This has also been one of the technical categories (next to visual effects) that has always interested me. What movies this year do you expect to be nominated in the category and which one to win?

I think it'll be quite a close race. This year, there have been quite a couple of movies with truly great art direction.

Here are my predictions (winner in bold):


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Memoirs of a Geisha
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
King Kong
The New World

Narnia and Batman Begins are other potential candidates.

This is actually my favorite "soft" technical, next to Cinematography.

I don't really see it from the trailers, but if The New World has enough recreations of early settlements, then it could get nominated. Set design feasts like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Geisha I think are high up in the list. Capote *might*, I keep on thinking about L.A. Confidential and Road to Perdition and Seabiscuit's nominations in the category, so I *think* they like early to mid-20th century set pieces. For my fantasy pick, it would have to be Kong for Skull Island.

Capote
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World

possible spoilers: Good Night and Good Luck (could take Capote's slot), Batman Begins (actually, the most impressive IMO), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I'd say Narnia over the New World in this category.

Normally I'd say Narnia too...I just don't really like what I see in the trailers.

I'd say that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Memoirs of a Geisha and King Kong are pretty much locks for a nom here.

I doubt an Art Direction nom for Potter, Christian. Nothing struck me as particularly amazing or worthy of an award this time around. Right now, I'm predicting this, in order of likeliness of a win.

Memoirs of a Geisha
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
King Kong
Capote
Narnia/Potter/Other?

Not sure about the last slot. Seems like I'm forgetting something.

Well, the first one was nominated and this one's production design is at least as great.

If Charlie wins anything, I will fucking burn down the Kodak theatre.

Get the gasoline ready, Loyal.

Aw, Drew farted

As much as I didn't like it, topping Charlie is going to be tough here, unless Memoirs improbably becomes an Oscar powerhouse.

I actually think the chance that Charlie goes unnominated is more likely. Well at least in Art Direction.

Really? Those impressive, massive sets that completely overwhelm the movie? Smells like Oscar bait to me.

To be fair, I'm no expert in the Art Direction category, but I would think Charlie seems a natural.

I see no chance for it not to be nominated, especially considering all the work that went into production design that I read about. I mean there was as little CGI as possible in there, all was really constructed.

Art Direction: 2000
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (winner)
Gladiator
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Quills
Vatel

2001
Moulin Rouge! (winner)
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain
Gosford Park
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2002
Chicago (winner)
Frida
Gangs of New York
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Road to Perdition

2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (winner)
Girl with a Pearl earring
The Last Samurai
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Seabiscuit

2004
The Aviator (winner)
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Phantom of the Opera
Un long dimanche de fiancailles

My thoughts.
From 2001 (I started there because I was looking at Space Cowboy awards haha) there is always at least 2 nominees lately and no more than 3. I'm guess if we go by the five everyone says this would be probably by any combo of the four except Walk the Line. I'm guessing Memoirs and Good Night for sure with Brokeback pulling up the third place. I'm trying to keep my objectivity for Good Night, but I completely think it has amazing Art Direction.

That leaves a "popular favorite", which I'm guessing will be King Kong or maybe The New World because the people working on Kong are previous nominees and everything on this list was released in the 4th quater of its year.

That usually leaves a dramatic underdog. Maybe Capote, maybe something foreign.

The New World and Kong could be nominated side by side. Narnia isn't out either.

I see:

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night and Good Luck
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World (or Capote)

Memoirs and Kong I think are the only sure bets, but there will be at least 2 BP nominees.

I am very very very sure that Charlie will get nominated. I would bet on that too.

Last year's The Aviator win against Lemony Snicket's art direction makes me sad.

Which is why this all works against Charlie IMO.

1) Normal Oscar politics are at play.

2) Charlie is a distant memory of summer.

3) Charlie is far from being the only deserving candidate and wasn't the biggest critical success either.

I think this all plays into it.

But I was devistated when Azkaban didn't get a Production Design nomination. I thought that was a crime against humanity.

But Sorcerer's Stone got one....

Also, Charlie's reviews were good enough...better than Lemony Snicket's and Phantom's for sure.

I know they were not released in the summer. But it made more at the box-office than the two combined. And its art direction is REALLY "showy".

Hopefully, you are totally wrong.

Maybe, I don't think it's impossible, just leans more towards "unlikely".

But it looks like "the popular" films all are competing for a spot on the list. And Kong's mid December WETA buzz or Narnia's intricate epic power and even Potter crazy designs trump Charlie's memory and crazy sets.

The Academy has never been kind to Burton movies.

Well, there is Sleepy Hollow...

Narnia...doesn't look good to me from the trailers. And that is my most anticipated for the rest of the year, so that is saying something.

Potter...I see it rather snubbed than Charlie because Charlie's were more showy.

Kong...has a spot guaranteed, no argument here.

I thought the Aviator win over that Sub-Addams Family Lemony Snicket crap was a great choice.

Very true. It is unfortunate that the Academy chose to award his style so late in the game rather than for Edward Scissorhands.


I dunno. I mean... Narnia has more buzz (in my view) before its release than Charlie ever had. I'm not really looking forward to Narnia, but I find it hard not to see its buzz. And it really has a top notch crew working on it. Again, it's the Oscars, it doesn't necessarily have to be the "best", just be in a good position. It and Kong are both WETA films though...


I'm not sure if showy really matters. There are modern films that should be nominated because modern production (like Closer and Million Dollar Baby) is just as good as epic crazy sets. I'm not sure, by default, that they should just give awards to the productions with the most outrageous sets. There is no shortage of fantastic production design these days that goes completely unnoticed.

I guess I just don't see Charlie as a "must be nominated" movie. It's just another contender, and not really even a strong one by the numbers.

Last year The Terminal had some of the most amazing art direction of the year and was not nominated. It just didn't seem so showy.

They always put in some modern movie that is also getting nominated in major categories. However, if a modern movie is not nominated anywhere else and is not so showy, it has little chance at a nom. Movies like Frida and Gosford Park sneak in there (even though they are not THAT modern).

Last year's showy noms - The Phantom of the Opera and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Edward didn't get an art direction nom? Hehe. What a pity and a shame. But Sleepy Hollow deserved it too.

Snicket was pretty strong in the technicals, it got 4 nominations (Makeup, Art Direction, Costume Design, Score). You have to remember that 2004 was SUPER short on the technicals outside The Aviator. Remember how much of a mess the Score category was. If Charlie was a 2004 release, I would have had it in my predictions.

2005 doesn't have it so bad, with like 6 major epicy Art Direction-y films at the end of this year.

Edward got a Makeup nom (lost to Dick Tracy). A MAKEUP NOM!!! URGH. And Ghost and Awakenings got Best Picture noms! DICK TRACY WON ART DIRECTION!!! lasdjfl;ajfl;asfjkl;asfjl;asfjl;asjf;as

1991. I shake my fist at you.

Never seen Dick Tracy. But Edward's make-up, its score and its art direction as well as Depp's acting deserved noms.