The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences drinks your Milkshake all up as it announced eight nominations today for the Harvey Milk biopic, making it a heavyweight contender to actually win an award, which we'll find out next month. Who got nominated? And what major Hollywood actor (and lunatic) turned down a role in the film? Find out after the jump.
And the categories are (insert drum roll here)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Josh Brolin
Achievement in Directing – Gus Van Sant
Best Original Screenplay – Dustin Lance Black
Achievement in Costume Design– Danny Glicker
Achievement in Film Editing – Elliot Graham
Best Orignal Score – Danny Elfman
With Brolin getting a nomination, you have to wonder if Tom Cruise is kicking himself for turning down the role of homophobic City Supervisor Dan White. Director Gus Van Sant's original plan was for Cruise to play the role:
"I thought if I connected those two guys (Cruise and Penn) at the time I could go into the studio and say, "Look, I have these two guys' and they would do it. There was always the problem with the gay community aspect of the film so they needed a reason to overcome that fear that they had of making a film that wasn't going to have a very big return money wise, so that was my plan."
Two male English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up his forbidden love, Maurice (pronounced "Morris") and marries. While staying with Clive and his shallow wife, Anne, Maurice finally discovers romance in the arms of Alec, the gamekeeper. Written from personal pain, it's E.M. Forster's story of coming to terms with sexuality in the Edwardian age.
