2009 Academy Award Best Picture Nominations
Who Will Win, Who Should Win Oscar for Top Movie
Feb 11, 2009
Five movies make up the 2009 Oscar nominees for best picture. They are "Milk," "Frost/Nixon," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." First, a brief look at each film:
“Milk”
”Milk” is a biopic about Harvey Milk, the United States’ first openly gay politician. An activist for gay rights in 1970s San Francisco, Milk’s fear of being assassinated is realized (this isn’t a spoiler, that fact is revealed within the first five minutes of the movie). It’s a story rooted in controversy that, despite the downfall of his heartbreaking hero, ends on an uplifting note that continues to carry Milk’s legacy forward.
“Frost/Nixon”
U.S. President Richard Nixon retreats from public life after he resigned in 1974 until talk-show host David Frost persuaded him, with the help of a few dollars, to take part in several interviews. Both men have an agenda: Frost looks at the interviews as a chance to boost his journalistic credo, and Nixon seeks to make a fresh start in politics.
“The Reader”
A woman who had an affair with a teenager is on trial for Nazi war crimes, but is hiding a secret that could have affected the outcome of her trail. That teenager is now a law student who is observing the trial as part of his studies, and he is the only know who knows her secret.
“Slumdog Millionaire”
An orphan from the slums of Mumbai ends up on India’s most popular game show to win 1,000,000 rupees and become a “Slumdog Millionaire,” but is arrested because he is suspected of cheating. After all, how could a kid from the slums have all the right answers? How? Through his experiences growing up.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Brad Pitt stars as Benjamin Button, a man who was born at the age 80 and then “grows down” rather than growing up — he ages backwards. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” follows Button throughout his life, and may remind audiences of the fairy-tale like “Forrest Gump.”
Who Will Win 2009 Oscar for Best Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Traditionally, Oscar has loved transformations in film (to wit, Oscar winners Hilary Swank starring as a boy in “Boys Don’t Cry” and Nicole Kidman playing author Virginia Wolf in “The Hours.”) “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is one heck of a tale — a lot happens in the movie and it unfolds rather believably and seamlessly. The makeup on its star, Brad Pitt, which transforms him from an old man to a youngster, is Oscar-worthy in itself. “Milk” and “Frost/Nixon” may not win because the stories are not original — they’re based on past events. The heart of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” while based on a story, carries more originality and creativity, with major star Pitt carrying the film through to its poignant conclusion.
Who Should Win 2009 Oscar for Best Picture
“Slumdog Millionaire.” “Slumdog Millionaire” should take the award for the same reason “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” looks like the front-runner. It’s original and creative, and who doesn’t like to see an underdog (or slumdog, in this case) win? The performances by the relatively unknown actors are astonishing, the story is inspiring and entertaining, and word-of-mouth has no doubt played a large part in this movie’s popularity. This is the public’s movie. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is the Academy Award’s members’ movie.
