone else, is skeptical. [The Wrap]

Jen Chaney on why this, once again, will not be Leonardo DiCaprio’s year at the Oscars. [The Dissolve]

Christopher Nolan will be honored will the Founder’s Award at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival. [Hollywood Reporter]

Bilge Ebiri on how “Frozen” went from a hit to a phenomenon. [Vulture]

Sunday night brings the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards. Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will have their (and their various whisperers’) say on the awards season in the form of wins in a variety of categories, on both the film and television side. Who will turn out the night’s big winner? Will “Gravity,” “12 Years a Slave” or “American Hustle” take command of the Oscar race? Will “Breaking Bad” get one more big send-off? Find out the answers to those questions and more as Gregory Ellwood, Guy Lodge, Daniel Fienberg and I place our bets on the various races, and tune in Sunday night to see who was right, and who was wrong.

Here we go again. A week from today, the nominees for the 86th annual Academy Awards will be announced. Here at Tech Support, we’ve analyzed each of the 10 crafts categories, and interviewed several of the contenders. It’s now a waiting game with final calls to be made. Today, we take a final look at the fields of cinematography, music, makeup and hairstyling and visual effects.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Tech Support Analysis)

Perhaps the most high profile of the crafts categories has already had three precursors give their nominations, in the ASC, BAFTA and the BFCA. Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity”), tremendously respected by his peers and also nominated for each of these three awards, is a mortal lock for a nomination and will be difficult to beat for the statuette.

After that, Sean Bobbitt (“12 Years a Slave”), Bruno Delbonnel (“Inside Llewyn Davis”) and Phedon Papamichael (“Nebraska”) have also been nominated for each award, each with a Best Picture contender and each offering gorgeous work. “Inside Llewyn Davis” has been disappointing with the guilds but this branch truly respects Delbonnel, to say nothing of the Coens. “Nebraska,” meanwhile, may not be that showy, but Papamichael is overdue for a first nod, and I’d be very surprised if a black-and-white Best Picture contender failed to make the cut. Finally, Bobbitt is not as known as his fellow contenders, but he’s behind an epic Best Picture frontrunner. All told, I’m confident predicting these four.

The last slot becomes tricky, and the fact that the ASC nominated seven titles doesn’t help matters.
Barry Ackroyd’s lensing of “Captain Phillips” was top-notch and BAFTA- and ASC-nominated. But I cannot help but wonder if it’s a tad subtle in this group of contenders. Philippe Le Sourd’s collaboration with Wong Kar-wai on “The Grandmaster” is the opposite of subtle, however, a full-on visual feast. That it got nominated for the guild award is highly impressive, especially as AMPAS tends to be more favorable to foreign films than the guild. So why doesn’t it feel right?

Instead, I’ll go with the old standby: Roger Deakins for “Prisoners.” Though the film isn’t likely to score anywhere else, Deakins is Deakins, cited by the BFCA and his peers in the guild. The lighting and use of rain was pivotal in capturing the mood in this film. There usually is a non-guild nominee to make the cut but there usually aren’t seven guild nominees. Plus, the alternatives seem to be struggling. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s time will come but “Her”‘s cleverness seems outside this branch’s comfort zone. Anthony Dod Mantle’s work on “Rush” is gorgeous and certainly has its fans but lack of precursor attention is troubling.

Final Predictions
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Nebraska”
“Prisoners”
“12 Years a Slave”
(alt.: “Captain Phillips”)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING (Tech Support Analysis)

As per usual, this branch went out on its own limb at the bake-off stage, leaving off seemingly likely nominees such as “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Rush,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” in favor of left-field titles such as “The Lone Ranger,” “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” and “Bad Grandpa.” Shortlisting “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” where its predecessor came up short was odd, leaving only “American Hustle” and, to a much lesser extent, “The Great Gatsby” and “Dallas Buyers Club” as typical contenders. To be abundantly clear, I’m not complaining – I love this branch’s originality and we foresaw “The Lone Ranger” and “Bad Grandpa” as being contenders.

The branch’s originality does not end at the bakeoff stage. I could easily see any of the seven ending up in the final three. I will nonetheless predict the seemingly likeliest nominee – “American Hustle” (the only contender cited by the BFCA and BAFTA). The ’70s glam makeup was top-notch but even more important was the hairstyling. While hairstyling frequently takes a backseat in this category, this seems like it could prove an exception. I expect first nominations for this crew.

In second, in my view, would be “Bad Grandpa.” Though odd to think of this film as an Oscar nominee, the makeup done on Johnny Knoxville (and, to a lesser extent, Catherine Keener), was absolutely integral and detailed to the nth degree. I suspect the branch will appreciate that. And if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know that the pre-credits scene has some of the most memorable prosthetics in film history. The team would also be first-time nominees.

As for the last spot? All of the remaining contenders have their pros and cons, but I’m settling on “The Lone Ranger.” The film features period, action and battle wounds in a way that other contenders really don’t. And the work on Johnny Depp’s Tonto, particularly in aging, was top-notch. This is the sort of singular transformation that I suspect the branch will appreciate as they watch the pitches from each film. So I’ll put my money on Joel Harlow (who won this award for “Star Trek”) and Gloria Pasqua Casny to end up back in the race.

Final Predictions
“American Hustle”
“Bad Grandpa”
“The Lone Ranger”
(alt: “Dallas Buyers Club”)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (Tech Support Analysis)

As I see it, this category has four contenders in very strong shape, even if all have potential downsides. “12 Years a Slave” has been cited by all the precursors, it’s headed for a sweep and it’s written by Hans Zimmer. While Zimmer’s “Rush” could theoretically divide his votes, I think he’s likelier to be a double nominee than to miss for Steve McQueen’s film.

Steven Price’s “Gravity” score has similarly been cited by all the precursors and is tremendously important to a film headed towards a sweep of nominations. While this branch is notoriously reluctant to give composers a first nomination, there is usually one such composer a year and Price is looking in good shape.

John Williams has received 48 career nominations. It is usually foolish to bet against him. “The Book Thief” may not be his most memorable score and it’s certainly not the year’s most memorable film but he sought out this title and has already earned Globe and BAFTA nominations for it. I’d be surprised if the Academy didn’t follow suit.

Thomas Newman has a history of earning Oscar nods after Globe snubs. On “Saving Mr. Banks,” he made a score that was appropriately lively and complementary to classic Disney pieces. He’s been cited by the BFCA and BAFTA.

As for the last spot, I really have no idea. Alexandre Desplat would be a good standby nominee for “Philomena,” but why didn’t he even receive a BAFTA nomination? Newman’s cousin Randy probably ought not to be ruled out for his lively “Monsters University” score but where is the love for this movie? (And, again, where are the precursors?) Then there are other first-timers, but the precursors have been all over the map. Alexander Ebert and Alex Heffes’ Globe-nominated work on “All is Lost” and “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” respectively have a shot, but they’re first-timers, as are Arcade Fire, whose “Her” score was fantastic (and BFCA-nominated) but…

I’ll go with Ebert because it feels right as of this moment for some reason.

Final Predictions
“All is Lost”
“The Book Thief”
“Gravity”
“Saving Mr. Banks”
“12 Years a Slave”
(alt.: “Captain Phillips”)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG (Tech Support Analysis)

“Let it Go” from “Frozen” will likely win this category. But in any event, I’m very confident Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are at least headed to a nomination here. Disney is putting all their eggs in one basket in an effort to get a win and I’m sure they won’t be disappointed. (Though I suspect this decision cost some combination of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” “For the First Time in Forever” or “In Summer” nominations.)

Beyond that, it’s an open race, though I suspect Lana Del Rey’s haunting “Young and Beautiful” from “The Great Gatsby” will be difficult to turn down. Karen O’s “The Moon Song” is also a sweet ditty that is film-important and a way for the music branch to recognize this feature, especially if the score is too “out there.” I’d rank them second and third, respectively. Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire” from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” meanwhile, is better than many end credits titles. In fact, I think it’s top-notch and appropriately ends the film. The branch has cited two “Lord of the Rings” films in this category. Will the song stir passion? Who knows but I’m going to predict it. Call it a hunch.

My head tells me that one of the songs from “The Butler” will also score. But which one? Both “In the Middle of the Night” and “You and I Ain’t Nothing No More” are Oscar-friendly ballads. Neither were cited by the BFCA or the Globes and I’m at a loss to figure out which one is more likely. Meanwhile, the Globes and BFCA predictably went star-crazy and cited U2 and Coldplay for their songs “Ordinary Love” and “Atlas” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” respectively.

I’m going to bet on Bono and company taking spot number five. (I don’t think Taylor Swift has a real chance for “Sweeter than Fiction” from “Once Chance” and “Please Mr. Kennedy” from “Inside Llewyn Davis” is notoriously ineligible.)

Final Predictions
“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
“Young and Beautiful” from “The Great Gatsby”
“The Moon Song” from “Her”
“I See Fire” from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
(alt: “In the Middle of the Night” from “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (Tech Support Analysis)

Which four films will lose to “Gravity”? “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has box office, a proven track record, general agreement that it’s a step above the last film and many precursor citations. It’s in. “Pacific Rim” has novelty, effects galore, a respected auteur and, once again, precursor citations. It’s in third.

“Iron Man 3” and “Star Trek Into Darkness” also have BFCA and BAFTA nominations, predecessors with proven track records and seem the “safest” predictions for spots four and five. And I’m predicting them. But I can’t help but feel that the novelty may have worn off, particularly in the case of “Star Trek Into Darkness,” whose franchise is not as embedded within this branch over the past five years.

But I’m equally doubtful of the alternatives. “World War Z” comes from a genre (zombies) with a very poor track record in this category, “Thor: The Dark World” doesn’t seem to add much to its non-nominated predecessor, “Elysium” was an overall disappointment, “The Lone Ranger” was a flop and “Oblivion” seems forgotten. The branch will need to view clips from all of them before voting, and that may be able to rectify these problems. But I’m not sure how to predict that. In these circumstances, I think it’s safest to go with the titles cited by the BFCA and BAFTA.

Final Predictions
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Iron Man 3”
“Pacific Rim”
“Star Trek Into Darkness”
(alt: “Oblivion”)

So that’s part one of our final preview. Tune in tomorrow to see final analyses for Best Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.

The other day somebody asked me what my money was on for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, and I realized I had no answer. Unlike last year, when “Searching for Sugar Man” swept all before it on its way to the Oscar podium, documentary honors have been generously dispersed this season — and that trend of spreading the wealth continued at last night’s Cinema Eye Honors in New York.

Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing” — one of the year’s clear critical favorites in the category — won the night’s top award, as well as Outstanding Achievement in Production. But not everything went its way: Sarah Polley, who has thus far picked up wins from the Los Angeles and New York critics’ groups, among others, took the Best Director award for her intimate family memoir “Stories We Tell.”

Both films, of course, are on the Academy’s documentary shortlist, as are two other films recognized by Cinema Eye last night. Those would be Zachary Heinzerling’s “Cutie and the Boxer,” the night’s only other multiple prizewinner with awards for Best Debut, Music and Graphic Design, and Lucy Walker’s “The Crash Reel” — a HBO production that, while eligible for the Oscar, was named the year’s best TV documentary.

Other notable awards include a particularly well-deserved cinematography win for avant-garde seafaring portrait “Leviathan” and the Heterodox Award — which recognized narrative features that incorporate documentary techniques — for Carlos Reygadas’ divisive Cannes winner “Post Tenebras Lux.” Meanwhile, the Audience Prize went to rocker-turned-filmmaker Dave Grohl for “Sound City.” Something for everyone, then.

Full list of winners:

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
“The Act of Killing,” directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Sarah Polley, “Stories We Tell”

Outstanding Achievement in Production
Signe Byrge Sørensen, “The Act of Killing”

Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
Zachary Heinzerling, “Cutie and the Boxer”

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, “Leviathan”

Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Nels Bangerter, “Let the Fire Burn”

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score
Yasuaki Shimizu, “Cutie and the Boxer”

Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Animation Art
Jail, “Cutie and the Boxer”

Audience Choice Prize
“Sound City,” directed by Dave Grohl

Heterodox Award
“Post Tenebras Lux,” directed by Carlos Reygadas

Outstanding Nonfiction Film for Television
“The Crash Reel,” directed by Lucy Walker, produced by Julian Cautherley and Lucy Walker

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
“A Story for the Modlins,” directed by Sergio Oksman

Spotlight Award
“The Last Station,” directed by Cristian Soto and Catalina Vergara

Legacy Award
“Harlan County, USA,” directed and produced by Barbara Kopple

Hell Yeah Prize
Josh Fox, “Gasland” and “Gasland, Part 2”

The USC Scripter Awards are one of the more interesting precursor awards on the circuit, recognizing as they do two different forms of authorship. Sometimes mistaken for a direct equivalent of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, they are in fact limited to films based on published source material, rewarding both the screenwriter responsible for the adaptation and the author of the original text. (That means Oscar contenders like “Before Midnight” and “August: Osage County” are out of the picture.)

This year’s nominees were selected by an august panel that includes authors Michael Chabon and Michael Ondaatje, Oscar-winning screenwriters Callie Khouri, Steven Zailliamn and Geoffrey Fletcher, and critics Leonard Maltin and Kenneth Turan. And they’ve served up at least one welcome surprise with their choices: Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne’s contemporary updating of Henry James’s late-Victorian novel “What Maisie Knew” — an indie that’s barely been mentioned in the season thus far.

Less surprising, of course, is the inclusion of “12 Years a Slave,” “Philomena” and “Captain Phillips,” all presumably bound for writing Oscar nominations next week. (Meanwhile, the various WGA ineligibilities mean that “Phillips” is the only USC Scripter selection that overlaps with the Guild’s list.)

“The Spectacular Now,” overlooked last week by the Guild, also gets a mention, while the most surprising omission is Terence Winter’s screenplay for “The Wolf of Wall Street,” based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir. As it is Richard Phillips, Martin Sixsmith and Solomon Northup (some 150 years after his death) are all nominated for films expressly about them.

The winner will announced at a USC ceremony on February 8. The full list of nominees:

“Captain Phillips,” Billy Ray, screenwriter, and Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, authors of “A Captain”s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea”

“Philomena,” Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, screenwriters, and Martin Sixsmith, author of “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee”

“The Spectacular Now,” Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, screenwriters, and Tim Tharp, novelist

“12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley, screenwriter, and Solomon Northup, author

“What Maisie Knew,” Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne, screenwriters, and Henry James, novelist

There are no big surprises in this morning’s list of Art Directors Guild nominees — though I guess leaving “Oz the Great and Powerful” out of the Fantasy category is an unexpected display of good taste. All the expected Oscar contenders for Best Production Design showed up in one of the Guild’s three categories, notably the Period field, where Judy Becker’s lurid 70s decor for “American Hustle,” Catherine Martin’s Jazz Age excess for “The Great Gatsby” and Adam Stockhausen’s tangibly weathered plantation sets for “12 Years a Slave” will presumably duke it out for the win. (Nice, too, to see Jess Gonchor’s gorgeously faded recreation of early-60s New York in “Inside Llewyn Davis” make the cut.)

If there’s a spoiler from the Contemporary category, it’ll be the sleek IKEA-style futurism of K.K. Barrett’s work on “Her” — which some will argue belongs more accurately in the Fantasy field. Then again, that category looks likely to be won by Andy Nicholson’s remarkable space-station recreations in “Gravity” — which some will argue belongs motre accurately in the Contemporary field, given that the film is not a fantasy. So I guess it all evens out. Among its rivals in that category, I’m particularly pleased to see Darren Gilford nominated for the oh-so-chic sci-fi environment of “Oblivion” — say what you like about the film, but it presents a future I practically want to eat.

No egregious omissions then, though how I wish the rickety, labyrinthine funhouse of “The Conjuring” could have shown up in the period category. Neither would I have complained if Gonchor had been a double nominees for his chalk-and-cheese work in “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “The Lone Ranger.” So much good work in the category this year.

The awards will be presented on February 8. Full list of film and TV nominees below — including the awards show category, where last year’s Oscar are not nominated. Ha.

Excellence in Production Design – Period Film
“American Hustle” (Judy Becker)
“The Great Gatsby” (Catherine Martin)
“Inside Llewyn Davis (Jess Gonchor)
“Saving Mr. Banks” (Michael Corenblith)
“12 Years a Slave” (Adam Stockhausen)

Excellence in Production Design – Contemporary Film
“August: Osage County” (David Gropman)
“Blue Jasmine” (Santo Loquasto)
“Captain Phillips” (Paul Kirby)
“Her” (K.K. Barrett)
“The Wolf of Wall Street” (Bob Shaw)

Excellence in Production Design – Fantasy Film
“Elysium” (Philip Ivey)
“Gravity” (Andy Nicholson)
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (Dan Hennah)
“Oblivion” (Darrel Gilford)
“Star Trek Into Darkness” (Scott Chambliss)

Excellence in Production Design – TV Movie or Miniseries
“American Horror Story: Coven” (Mark Worthington)
“Behind the Candelabra” (Howard Cummings)
“Bonnie and Clyde” (Derek R. Hill)
“Mob City” (Gregory Melton)
“Phil Spector” (Patrizia von Brandenstein)

Excellence in Production Design – One-Hour Single-Camera Series
“Boardwalk Empire” (Bill Groom)
“Breaking Bad” (Mark Freeborn)
“Downton Abbey” (Donal Woods)
“Game of Thrones” (Gemma Jackson)
“Mad Men” (Dan Bishop)

Excellence in Production Design – Half-Hour Single-Camera Series
“Arrested Development” (Dan Butts)
“Californication” (Ray Yamagata)
“Modern Family (Richard Berg)
“Parks and Recreation” (Ian Phillips)
“Veep” (Jim Gloster)

Excellence in Production Design – Multi-Camera, Variety or Unscripted Series
“The Big Bang Theory” (John Shaffner)
“How I Met Your Mother” (Steve Olson)
“Portlandia” (Tyler Robinson)
“Saturday Night Live” (Akira Yoshimura, Eugene Lee, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph Detullio)
“The Voice” (Anton Goss, James Pearse Connelly)

Excellence in Production Design – Awards, Music or Game Shows
“American Music Awards 2013” (Joe Stewart)
2013 Billboard Music Awards” (Brian Stonestreet)
“65th Primetimne Emmy Awards” (Brian Stonestreet)
“67th Annual Tony Awards” (Steve Bass)
“Superbowl XLVII Halftime Show Starring Beyonce” (Bruce Rodgers)

Excellence in Production Design – Short Format Live-Action Series
“Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome” (Bryan Kane)
“Blue” (Rachel Myers)
“Daybreak” (Stuart Blatt)
“H+: The Digital Series” (Andres Cubillan)
“10,000 Days” (Mimi Gramatky)

Excellence in Production Design – Commercials, PSAs, Promos or Music Videos
Arcade Fire: “Reflektor” (Anastasia Masaro)
Call of Duty: Ghosts: “Epic Night Out” (Todd Cherniawsky)
Diehard: “The Getaway” (Tom Wilkins)
Infiniti: “Factory of Life” (Chistopher Glass)
Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z: “Suit and Tie” (Richard Bridgland)

They may not be as sexy as the main Academy Awards ceremony — something the Academy effectively acknowledges by annually selecting the hottest ingenue available to host the evening — but the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation honors any number of worthy artists who contribute invaluably to our movie-watching pleasure. This year 52 individuals, covering 19 technical achievements, have been named as honorees, including cinematographer and VFX supervisor Peter W. Anderson, the recipient of this year’s honorary Gordon E. Sawyer Award. (His credits range from “The China Syndrome” to “U2 3D.”) The awards will be presented on February 15. [Deadline]

A spot-on piece by Wendy Mitchell on why giving over the Best British Film BAFTA to films like “Gravity” defeats the purpose of the award, however legitimately they qualify. [Screen Daily]

Manohla Dargis looks at the proliferation of independent movies in theaters, and wonders if it’s good either for the marketplace or the films themselves. [New York Times]

The great James Schamus, obviously an Academy member, breaks down how exactly the balloting process for Best Picture works. Worth reading even if you think you have a handle on it. [Variety]

Steve Coogan blames his lack of a BAFTA Best Actor nomination on “tall poppy syndrome.” (Or, perhaps, the wealth of good performances in the category?) [The Guardian]

Steve Pond gives an exhausting rundown of all 75 Oscar-longlisted original songs. He’s a more dedicated man than I. [The Wrap]

Former Academy president Tom Sherak will receive the Pioneer of the Year award at CinemaCon. [Hollywood Reporter]

Mekado Murphy looks at the intricate makeup work that could make “Bad Grandpa” this year’s unlikeliest Oscar nominee. [The Carpetbagger]

Todd VanDerWerff makes an Oscar plea for the production design of “The Conjuring.” Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. [The AV Club]

We’re still a week away from the Oscar nominations and haven’t so much as a clue how large this year’s Best Picture category will be, yet the race already seems comfortably pared down to three films. That’s not a complaint. Three plausible Best Picture contenders is more than we’re given in many an Oscar year, even at the pre-nomination stage; I’m just happy in years when there appears to be a race at all. And I’m particularly happy with this one, given that the films in question — “12 Years a Slave,” “Gravity” and “American Hustle,” if you haven’t got the memo yet — make for such a vibrant and disparate trifecta.

It helps, of course, that I like all three. Glittering prizes are heaped often enough upon films I think are  negligible that I’ve learned not to kvetch when merely good films are rewarded. (To demand that 6,000 Academy members agree with our own specific notion of “best” is not only solipsistic in the extreme, but a recipe for near-annual disappointment.) In this case, however, I think all three frontrunners are rather better than good. That my own favorite film of the year, “Gravity,” is in the running is a luxury to which I am unaccustomed, but Steve McQueen’s poetic, tactile historical drama and David O. Russell’s free-jazz caper are both films I could gladly back for the top prize in any given year.

Even if I were less keen on any one (or combination) of the three, I’d find their placement at the front of the pack exciting — all three are muscular, richly crafted auteur pieces that are utterly peculiar to their big-deal directors, while offering them unfamiliar environments and challenges to play with. McQueen’s bodily-fixated, fine-arts gaze meets a classical quest narrative; Cuaron’s intimate curiosity about otherness meets the vastest unknowns in the universe; Russell’s freewheeling sociability as a filmmaker clashes with genre strictures and sociopathic subjects alike.

The films may work for you or they may not, but there’s little that’s workmanlike about them either way. Even their relative qualifications as so-called Oscar bait are, well, qualified, and in spiny, interesting ways. The Academy may like politically conscious biopics, but not usually ones as sensual and unstinting as “Slave”; they may like uplifting, technically ravishing blockbusters, but not usually ones as spare or spiritual as “Gravity”; they may like actor-y throwback entertainments, but not usually ones as chaotic and morally ambivalent as “Hustle.”

With none of these frontrunners either meeting the polite, vanilla standards of “traditional” Best Picture winners (an increasingly hazy concept in this day and age) or posing as a radical alternative, there’s been a tendency among Oscar pundits and readers this year to cast them as types, regardless of how well they fit. (Not that they always agree on what those are: depending on whom you ask, “12 Years a Slave” is either quintessential ennobling prestige fare or the thorny, too-good-for-them alternative.)

But it’s “American Hustle” — to go by reactions from colleagues, on Twitter and in the comment threads of this very site — that seems to be getting consistently categorized as the “soft” or “safe” option, and with increasing disdain as its Best Picture prospects get ever rosier. The protests, admittedly, come from a small group in the larger scheme of things: critics are cheerfully on the movie’s side (as we learnt early in the precursor process with that unexpected NYFCC win), as is, to go by box-office receipts, the general public. It should therefore be an eminently commendable choice for Best Picture, yet many of those emotionally invested in the race seem to regard the film as a potential trap for Oscar voters — the attractive but meaningless one-night stand they’ll regret the morning after.

Yet the film I saw doesn’t quite square with that categorization: “American Hustle” is a good time, yes, but fun isn’t an automatically disposable commodity. Within its shimmering cloud of hairspray and sequins is a hard little story of disguise, delusion and disappointment — the components of a soured American Dream that rewards only those who know how to work it.

The film’s glitzy styling strikes some as a slick con job, but it’s also an oddly honest one: Russell has made a film here about the necessity of the dazzling surfaces that keep America ticking along, even if we all know the duller realities they mask. (Not for nothing is Jennifer Lawrence gifted with a glorious monologue about her dependence on a nail lacquer that smells addictively “like flowers with garbage.”)

Yet “American Hustle” isn’t a film of broad-brush social statements, which may or may not be the reason for its perceived slightness in some quarters: it’s a film more concerned with the role deceit plays in petty personal relationships and bad romances than in the high-concept ABSCAM fiasco that propels the plot. It is, at its rather chilly heart, a love story been two calculatingly superficial people, which isn’t quite the same thing as a calculatingly superficial love story. I found myself unexpectedly moved by the naked personal damage that marks just about every character in this busy ensemble piece; it is one of Russell’s great gifts that his films arouse feeling for defiantly difficult people, perhaps because — if all accounts are to be believed — the director is no picnic himself.

I suppose that would be a natural segue for a comparison to Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” another undisciplined study of the variable rewards of human venality. But I don’t see as much common DNA between the films as other critics (particularly the Scorsese film’s more aggressive advocates) seem to, either spiritually or formally. Detractors of “Hustle” delight in “GoodFellas-lite” descriptions, yet the film reminded me of no director more than David O. Russell himself.

Russell’s lively verbality, frayed, jangly mise-en-scène and adoration of low-end kitsch (all of which sit some way from the super-crafted swagger of latter-day Scorsese) are present and immediately identifiable from one film to the next. With “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook” (both, of course, nominated for Best Picture) Russell has created an unlikely but vital trilogy of sorts, in which his more manic instincts are put to bear on three familiar formulae of Hollywood cinema: the boxing movie, the romantic comedy and now  the crime caper, all distressed and energized in the process.

Some view this development a copout, following the more avant-garde fun and games of an “I Heart Huckabees,” but the mainstream needs directors like Russell: spiky but audience-attuned artists willing to scratch at studio boundaries from within. That his last three films have been so warmly embraced by relatively middlebrow awards bodies suggests his showmanship and his subversive streak have found a happy medium — a tricky balance that’s all too easy to underestimate. Pegging “American Hustle” as the soft option, much as the wounded, lovely “Silver Linings Playbook” was last year, does a disservice to its stranger, sadder human qualities, not to mention the continually undermined presence of comedy in major award races. (Pitting it as some kind of moral opponent to “12 Years a Slave” in the Oscar race, meanwhile, has the unfortunate effect of stressing the “importance” of the slavery drama, the virtues of which are far more soulful and less prescriptive than that.)

But I sense Russell revels in that underestimation: his films have always offered up flowers with garbage, after all. It’s his unapologetic embrace of high and low culture that makes him one of the most invigorating of all contemporary American filmmakers — and perhaps the ideal representative of where the Academy’s conflicted, transitional head is at these days. “American Hustle” may not be the right choice for Best Picture this year, but it’s not the wrong one either.

Meryl Streep won’t be getting on the Walt Disney bandwagon this awards season.

While presenting the best actress award to “Saving Mr. Banks” star Emma Thompson (for her portrayal of “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers) at Tuesday night’s National Board of Review awards gala, the actress railed against the “gender bigotry” and “racist proclivities” harbored by Disney (played in the film by Tom Hanks) while overseeing the studio that bears his name.

“Disney, who brought joy, arguably, to billions of people, was perhaps, or had some…racist proclivities,” said Streep. “He formed and supported an anti-Semitic industry lobby. And he was certainly, on the evidence of his company”s policies, a gender bigot.”

To back up the latter claim, Streep went on to quote chief Disney animator Ward Kimball (one of the original “Nine Old Men”), who stated: “‘He didn”t trust women or cats.'” She then read a letter – which she insisted would “tickle” Thompson (“a rabid, man eating feminist, like I am”) – written in 1938 to an aspiring female animator who had applied to join the studio’s training program in cartooning:

“‘Dear Miss Ford,

Your letter of recent date has been received in the inking and painting department for reply. Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men. For this reason, girls are not considered for the training school. The only work open to women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with India ink, and then filling in the tracing on the reverse side with paint, according to the directions.'”

“When I saw the film, I could just imagine Walt Disney”s chagrin at having to cultivate P.L. Travers” favor for 20 years that it took to secure the rights to her work,” Streep continued, referencing the main plot of the film that centers on Disney’s dogged efforts to procure the film rights to “Poppins” from a skeptical Travers. “It must have killed him to encounter, in a woman, an equally disdainful and superior creature, a person dismissive of his own, considerable gifts and prodigious output and imagination.”

It wasn’t all negative, of course – Streep offered up effusive praise for Thompson throughout her speech, describing her as “practically a saint…Emma makes you want to kill yourself, because she”s a beautiful artist, she”s a writer, she”s a thinker, she”s a living, acting conscience.”

You can check out a full transcript of Streep’s lengthy speech over at Vanity Fair.

Hard to believe we’re just a week away from the Sundance Film Festival — I’m still getting to grips with the vast lineup. And it’s now one film larger: music-themed documentary “Lambert & Stamp” has been added to the Documentary Premieres section, bringing the total number of feature titles at the fest to a round 120.

Directed by James D. Cooper, the American doc is described as a “a crazy, chaotic gospel of chance,” in which “aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to search for a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor, and manage the iconic band known as The Who and create rock ‘n’ roll history.”

The involvement of The Who is obviously the drawcard here. Might the legendary British rockers show up in Park City to accompany the premiere? It seems like the kind of surprise the festival might have up its sleeve.

Meanwhile, “Lambert & Stamp” is also the first film to be confirmed for the third annual edition of Sundance London — the three-day showcase of festival highlights on the film and music front that will take place in the UK capital from April 25-27.

Other titles to look out for in the Documentary Premieres section include Alex Gibney’s “Finding Fela” and Steve James’s Roger Ebert study “Life Itself.”

The Sundance Film Festival runs from January 16-26 in Park City.

The Academy has unveiled the official poster for the upcoming 86th annual Academy Awards. Front and center is Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres, who will be tackling emcee duties for the second time on March 2. Check it out below and remember to tune in next Thursday for the announcement of this year’s nominees!

If you were counting on the American Society of Cinematographers for pointers in predicting next week’s Oscar nominations in the category, you’re out of luck. Thanks to a three-way tie, this year’s ASC slate features an unusual seven nominees, making for a pleasingly diverse field with one or two semi-surprises.

Emmanuel Lubezki, naturally, made the list for “Gravity,” and will be largely favored to take his third ASC prize — having previously won for “Children of Men” and “The Tree of Life.” (The Academy, of course, has yet to reward him.) Sean Bobbitt scored his first nod for another Best Picture frontrunner, “12 Years a Slave.” (“American Hustle,” meanwhile, missed the cut, interrupting its hitherto perfect Guild record.)

Bruno Delbonnel, who has taken some key critics’ wins for “Inside Llewyn Davis,” picked up his third nomination — he won the ASC’s 2004 award for “A Very Long Engagement.” And ASC favorite Roger Deakins, who won last year for “Skyfall,” nabs his 12th nod for “Prisoners,” upping his chances of scoring yet another fruitless Oscar nomination in the category.

Phedon Papamichael, previously recognized by the ASC for his small-screen work, was nominated for his black-and-white lensing of “Nebraska,” following on from a surprise BAFTA nod this morning. And Barry Ackroyd, previously nominated for “The Hurt Locker,” made the list for his typically brisk, no-nonsense shooting of “Captain Phillips.”

Finally, and perhaps least expectedly, Frenchman Philippe Le Sourd was cited for his ravishing work on Wong Kar-wai’s foreign Oscar hopeful “The Grandmaster” — the first time one of Wong’s films, always reliably  gorgeous, has been recognized by the guild. I’ve been predicting a wild-card Oscar nod for Le Sourd all along; here’s hoping he shows up in next week’s announcement.

The full list:

Barry Ackroyd, “Captain Phillips”
Philippe Le Sourd, “The Grandmaster”
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Bruno Delbonnel, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Phedon Papamichael, “Nebraska”
Roger Deakins, “Prisoners”
Sean Bobbitt, “12 Years a Slave”

The winner will be announced at the ASC’s awards ceremony on February 1.
 

The Costume Designers Guild has become, if I’m not mistaken, the first below-the-line guild to reveal its 2013 nominees — and a number of the season’s most ubiquitous titles are once more in the mix. “American Hustle” extends its perfect Guild record thus far with a nomination in the period category for Michael Wikinson’s extravagantly kitsch 70s threads, where it’ll compete against the more muted wardrobe of fellow Best Picture frontrunner “12 Years a Slave.” (Yes, we know the latter wasn’t eligible for the WGA Award and, in effect, has an unblemished guild record too. No need to remind us.)

Also nominated in the period category are “Saving Mr. Banks” and “The Great Gatsby,” for which Catherine Martin may well be the frontrunner. The fifth pick. however, is something of a surprise, as Michael O’Connor’s gorgeously textured 19th-century garb for “The Invisible Woman” was left out in favor of Kurt & Bart’s witty, character-serving Texan casualwear in “Dallas Buyers Club” — a low-key but deserving pick, and one thaty indicates just how popular the AIDS drama is in the industry, this morning’s BAFTA shutout notwithstanding.

I was hoping the same design duo would score in the contemporary category for their sleek, high-style dressing of “Stoker” — my pick for the year’s top achievement in the field — but it was not to be. (For whatever reason, Guilds have a habit of sticking strenuously to the buzz titles, and the eye-popping sartorial spectacles of “Nebraska” and “Philomena” could not go unacknowledged.) Still, I’m thrilled they nominated the clever everyday futurism of Casey Storm’s designs for “Her,” as well as “Blue Jasmine,” an exemplary study in costume economy, reusing and weathering individual items of clothing to mark a character arc.

The fantasy category was limited to three nominees this year, with former Guild winner Trish Summerville’s extravagant creations for “The Hunger Games” seemingly likeliest to triumph.

The awards will be presented on February 22.

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
“Blue Jasmine,” Suzy Benzinger
“Her,” Casey Storm
“Nebraska,” Wendy Chuck
“Philomena,” Consolata Boyle
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Sarah Edwards
 
EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM
“12 Years a Slave,” Patricia Norris
“American Hustle,” Michael Wilkinson
“Dallas Buyers Club,” Kurt & Bart
“The Great Gatsby,” Catherine Martin
“Saving Mr. Banks,” Daniel Orlandi
 
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, Bob Buck
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Trish Summerville
“Oz the Great and Powerful,” Gary Jones, Michael Kutsche
 
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
“Breaking Bad,” Jennifer Bryan
“House of Cards,” Tom Broecker
“Nashville,” Susie DeSanto
“Scandal,” Lyn Paolo
“Saturday Night Live,” Tom Broecker, Eric Justian
 
OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire,” John Dunn, Lisa Padovani
“The Borgias,” Gabriella Pescucci
“Downton Abbey,” Caroline McCall
“Game of Thrones,” Michele Clapton
“Mad Men,” Janie Bryant
 
OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI SERIES
“American Horror Story: Coven,” Lou Eyrich
“Behind the Candelabra,” Ellen Mirojnick
“Bonnie & Clyde,” Marilyn Vance
“House of Versace,” Claire Nadon
“Phil Spector,” Debra McGuire
 
EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN
Call of Duty: “Ghosts Masked Warriors,” Nancy Steiner
Dos Equis: “Most Interesting Man in the World Feeds a Bear,” Julie Vogel
Fiat “British Invasion,” Donna Zakowska

Well, this is a new one on me — though the Screenwriters’ Choice Awards are apparently in their second year. The name is, perhaps, slightly misleading: winners are determined by the worldwide users of Final Draft screenwriting software, though the nominees are drawn up by a panel of working screenwriters. We’re not exactly talking a rival to the WGA here, but there’s no harm in drawing more attention to the craft.

Anyway, “Gravity” won the Original Screenplay category, suggesting not all aspiring writers subscribe to the widely held view that the film is lacking in that department. Alfonso and Jonas Cuarón’s script was, you may remember, passed over by the Guild, but nominated by BAFTA this morning. “12 Years a Slave,” meanwhile, took the adapted category — no surprise there.

“Modern Family” and “Breaking Bad” were recognized as TV’s best-written comedy and drama series, respectively, at the ceremony, which took place last night at Paramount studios. Rom-com queen Nancy Meyers received a Hall of Fame honor.

Winners and nominees below:

Best Original Screenplay
Alfonso and Jonas Cuarón, “Gravity” (WINNER)
Woody Allen, “Blue Jasmine”
Spike Jonze, “Her”
Joel and Ethan Coen, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Bob Nelson, “Nebraska”

Best Adapted Screenplay
John Ridley, “12 Years a Slave” (WINNER)
Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, “Before Midnight”
Billy Ray, “Captain Phillips”
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, “Philomena”
Terence Winter, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Best TV Comedy
“Modern Family” (WINNER)
“Arrested Development”
“Girls”
“Parks and Recreation”
“Veep”

Best TV Drama
“Breaking Bad” (WINNER)
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“House of Cards”
“Mad Men”

Another day, another “open letter.” Closed letters are under-appreciated, as are, you know, articles. Still, Martin Scorsese’s open letter to his daughter Francesca — effectively an excuse for him to wax lyrical about the current (and future) state of film — is coming from a good place, and a welcome corrective to all those “cinema is dead” thinkpieces that surface on an annual basis: “I don”t want to repeat what has been said and written by so many others before me, about all the changes in the business, and I”m heartened by the exceptions to the overall trend in moviemaking – Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, David Fincher, Alexander Payne, the Coen Brothers, James Gray and Paul Thomas Anderson are all managing to get pictures made, and Paul not only got The Master made in 70mm, he even got it shown that way in a few cities. Anyone who cares about cinema should be thankful.” [Espresso]

Armond White says reports of him verbally abusing Steve McQueen at the NYFCC Awards are entirely fabricated. [Hollywood Reporter]

Ramin Setoodeh reports from the National Board of Review awards, where Meryl Streep had a good go at Walt Disney. [Variety]

Spike Jonze on the scene he found hardest to write in “Her.” [Vulture]

Tim Gray addresses four misconceptions about Oscar precursor awards. [Variety]

Nathaniel Rogers, Sasha Stone, Kurt Osenlund and Christopher Rosen gather to discuss some of their pre-nomination concerns and question marks. [Film Experience]

Melanie Goodfellow on why French cinema looks to be facing a tough year. [Screen Daily]

Historian Alex von Tunzelmann is bowled over by “12 Years a Slave,” giving it her highest-ever rating on the history front. [The Guardian]

Thomas Vinterberg on what led him to make “The Hunt,” casting Mads Mikkelsen against type and why Denmark’s film industry is flourishing. [New York Times]

Steve Pond weighs up the winners and losers from the Guild nominations thus far. [The Wrap]