Surprises, Snubs of 2009 Oscar Nominees

Odds are Brangelina and brood are a happy bunch today following the announcement of the 2009 Oscar nominees. After all, mom and dad have both been nominated for the prestigious award in their respective Best Acting category. Add to that the fact that dad's latest project, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, leads the 2009 Oscar contenders with 13 nominations. Hopefully no one will mention that neither Brad nor Angie are favored to win the little golden man, at least not anyone who witnessed the death rays emitted from Angelina's eyes when she lost the Golden Globe to Kate Whats-her-face.

Other happy households today include the guys who made Slumdog Millionaire, up for 10 awards, and a veteran actress with the relatively unknown name, Melissa Leo, up for Best Supporting Actress. Of course today is just a day like any other in the Streep home, this being Meryl's 15^th nomination and all.

Noticeably absent from the list of 2009 Oscar Awards nominations are a number of Golden Globe favorites, including Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road, Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino and Golden Globe winner for best song Bruce Springsteen. In fact, Revolutionary Road is nearly absent from the nominee list altogether.

As inevitable as death and taxes, with all of the weeping but more bling, the 81^st annual Oscars will be handed out on February 22^nd on ABC. Let the 2009 Academy Award predictions (and office betting pools) begin:

Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor"

* Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"

* Sean Penn in "Milk"

* Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in "Milk"

* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"

* Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"

* Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"

* Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"

* Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"

* Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"

* Meryl Streep in "Doubt"

* Kate Winslet in "The Reader"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in "Doubt"

* Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

* Viola Davis in "Doubt"

* Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"

Best animated feature film of the year

* "Bolt"

* "Kung Fu Panda"

* "WALL-E"

Achievement in art direction

* "Changeling"

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Dark Knight"

* "The Duchess"

* "Revolutionary Road"

Achievement in cinematography

* "Changeling"

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Dark Knight"

* "The Reader"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Achievement in costume design

* "Australia"

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Duchess"

* Milk"

* "Revolutionary Road"

Achievement in directing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "Frost/Nixon"

* "Milk"

* "The Reader"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best documentary feature

* "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"

* "Encounters at the End of the World"

* "The Garden"

* "Man on Wire"

* "Trouble the Water"

Best documentary short subject

* "The Conscience of Nhem En"

* "The Final Inch"

* "Smile Pinki"

* "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

Achievement in film editing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Dark Knight"

* "Frost/Nixon"

* "Milk"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best foreign language film of the year

* "The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production, Germany

* "The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France

* "Departures" (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan

* "Revanche" (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria

* "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom

* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan

* "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "Defiance"

* "Milk"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

* "WALL-E"

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E", Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel

* "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" , Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar

* "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" , Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "Frost/Nixon"

* "Milk"

* "The Reader"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best animated short film

* "La Maison en Petits Cubes"

* "Lavatory - Lovestory"

* "Oktapodi"

* "Presto"

* "This Way Up"

Best live action short film

* "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"

* "Manon on the Asphalt"

* "New Boy"

* "The Pig"

* "Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

Achievement in sound editing

* "The Dark Knight"

* "Iron Man"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

* "WALL-E"

* "Wanted"

Achievement in sound mixing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Dark Knight"

* "Slumdog Millionaire"

* "WALL-E"

* "Wanted"

Achievement in visual effects

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

* "The Dark Knight"

* "Iron Man"

Adapted screenplay

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord

* "Doubt" Written by John Patrick Shanley

* "Frost/Nixon" Screenplay by Peter Morgan

* "The Reader" Screenplay by David Hare

* "Slumdog Millionaire" Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* "Frozen River" Written by Courtney Hunt

* "Happy-Go-Lucky" Written by Mike Leigh

* "In Bruges" Written by Martin McDonagh

* "Milk" Written by Dustin Lance Black

* "WALL-E" Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, http://www.oscars.org/awards/81academyawards/nominees.html