Must See: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Above: Taraji P. Henson and Brad Pitt earned Screen Actors Guild nods for their work)

The film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button doesn’t share much with the story by F. Scott Fitzgerald beyond the title and the name of the central character. Still, the film embodies the spirit of that whimsical short story. It contemplates what it means to be young, to age, to lose. And the shock of the title character’s passing – as an infant in the arms of a caretaker – is still palpable.

The movie stars Brad Pitt in the title role, but its soul belongs to Kate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson. Blanchett is Daisy, “a dancer, bohemian and all-around free spirit who ages gracefully, before our eyes, into a stately modern matron and then into a wasted, breathless old woman.”

Henson plays Queenie, Benjamin’s adopted mother, and she ages from 26 to 71 in the film. Her performance earned accolades, including a Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild nods.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a satisfying epic, held together by powerful performances and a subtly of direction. It doesn’t feel like your standard dramatic fair. There isn’t a huge legal battle, government conspiracy, plot to murder or overtly obvious CGI effects. What you get is what the New Republic’s Christopher Orr called a “a film of mood, not motion.” But David Ansen of Newsweek described it best: “Lyrical, original, misshapen and deeply felt, this is one flawed beauty of a movie.”

Screen Actors Guild Nods Announced

Nominations for the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® for outstanding performances in 2008 in five film and eight primetime television categories were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s Silver Screen Theater in West Hollywood.

15th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - "THE VISITOR" (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - "FROST/NIXON" (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - "MILK" (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - "THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - "THE WRESTLER" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - "RACHEL GETTING MARRIED" (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - "CHANGELING" (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - "FROZEN RIVER" (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - "REVOLUTIONARY ROAD" (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - "MILK" (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - "TROPIC THUNDER" (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - "THE DARK KNIGHT" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - "DOUBT" (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - "VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA" (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - "DOUBT" (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - "THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - "THE READER" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)


PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
RALPH FIENNES / Bernard Lafferty - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / John Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
KEVIN SPACEY / Ron Klain - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
KIEFER SUTHERLAND / Jack Bauer - "24: REDEMPTION" (FOX)
TOM WILKINSON / Benjamin Franklin - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA DERN / Katherine Harris - "RECOUNT" (HBO)
LAURA LINNEY / Abigail Adams - "JOHN ADAMS" (HBO)
SHIRLEY MacLAINE / Coco Chanel - "COCO CHANEL" (Lifetime)
PHYLICIA RASHAD / Lena Younger - "A RAISIN IN THE SUN" (ABC)
SUSAN SARANDON / Doris Duke - "BERNARD AND DORIS" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - "DEXTER" (Showtime)
JON HAMM / Don Draper - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
HUGH LAURIE / Gregory House - "HOUSE" (FOX)
WILLIAM SHATNER / Denny Crane - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)
JAMES SPADER / Alan Shore - "BOSTON LEGAL" (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD / Nora Walker - "BROTHERS & SISTERS" (ABC)
MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson - "LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT" (NBC)
HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko - "SAVING GRACE" (TNT)
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson - "MAD MEN" (AMC)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson - "THE CLOSER" (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott - "THE OFFICE" (NBC)
DAVID DUCHOVNY / Hank Moody - "CALIFORNICATION" (Showtime)
JEREMY PIVEN / Ari Gold - "ENTOURAGE" (HBO)
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk - "MONK" (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly - "SAMANTHA WHO?" (ABC)
AMERICA FERRERA / Betty Suarez - "UGLY BETTY" (ABC)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - "30 ROCK" (NBC)
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Nancy Botwin - "WEEDS" (Showtime)
TRACEY ULLMAN / Various Characters - "TRACEY ULLMAN’S STATE OF THE UNION" (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
THE CLOSER (TNT)
DEXTER (Showtime)
HOUSE (Fox)
MAD MEN (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (Showtime)

New Trailer: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

If you were a fan of the X-Men comic books or the popular animated Fox series, you'll get a kick out of the trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the uber-successful X-Men movies. You'll spot not only Wolverine and Sabertooth but also Gambit and what appears to be a young Storm, among others. The movie hits theaters in May 2009.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

TV guilty pleasures return in January '09

Big Love, Jan. 18, HBO

As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season Two of Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated 'Big Love' finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home. As a failed expansion and a suspicious employee entangle his work at Henrickson Home Plus, Bill races to find the person responsible for outing his wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) as a polygamist at Utah's Mother of the Year ceremony. Meanwhile, back at the fundamentalist Juniper Hill compound, prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) sets his sights on Bill's brother Joey (Shawn Doyle) as leverage to regain a share of the family business. Throw a pregnant Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) and an overcompensating Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) into the mix, and Bill won't be getting much sleep at any of his houses. Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family. The executive producers of BIG LOVE are Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and series creators Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer (writer of HBO's "In the Gloaming"), who produced the independent feature film "Easter."

Damages, Jan. 7, F/X

The series follows the turbulent lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the nation's most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her bright, ambitious young protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). After her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), Patty Hewes has the legal world at her feet. Just as she's pondering her next move, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a man from Patty's mysterious past, storms back into her life, catapulting Patty into a new legal challenge. What starts as a domestic murder case, escalates into the highest reaches of government as Patty unearths a vast conspiracy. At the same time, Ellen is on a mission to take down Patty. She's agreed to act as an informant for the FBI, assisting them in their criminal investigation of Patty and the firm. As Patty unravels the mystery surrounding Daniel Purcell, she must also negotiate the perilous minefield both inside and outside her office.

Nip/Tuck, Jan. 6, F/X

Earlier this season, Sean and Christian departed Miami for Los Angeles seeking a fresh start for McNamara/Troy in a new city. Convinced that celebrity status can bring them more new patients than their medical reputations, the surgeons became medical consultants for a television drama. Sean was met with early success under the Hollywood spotlight, only to become the victim of a deranged fan. Despite his own attempts to gain notoriety, Christian found himself living in Sean's shadow for the first time in his career. As season five continues, McNamara/Troy faces an unexpected, serious medical crisis. Christian decides to settle down with one woman and Sean discovers a new love in a moment of extreme vulnerability.

With Golden Globe nods announced, Oscar season officially begins

It's been a quiet film-going year. Think about it: No powerhouses like No Country for Old Men, Crash, American Beauty, Return of the King.

With the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations this week, we at least know the direction in which the wind is blowing.

First, some old familiars will battle for the big prizes: Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn will all receive Oscar nods for their work this year.

Penn, who portrayed 1970s gay rights activist Harvey Milk, will most certainly walk away with his second Academy Award for what is being universally hailed as a "soulful [and] highly ingratiating performance." That is, if come-back story of the year, Mickey Rourke, doesn't pull an upset for The Wrestler.

Winslet is probably the most deserving in the leading lady category. The critics say her work in Revolutionary Road and The Reader is phenomenal. Industry insiders say this will finally be her year.

And the best picture of the year, The Dark Knight, will probably get snubbed in the top category, best film. That prize will probably go to indie sensation Slumdog Millionaire, screen adaptation Revolutionary Road, the epic Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the biopic Milk or the political drama Frost/Nixon.

LA Times film blogger Scott Feinberg warns about not reading too much into the Golden Globe nods. The Globes aren't an Oscar precursor, per se, as the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association "are primarily made up of film journalists, as opposed to filmmakers, who make up the vast majority of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."

Once the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America announce their nominations, we'll be a bit more certain. Still, we know enough now to publish our early predictions.

Here are the top categories.

BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"Doubt"
"Milk"

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire")
David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon")
Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road")
Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight")
Gus Van Sant ("Milk")

BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road")
Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon")
Sean Penn ("Milk")
Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler")

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married")
Angelina Jolie ("Changeling")
Meryl Streep ("Doubt")
Kristin Scott Thomas ("I've Loved You So Long")
Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess")
Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")
Josh Brolin ("Milk")
Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams ("Doubt")
Viola Davis ("Doubt")
Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler")
Kate Winslet ("The Reader")
Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black ("Milk")
Jenny Lumet ("Rachel Getting Married")
Nick Schenck ("Gran Torino")

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"Gomorra" (Italy)
"I've Loved You So Long" (France)