“Brokeback” leads pack of message films for Oscars

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A pack of art house movies with
serious social themes dominated Academy Award nominations on
Tuesday, led by the lovelorn cowboys of “Brokeback Mountain,”
which scored eight nominations including best film.

“Brokeback Mountain” won many early movie awards, and is
now the clear front-runner for the best film Oscar. It also
earned nominations for Ang Lee as best director, Heath Ledger
as best actor, Jake Gyllenhaal as best supporting actor and
Michelle Williams in the best supporting actress category.

“I thought it was a small work of love,” director Lee told
Reuters. “I never thought it would play like this.”

But despite wowing critics, the media and now Oscar voters,
“Brokeback” faces a pitched battle for best movie because the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never before
given its top honor to a film with an overtly gay love story.

Its biggest challenge may come from moody race relations
drama “Crash,” which has made a comeback in the Oscar hunt in
recent weeks, and George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,”
a tale of newsman Edward R. Murrow’s attack on McCarthyism. The
story resonates today as people question whether civil
liberties are being lost in the war on terrorism.

Both had six nominations apiece, and “Good Night” earned
David Strathairn, who plays Murrow, a best actor nomination.

Not far behind are “Capote,” about writer Truman Capote’s
questionable ethics, and “Munich,” Steven Spielberg’s story of
the moral price Israel paid for hunting down the killers of its
athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. “Capote” and “Munich”
scored five nominations each, including best film.

“This is a courageous year for filmmakers. … They are
saying ‘If I never make another film, this one says what I
think and feel,”‘ Spielberg told Reuters.

Of the top nominees, only “Munich” was a major studio
release.

FRESH FACES AT OSCAR

In acting categories, 14 of the nominees are first-timers,
giving the Academy a chance to show off some fresh faces to
mainstream audiences watching the March 5 awards show.

“It’s wonderful, of course, because the Academy nomination
is the greatest honor you can receive,” said Britain’s Rachel
Weisz, nominated as best supporting actress for her portrayal
of an activist in “The Constant Gardner.”

Among best actor nominees, Ledger and Strathairn were
joined by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the title role in “Capote,”
Terrence Howard as a pimp in “Hustle & Flow” and Joaquin
Phoenix playing singer Johnny Cash in romance “Walk the Line.”

Ledger said he was honored, and noted the acclaim that went
to co-stars Gyllenhaal and Williams — with whom he recently
had a baby girl.

“It’s a real honor, and it helps when your partner is
nominated and you can roll over and give her a hug,” he said.

Best actress nominees were Reese Witherspoon playing singer
June Carter in “Walk the Line,” Felicity Huffman as a
transgendered character in “Transamerica,” Keira Knightley for
romance “Pride & Prejudice,” and previous winners Judi Dench in
World War II-era “Mrs. Henderson Presents” and Charlize Theron
in sexual harassment drama “North Country.”

Joining Gyllenhaal in the supporting actor category were
Clooney in “Syriana,” Matt Dillon in “Crash,” Paul Giamatti in
“Cinderella Man” and William Hurt for “A History of Violence.”

In the supporting actress group, Williams and Weisz were
joined by newcomer Amy Adams for “Junebug,” Catherine Keener in
“Capote” and Frances McDormand in “North Country.”

Joining Lee in the race for best director will be Bennett
Miller for “Capote,” Paul Haggis with “Crash,” Clooney with
“Good Night, and Good Luck,” and Spielberg for “Munich.”

Foreign language film nominations went to Italy’s “Don’t
Tell,” France’s “Joyeux Noel,” Germany’s “Sophie Scholl – The
Final Days,” South Africa’s “Tsotsi,” and Palestinian film,
“Paradise Now.” It is the first time that a Palestinian movie
has received an Academy Award nomination.