Article

And the 2014 Nominees Are...

Written by Eric, Patrick, Scott

First Posted: January 15th, 2015

The nominations are out and the countdown to the big night is underway.

Below we list the nominees with links to our reviews of the films so you can see where we agreed or disagreed with the Academy.

BEST PICTURE

American Sniper
American Sniper
  • Scott:
     

    "A return to form for director Clint Eastwood."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Manages to be both pro-military and anti-war at the same time."

  • Eric:
     

    "A rare movie going experience."

Birdman
Birdman
  • Patrick:
     

    "Fresh and dramatically funny."

  • Scott:
     

    "Worthy of praise, but not perfect."

  • Eric:
     

    "The best dramedy to come out in years."

Boyhood
Boyhood
  • Patrick:
     

    "Sublime."

  • Scott:
     

    "The most overrated film of 2014."

  • Eric:
     

    "He is every boy."

The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Patrick:
     

    "Wes Anderson's latest cinematic whimsy is a winner."

  • Scott:
     

    "A colorful comedy."

  • Eric:
     

    "Quirky fun."

The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game
  • Scott:
     

    "Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant."

  • Patrick:
     

    "One of the year's best films."

  • Eric:
     

    "Alan Turing gets his due."

Selma
Selma
  • Scott:
     

    "A fascinating depiction of a turbulent time in American history."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Should be seen by every American."

  • Eric:
     

    "An educational view at a dark moment in U.S. history."

The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything
  • Scott:
     

    "A loving tribute to a genius and his struggles."

  • Eric:
     

    "An okay movie with an outstanding lead performance."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Overrated."

Whiplash
Whiplash
  • Scott:
     

    "Riveting."

  • Eric:
     

    "Contains some moments of tense brilliance."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Two great performances in an average movie."

BEST DIRECTOR

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Patrick:
     

    "Anderson's visual flair and quirky sense of humor are on full display."

  • Scott:
     

    "One of Anderson's best."

  • Eric:
     

    "The way Anderson humorously poses everyone and moves them about is from an earlier Hollywood decade."

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Birdman
Birdman
  • Patrick:
     

    "A technical showpiece."

  • Scott:
     

    "Inarritu directs long takes that makes the film feel unique."

  • Eric:
     

    "I found his long takes refreshing."

Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Boyhood
  • Patrick:
     

    "Combines experimental film-making with traditional storytelling."

  • Scott:
     

    "Linklater is as self-indulgent as always."

  • Eric:
     

    "He makes us privy to personal home movies of one boy's life."

Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher
  • Patrick:
     

    "A dark brooding true-crime drama that unfolds slowly but features a trio of terrific performances."

  • Scott:
     

    "Miller sustains a dark, brooding mood throughout."

  • Eric:
     

    "Miller is lazy with the details but pulled some great performances from his leads."

Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game
  • Scott:
     

    "Tyldum's direction is unobtrusive."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Solid direction overshadowed by the script and cast."

  • Eric:
     

    "Tyldum makes a rather dry subject very interesting."

BEST ACTOR

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher
  • Patrick:
     

    "His performance is more than just a prosthetic nose and a very unflattering hairstyle."

  • Scott:
     

    "Carell buries himself in the part."

  • Eric:
     

    "Carell is unrecognizable with his large nose always angled up in the air. "

Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
American Sniper
  • Scott:
     

    "Cooper has moved from just a pretty face to become a genuine actor."

  • Patrick:
     

    "A career defining performance."

  • Eric:
     

    "Cooper is nothing less than perfect in the role."

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game
  • Scott:
     

    "Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant."

  • Patrick:
     

    "A performance of quiet intensity and emotional purity."

  • Eric:
     

    "Cumberbatch brings to life the enigma that was Alan Turing."

Michael Keaton - Birdman
Birdman
  • Patrick:
     

    "He understands the dark humor in the script and handles the many long takes and pages of dialogue with practiced ease."

  • Scott:
     

    "Keaton re-emerges from bit parts to show that he still has what it takes."

  • Eric:
     

    "He gives a raw, career defining performance."

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything
  • Scott:
     

    "Redmayne delivers the kind of performance that the Academy eats with a spoon."

  • Eric:
     

    "Redmayne is never less than mesmerizing."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Playing Stephen Hawking was physically demanding but it smacks of being gimmicky to me."

BEST ACTRESS

Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Two Days, One Night
  • Scott:
     

    "Marion Cotillard delivers a stunningly naturalistic performance."

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything
  • Scott:
     

    "Although over shadowed by Redmayne, Jones is never outshone."

  • Eric:
     

    "Jones is good but everything in the film pales compared to Redmayne's performance."

  • Patrick:
     

    "I see no reason for the nomination."

Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Still Alice
  • Scott:
     

    "Moore's performance is heartbreaking."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Julianne Moore is beyond brilliant as Dr. Alice Howland."

  • Eric:
     

    "Moore brilliantly shows us the frustration of a woman struggling to recall what she forgot, to remember what she no longer knows."

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Gone Girl
  • Eric:
     

    "Rosamund Pike has the greatest role of her career."

  • Scott:
     

    "Pike plays over-the-top with gusto."

  • Patrick:
     

    "If Oscars were based solely on the amount of effort required for the role then she should win hands down."

Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Wild
  • Scott:
     

    "Reese Witherspoon delivers the performance of her career."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Witherspoon lays bare her soul without being obvious or overly dramatic."

  • Eric:
     

    "She clearly put all she had into this part and is deserving of any and all awards."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Robert Duvall - The Judge
The Judge
  • Scott:
     

    "Duvall delivers a fine performance in a story we've seen many times before."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Duvall is particularly affecting as an old man facing the end."

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Boyhood
  • Patrick:
     

    "Hawke makes a great father."

  • Scott:
     

    "Hawke is fine, but hardly award worthy."

  • Eric:
     

    "His performance is adequate but not award worthy."

Edward Norton - Birdman
Birdman
  • Patrick:
     

    "Shines in support of Keaton."

  • Scott:
     

    "Norton is a scene stealer."

  • Eric:
     

    "Norton is as good as his character brags."

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher
  • Patrick:
     

    "Put in long hours of training for the wrestling scenes."

  • Scott:
     

    "Ruffalo shambles his way under the skin of this wrestler."

  • Eric:
     

    "Ruffalo has the least showy of the three roles but his is the most real."

J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
Whiplash
  • Scott:
     

    "One of the most powerful performances of the year."

  • Eric:
     

    "Contains some moments of tense brilliance."

  • Patrick:
     

    "A veritable showcase for Simmons."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Boyhood
  • Patrick:
     

    "Gives her best performance in years."

  • Scott:
     

    "Compared to the child actors she's brilliant, but by any other measure she's merely fine."

  • Eric:
     

    "She gives a very sincere performance."

Laura Dern - Wild
Wild
  • Scott:
     

    "Dern's part is small, but she looms over the film."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Deserving of a Supporting Oscar nomination."

  • Eric:
     

    "Her part is small but she is brilliant."

Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game
  • Scott:
     

    "Knightley stands out as the only actress in this boys club of a film."

  • Patrick:
     

    "Better than expected."

  • Eric:
     

    "Knightley has little to do but she does it well."

Emma Stone - Birdman
Birdman
  • Patrick:
     

    "Shines in support of Keaton."

  • Scott:
     

    "An actorly performance. Not showy, but brilliant."

  • Eric:
     

    "Stone makes her presence known."

Meryl Streep - Into the Woods
Into the Woods
  • Scott:
     

    "Streep is miscast and over praised as the witch."

  • Eric:
     

    "Another unworthy nomination."

  • Patrick:
     

    "She's nominated again?"

OTHER CATEGORIES

ANIMATED FEATURE
ART DIRECTION
CINEMATOGRAPHY
COSTUME DESIGN
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
  • Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
  • Joanna
  • Our Curse
  • The Reaper
  • White Earth
FILM EDITING
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
  • Leviathan - Russia
  • Ida - Poland
  • Tangerines - Estonia
  • Timbuktu - Mauritania
  • Wild Tales - Argentina
MAKEUP
MUSIC (Original Score)
MUSIC (Original Song)
  • The LEGO Movie - "Everything is Awesome"
  • Selma - "Glory"
  • Beyond the Lights - "Grateful"
  • Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me - "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
  • Begin Again - "Lost Stars"
SHORT FILM (Animated)
  • The Bigger Picture
  • The Dam Keeper
  • Feast
  • Me and My Moulton
  • A Single Life
SHORT FILM (Live Action)
  • Aya
  • Boogaloo and Graham
  • Butter Lamp
  • Parvaneh
  • The Phone Call
SOUND EDITING
SOUND MIXING
VISUAL EFFECTS
WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
WRITING (Original Screenplay)