and the nominees are....

The 2012 Academy Award Nominees were announced early this morning!  I don't know about you, but I anticipate this every year! I love the Oscars for so many reasons! Obviously the red carpet fashion is the #1 reason I watch, but I love the intensity of it all....hoping your favorite movie, actor or actress will win! The speeches I can take or leave! For the past few years my friends and I have had Oscar parties. We print off the nominee list...make our picks prior to the show...and pool some money together! Whoever has the most correct at the end of the show wins! {I won last year!} It makes the show 100 times more interesting! Now that the nominees are out, I have to get renting some movies so I can accurately make my picks...!

Here are the nominees {...the ones we care about!}

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Nick Nolte, Warrior

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids - Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo

Margin Call - J.C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

A Separation - Asghar Farhadi

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash

Hugo - John Logan and Brian Selznick

Ides of March - George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon

Moneyball - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

ANIMATED FEATURE

A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Bullhead (Belgium)

Footnote (Israel)

In Darkness (Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)

A Separation (Iran)

BEST ACTOR

Demián Bichir, A Better Life

George Clooney, The Descendants

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close, Alfred Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Rooney Mara, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep, Iron Lady

Michelle Williams, My Week

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorcese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terence Malik, The Tree of Life

BEST PICTURE

The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
Warhorse

What are your picks for this years winners?!*