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Best Motion Picture of the Year Oscar Nominees
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best Motion Picture of the Year Oscar Nominations

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is about a man born in his eighties and ages backwards. From New Orleans at the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, on a journey as unusual as any man's life can be, the film tells the grand tale of a not so ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way

Frost / Nixon

For three years after being forced from office, Richard Nixon remained silent. But, in 1977, the steely, cunning former commander in chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the unanswered questions of his time in office and of the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone by selecting Frost as his televised confessor.

Milk

Milk is a true-story tragedy about Harvey Milk the San Francisco city supervisor. After moving to San Francisco, New Yorker Harvey Milk became a Gay Rights activist and city politician. On his third attempt, he was elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA.

The Reader

The film version of Bernhard Schlink's 1995 novel "The Reader," opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna Schmitz, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. Years later, Michael hears the name of his former lover cited along with several other women at a war-crimes trial of female Auschwitz guards. She stands before him, a shell of a woman, still laden with secrets.

Slumdog Millionaire

A penniless, eighteen year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, Jamal Malik is one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, suddenly, he is arrested on suspicion of cheating.

 

Best Animated Feature Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Oscar Nominations

Bolt

For super-dog BOLT, every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue — at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet — a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny.

Kung Fu Panda

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of kung fu around which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. When he’s unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality and he joins the world of kung fu to study alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five: Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu.

WALL-E

After hundreds of lonely years doing what he was built for, WALL•E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knickknacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator).

 

Best Lead Actress Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best Lead Actress of the Year Oscar Nominations

Anne Hathaway as Kym in "Rachel Getting Married"

As Kym, Anne Hathaway plays a self-absorbed recovering addict whose return home for her sister's wedding sparks a family conflict. This is Anne Hathaway's first Oscar Academy Award nomination.

Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins in "Changeling"

As Christine Collins, Angelina Jolie portrays the mother of a missing child who takes on the corrupt Los Angeles Police Department in her frantic search for her son. This Angelina Jolie's second Academy Award nomination and the first in this category. Jolie won an Oscar for her supporting role in Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Melissa Leo as Ray Eddy in "Frozen River"

Melissa Leo plays Ray Eddy, an impoverished mother who becomes involved in a smuggling ring in an attempt to avoid losing her home. This Melissa Leo's first Academy Award Oscar Nomination.

Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius Beauvier in "Doubt"

Meryl Streep plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the strict head of a Bronx Catholic school who suspects that a new priest may be abusing one of her students.

This is Meryl Streep 15th Academy Award® nomination and the twelfth in the Best Lead Actress Oscar category.

Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz in "The Reader"

Kate Winslet plays Hanna Schmitz, a German woman in her thirties whose teenage lover is unaware of the dark secret in her past. This is Kate Winslet's sixth Oscar nomination and the fourth in the Best Lead Actress Academy Award category.

 

Best Lead Actor Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best Lead Actor of the Year Oscar Nominations

Richard Jenkins as Walter in "The Visitor"

Richard Jenkins plays Walter, a lonely widower whose life undergoes a transformation when he finds two illegal immigrants occupying his New York apartment. This is Richard Jenkins' first Academy Award Oscar nomination.

Frank Langella as Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon"

In the role of Richard Nixon, Frank Langella portrays the former president at the time of his failed attempt to resuscitate his career through a series of interviews with talk show host David Frost. This is Frank Langella's first Academy Award Oscar nomination.

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in "Milk"

Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, a transplanted New Yorker whose decision to campaign for a place on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors becomes a landmark event within the gay rights movement. This is Sean Penn's 5th Oscar nomination in the Best Leading Actor Academy Award category.

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

As Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt portrays a man who is born old and then grows gradually younger as his life unfolds.

This is the second Academy Award nomination and the first Oscar nomination in the Best Lead Actor category for Brad Pitt.

Mickey Rourke as Randy in "The Wrestler"

Mickey Rourke plays Randy, a lonely, hard-luck wrestler who resolves to change his life following a serious injury. This is the first Academy Award Oscar nomination for Mickey Rourke.

 

Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar Nominations

Amy Adams as Sister James in the movie "Doubt"

Amy Adams plays Sister James, an inexperienced young nun whose unwitting observations regarding a new priest spark suspicions on the part of the older Sister Aloysius. This is Amy Adams' second Academy Award Oscar nomination.

Penélope Cruz as Maria Elena in the movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Penélope Cruz portrays the fiery Maria Elena, a divorced woman still locked in a complex relationship with her ex-husband. This is the second Academy Award Oscar nomination for Penélope Cruz.

Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller in the movie "Doubt"

Viola Davis plays Mrs. Miller, an African-American woman who learns that her son may be the victim of abuse by a priest at his school. This is the first Academy Award Oscar nomination for Viola Davis.

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

Taraji P. Henson plays Queenie, the woman who acts as nursemaid to Benjamin Button, a man who is aging backwards and has been born with the body of an old man. This is the first Academy Award Oscar nomination for Taraji P. Henson.

Marisa Tomei as Cassidy in "The Wrestler"

As Cassidy, Marisa Tomei portrays a middle-aged stripper entering into a tentative relationship with a down-on-his-luck professional wrestler. This is the 3rd Academy Award Oscar nomination for Marisa Tomei.

 

Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar Nominations

Josh Brolin as Dan White in the movie "Milk"

Josh Brolin plays Dan White, the conservative former fireman who is elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at the same time as openly gay politician Harvey Milk. This is the first Academy Award Oscar nomination for Josh Brolin

Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus in the movie "Tropic Thunder"

As Kirk Lazarus, Robert Downey Jr. plays a white Australian actor who has immersed himself completely in his latest role as an African-American soldier. This is his 2nd Academy Award nomination for Robert Downey Jr. and the first in this category.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Brendan Flynn in the movie "Doubt"

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Father Brendan Flynn, a progressive priest in a 1960s Bronx school who is suspected by its head nun of improper relations with a student. This is Philip Seymour Hoffman's third Academy Award nomination and the second in this category.

Heath Ledger as the Joker in the movie "The Dark Knight"

Heath Ledger portrays the Joker, a psychopathic criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing in his scheme to outwit and humiliate Batman. This is Heath Ledger's second Academy Award nomination and the first in this category. This Oscar nomination is posthumous, as he died January 22, 2008.

Michael Shannon as John Givings in the movie "Revolutionary Road"

As John Givings, Michael Shannon plays a young man confined to a mental institution whose dinner with his parents' friends unleashes his relentless propensity for telling the truth. This is Michael Shannon's first Academy Award Oscar nomination

 

Achievement in Art Direction Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in Art Direction Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in Cinematography Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in Cinematography Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in Costume Design Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in Costume Design Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in Directing Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in Directing Oscar Nominations

 

Best documentary feature Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best documentary feature Oscar Nominations

 

Best documentary short subject Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best documentary short subject Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in film editing Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in film editing Oscar Nominations

 

Best foreign language film of the year Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best foreign language film of the year Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in makeup Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in makeup Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) Oscar Nominations

 

Best animated short film Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best animated short film Oscar Nominations

 

Best live action short film Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Best live action short film Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in sound editing Oscar Nominations
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in sound editing Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in sound mixing
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in sound mixing Oscar Nominations

 

Achievement in visual effects
81st Academy Awards 2009 Achievement in visual effects Oscar Nominations

 

Adapted screenplay
81st Academy Awards 2009 Adapted screenplay Oscar Nominations

 

Original screenplay
81st Academy Awards 2009 Original screenplay Oscar Nominations

 

Original screenplay
81st Academy Awards 2009 Original screenplay Oscar Nominations

 

"Slumdog Millionaire" Leads the Way
8 Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire 81st Academy Award Oscar Winners 2009

In much the same manner that the film captured the hearts of movie-goers, "Slumdog Millionaire" captured the hearts and votes of the Academy garnering 8 Oscars in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.

 

Academy Award Oscar Nominations by Motion Picture

 

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