Book lovers had a lot to celebrate with the announcement of the 84th Annual Academy Award nominees! Three of the Best Actor nominees, as well as ALL five of the Best Actress nominees are for performances from films based on books. Among the nine films nominated for Best Picture, six of the films were based on books!
HUGO – Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.
Under the skilled direction of Martin Scorsese, this Caldecott-winning children’s book is a wonderful “love letter” to the power of film and film-making.
THE DESCENDANTS – Based on the book The Descendants, by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
Hemming’s book about the journey of a man and his two daughters after his wife is involved in an serious accident made for an Oscar-worthy film under the direction of Alexander Payne.
MONEYBALL – Based on the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis.
Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane recreates his baseball team…on a budget. The book, and film, give hope and inspiration to the all those out there trying to do battle with opponents with much deeper pockets. Directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt and Johnah Hill.
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE – Based on the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Stephen Daldry directs Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max Von Sydow and Thomas Horn in the film adaptation of Foer’s book about a 9 year-old boy trying to uncover clues about his father death in the World Trade Center on September 11.
WAR HORSE – Based on the book War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo.
When his horse is sold to the Army, a young man enlists in World War I in hopes of being reunited with his beloved animal. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is based on Morpurgo’s children’s book.
THE HELP – Based on the book The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.
On the New York Times Bestseller list longer than any book since The Da Vinci Code, Stockett’s inspirational story about the unlikely friendships that are formed around a secret writing project in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960′s South. Directed by Tate Taylor. The ensemble cast includes: Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howeard, Jessica Chastain and Sissy Spacek.
Woody Allen’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Terrence Malick’s TREE OF LIFE and Michel Hazanavicius’ THE ARTIST round out the nine films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Out of the nine films, who do you predict to win the Oscar?
(The 84th Annual Academy Awards air on ABC, February 26 at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST.)
