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Be still, my horrified heart. We perhaps all knew it was coming, but now it’s official: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences believes that Avatar was one of the best films of 2009. (Guess the “sciences” portion of the institution’s name means more than the “arts” this year.)
Very, very few surprises among the rest of the major categories, which are below for your listing pleasure. I’ll restrict my commentary to alarm, signified by “!”s:
BEST PICTURE
Avatar (!)
Up in the Air
The Hurt Locker
District 9
A Serious Man
The Blind Side (!)
Up
An Education
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man“
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus (!)
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penélope Cruz, Nine (!!!)
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart (!)
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells (?)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home (?)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophète
The White Ribbon
BEST SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger*
A Serious Man
Up
BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED
District 9
An Education
In the Loop*
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Up in the Air
*Denotes the only no-one-saw-that-comings of the lot
For the full list, go to Oscar.com.