NUTSHELL: Overture Films has sparked interest in “Last Chance Harvey,” but Dustin Hoffman will have a tough time breaking into that stacked Best Actor category. Maybe a surprise nomination for Joel Hopkins’ screenplay is an unconsidered possibility. “The Dark Knight” makes its first move into the Best Picture chart after terrible pre-release press (and difficulty mobilizing at The Weinstein Company) could have put a damper on the prospects of “The Reader.” Fox Searchlight is 99% guaranteed to have the most beloved film yet again — but can they turn that into most loved?

Column: no column this week

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BEST PICTURE
1	“Milk” Focus Features	—
2	“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Paramount Pictures	—
3	“Frost/Nixon” Universal Pictures	—
4	“Slumdog Millionaire” Fox Searchlight Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures
5	“Australia” 20th Century Fox
6	“Revolutionary Road” Paramount Vantage	—
7	“Gran Torino” Warner Bros. Pictures
8	“The Soloist” DreamWorks SKG
9	“Defiance” Paramount Vantage	—
10	“The Dark Knight” Warner Bros. Pictures	NEW

DIRECTING
1	Gus Van Sant “Milk”	—
2	David Fincher “The Curious case of Benjamin Button”	—
3	Danny Boyle “Slumdog Millionaire”	—
4	Ron Howard “Frost/Nixon”	—
5	Christopher Nolan “The Dark Knight”	—
6	Baz Luhrmann “Australia”	—
7	Darren Aronofsky “The Wrestler”	—
8	Clint Eastwood “Gran Torino” (or “Changeling”)	—
9	Sam Mendes “Revolutionary Road”	—
10	Edward Zwick “Defiance”	—

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
1	Mickey Rourke “The Wrestler”	—
2	Frank Langella “Frost/Nixon”	—
3	Sean Penn “Milk”	—
4	Clint Eastwood “Gran Torino”	—
5	Robert Downey Jr. “The Soloist”	—
6	Leonardo DiCaprio “Revolutionary Road” (or “Body of Lies”)	—
7	Brad Pitt “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”	—
8	Michael Sheen “Frost/Nixon”	—
9	Josh Brolin “W.”	—
10	Benicio Del Toro “Che”	—

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
1	Kristin Scott Thomas “I’ve Loved You So Long”	—
2	Angelina Jolie “Changling”	—
3	Kate Winslet “Revolutionary Road” (or “The Reader”)	—
4	Meryl Streep “Doubt” (or “Mamma Mia!”)	—
5	Nicole Kidman “Australia”	—
6	Sally Hawkins “Happy-Go-Lucky”
7	Anne Hathaway “Rachel Getting Married”
8	Melissa Leo “Frozen River”
9	Cate Blanchett “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
10	Michelle Williams “Wendy and Lucy”	—

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1	Heath Ledger “The Dark Knight”	—
2	Jamie Foxx “The Soloist”	—
3	Michael Shannon “Revolutionary Road”	—
4	Philip Seymour Hoffman “Doubt”	—
5	James Franco “Milk”	—
6	Kodi Smit-McPhee “The Road”	—
7	Robert Downey Jr. “Tropic Thunder”	—
8	Christian McKay “Me and Orson Welles”	—
9	Eddie Marsan “Happy-Go-Lucky”
10	Peter O’Toole “Dean Spanley”

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1	Penélope Cruz “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”	—
2	Taraji P. Henson “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”	—
3	Marisa Tomei “The Wrestler”	—
4	Viola Davis “Doubt”	—
5	Rosemarie Dewitt “Rachel Getting Married”
6	Elsa Zylberstein “I’ve Loved You So Long”
7	Elizabeth Banks “W.”	—
8	Vera Farmiga “Nothing But the Truth” (or “The Boy in Striped Pyjamas”)	—
9	Hiam Abbas “The Visitor”	—
10	Catherine Keener “The Soloist” (or “Synecdoche, New York”)	—

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
1	“Slumdog Millionaire” Written by Simon Beaufoy Based on the book “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup	—
2	“Frost/Nixon” Written by Peter Morgan Based on his play	—
3	“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Written by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth, Robin Swicord Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald	—
4	“Revolutionary Road” Written by Justin Haythe Based on the short story by Richard Yates	—
5	“Doubt” Written by John Patrick Shanley Based on his play	—
6	“The Reader” Written by David Hare Based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink	—
7	“Defiance” Written by Clay Frohman, Edward Zwick Based on the book by Nechama Tec	—
8	“The Dark Knight” Written by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan Story by David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan Based on characters created by Bob Kane	—
9	“The Road” Written by Joe Penhall Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy	—
10	“Body of Lies” Written by William Monahan, Steven Zaillian Based on the book by David Ignatius	—

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
1	“Milk” Written by Dustin Lance Black	—
2	“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Written by Woody Allen	—
3	“The Soloist” Written by Susannah Grant
4	“Rachel Getting Married” Written by Jenny Lumet
5	“The Visitor” Written by Thomas McCarthy
6	“Gran Torino” Written by Nick Schenk
7	“Happy-Go-Lucky” Written by Mike Leigh
7	“Last Chance Harvey” Written by Joel Hopkins	NEW
9	“Australia” Written by Stuart Beattie, Baz Luhrmann	—
10	“Changeling” Written by J. Michael Straczynski	—

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
1	“WALL-E” Walt Disney Pictures	—
2	“Waltz with Bashir” Sony Pictures Classics	—
3	“Kung Fu Panda” DreamWorks SKG	—
4	“Horton Hears a Who!” 20th Century Fox	—
5	“The Tale of Despereaux” Universal Pictures	—
6	“Igor” The Weinstein Company	—
7	“Bolt” Walt Disney Pictures	—
8	“Space Chimps” 20th Century Fox	—
9	“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” DreamWorks SKG	—
10	“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Warner Bros. Pictures	—