2009 Oscar Nominations a Curious Case

Leading the way for the 2009 Oscar nominations is "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which led all Academy Awards contenders Thursday with 13 nominations. Brad Pitt was included in the Best Actor category while the movie itself is up for Best Picture. Button director David Fincher is also nominated in the Best Director category. Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category as well as Josh Brolin (Milk), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) and Robert Downey Jr. for the comedy "Tropic Thunder". While Ledger has the nomination it was a dark day otherwise for Dark Knight. The movie failed to be included in either the Best Picture or Best Director nominees. This year Heath Ledger may become only the second actor to win the award posthumously, as he already has won the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker. Rounding out the Best Picture category are "Milk", "Frost/Nixon", "Slumdog Millionaire", and "The Reader". Slumdog was second in the nominations to Benjamin Button with 10. According to Newsday.com, Brad Pitt and partner Angelina Jolie will be attending the awards ceremony both as nominees this year. Jolie has been nominated for best-actress in "Changeling", a story of a missing child.