Oscar nominations 2006 - Brokeback leads the way
Story by Jack Foley
AS WIDELY predicted Ang Lee’s gay cowboy drama Brokeback Mountain leads the nominations at this year’s Oscars with a total of eight nods.
The hot favourite is in the running for best film, best director, best actor (Heath Ledger), best supporting actor (Jake Gyllenhaal), best supporting actress (Michelle Williams) and best adapted screenplay.
Its closest rivals are Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Capote, with five nominations each. Capote’s nods include one for best actor for its star, Philip Seymour Hoffman who has already triumphed at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) awards.
British stars fared well among the nominations, with Dame Judi Dench going head to head with Keira Knightley in the best actress category – for Mrs Henderson Presents and Pride & Prejudice respectively.
While Golden Globe and SAG winner Rachel Weisz is hotly-tipped to follow up both of those successes in the best supporting actress category for her role in The Constant Gardener.
Another British success story came in the form of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which is nominated in the best animated film category along with Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Other hotly tipped contenders include George Clooney’s Good Night, And Good Luck and Paul Haggis’ Crash, which both have four nods.
Head to heads at a glance
Although Brokeback Mountain is widely considered to be the favourite in a number of categories, competition is still likely to be tough given the quality of several other contenders.
In the best picture category, for instance, Brokeback is up against Goodnight, and Good Luck, Crash, Capote and Munich – all of which have fared well in awards ceremonies so far this season.
Incredibly, James Mangold’s Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, missed out on a best film nomination despite having triumphed at the Golden Globes in the best musical/comedy category.
However, its stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who also won at the Golden Globes, have been nominated in the best actor and actress categories.
Phoenix will be up against Brokeback’s Heath Ledger, as well as the favourite, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), David Strathairn (Goodnight, and Good Luck) and surprise choice Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow).
Witherspoon, meanwhile, is up against the British duo of Dench and Knightley, as well as Golden Globe winner Felicity Huffman (TransAmerica) and past winner, Charlize Theron (North Country).
Four-times Bafta nominee, George Clooney, is also in the running for four awards at the Oscars. His directorial effort, Goodnight, and Good Luck is in the running for best film, best director and best original screenplay. While he is up for best supporting actor for his performance in Syriana.
And in the best supporting actress category, British actress Rachel Weisz faces competition from Catherine Keener (Capote), Amy Adams (Junebug), Frances McDormand (North Country) and Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain).
The Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre on March 5.