Academy Award Nomination Surprises: Winslet Shut Out for Best Supporting Actress

This morning, the Academy Award nominations were announced with a few surprises and shut-outs. The romantic fantasy based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, The Curious Case of BenjaminButton leads the Academy Award race with 13 nominations. Following close behind is indie favorite Slumdog Millionaire with 10 nominations.

Button, the whimsical tale of a man who is born old and grows younger as he ages, snapped up nominations for best picture, best director and acting nods for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson. Though Slumdog was given 10 nominations, none of them were for acting.

The other nominees for best picture are Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire.

Besides Pitt, best actor nominations included Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler).

As anticipated, Heath Ledger received the best supporting actor nomination for Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. The nomination is bittersweet, having been announced on the one-year anniversary of the actor's unexpected death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. The Dark Knight's other 8 nominations unfortunately did not include best picture or director.

If Ledger were to win, he would only be the second actor to receive an Oscar posthumously, following Peter Finch, who was a best actor winner for 1976's Network. Ledger is the seventh actor to receive a posthumous nomination. The others are Jeanne Eagels (The Letter, 1929), James Dean (twice for 1955's East of Eden and 1956's Giant), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, 1967), Ralph Richardson (Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, 1984) and Massimo Troisi (The Postman, 1995).

Going up against Ledger in the best supporting actor category are: Josh Brolin (Milk), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).

The surprise of the morning had to do with Kate Winslet's acting nomination. It had long been expected that she would garner a nomination for best actress with Revolutionary Road, while getting one for best supporting actress for The Reader, though her part in the film is more than just supporting.

Winslet was shut out of the best supporting actress category altogether, but was nominated for best actress for The Reader. Winslet is joined in the best actress category by Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Melissa Leo (Frozen River) and Meryl Streep (Doubt). This is Streep's 15^th nomination.

Nominated for best supporting actress were Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler).

Revolutionary Road was not nominated for best picture and Leonardo DiCaprio was also shut out for best actor.

Surprising snubs included usual Oscar darling Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino, Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky and Kristin Scott Thomas for I've Loved You So Long.

The Academy Awards will be presented on February 22^nd at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre and will be broadcast on ABC. Hugh Jackman will host this year's ceremony.

'Benjamin Button' Tops Oscar Nominations, Associated Press

Full List of Academy Award Nominations