Scoring Four Nominations for the Same Film
Counting the nomination for their alias Roderick Jaynes, the Coen brothers are up for four Oscars: picture, director, screenplay adaptation and editing. Only Warren Beatty and Alan Menken have ever received four noms for one film. (Walt Disney, Stanley Kubrick and Kenneth Branagh have received four in one year, but for different pics).
Number of Nominations
Sound mixer Kevin OConnell enters the Oscar pantheon with his 20th nomination, for his work on Transformers.
In the list of individuals whove scored the most noms over the 80 editions of the Oscar Awards, he is now in the top 20, tied with composer Max Steiner and art director Richard Day. Walt Disney holds the record with 59.
Foreign-Lingo
In the foreign-language category, Israel has its first nomination in 24 years, Austria received its first in 22 years, and Poland has its first in 27 years. Mongol is Kazakhstans first.
Nominations for the Same Role
Cate Blanchett, nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth I, is the fifth performer to draw mentions for the same role in two different films.
The others are:
Al Pacino (as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II);
Paul Newman (as Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler and The Color of Money);
Peter OToole (as Henry II in Becket and The Lion in Winter);
Bing Crosby (as Father OMalley in Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary).
Blanchett, nominated in two categories for portraying two real people, Bob Dylan and Queen Elizabeth, already has an Oscar for portraying a real person: Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. It is the 11th time an actor has been nominated in both the lead and supporting categories.
Playing Member of the Opposite Sex
As for performers nominated for portraying members of the opposite sex, Blanchett joins a short list that includes Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, John Lithgow in The World According to Garp and Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously.
Supporting Actress
In the supporting actress category, Blanchett is up against four actresses who received their first noms.
Supporting Actors
All five supporting actor contenders received their first noms in the category.
Four women are up for the screenplay trophies; all are first-time nominees.
Oscar Role in Foreign Lingo
Marion Cotillard could become the fifth actor to win for a performance that is not completely in English. The winners have been Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), Roberto Benigni (Life Is Beautiful), Robert De Niro (The Godfather: Part II) and Sophia Loren (Two Women).
Brits Playing Americans
Four of the acting contenders are Brits playing Americans:
Julie Christie
Daniel Day-Lewis
Tilda Swinton
Tom Wilkinson
Agencies and the Oscar
Endeavor led the charge when it came to major Oscar categories. Having led in 2006 and 2007, the agency came through this year thanks to the actor and director categories. The tally is Endeavor, 12; CAA, 11; UTA, 10; William Morris, 5; and ICM 4
