Here we go: the 3rd Annual Not All Texans Ride Horses to School Award Nominees

With one week left before we can finally bid 2009 adieu, I figured that it would be appropriate to reveal my personal nominees from the past year. This is a year that, the more I think about it, the more I like it. It's not quite 2007, but it's a decent step up from 2008, especially in terms of performances. As much as I like to bitch and moan about who gets nominated, snubbed, or whatever changes are made to the ceremony, I still love the Oscars; it's just that I, like so many cinephiles out there, can do this Best of the Year schtick better (you're more than welcome to disagree, but can we at least agree that The Blind Side doesn't need to be anywhere near AMPAS' top 10?). In keeping with AMPAS' new rule, I will be switching to a 10 Best Picture nominee system this year, and I'm actually glad. With such a wide array of excellent films and performances, I actually like recognizing 10 films as "my best picture choices". Even then, it still doesn't seem to be enough; there are at least three films that I give Honorable Mentions to that just don't quite squeak onto my Top 10, and it's a shame. Even worse are the performances categories, where in at least two of the four acting categories I desperately want to include a sixth nominee (I did it last year in both Lead and Supporting Actress). However, I've decided to be slightly more formal, and even though I HATE to leave out this handful of actors, I'm going to, lest I suddenly start giving "personal nominations" (y'know, because Hollywood cares so much about what I think...) to everyone; 10 Best Picture nominees I can live with; 40 acting nominees...not so much. So, after 65 films (and counting, but we'll get to that), and a whole range of quality, who and what made it to the top? Here are your (well, my) nominees for the 3rd Annual Texan Awards.

**PS: Seeing as there are a number of films that I won't be able to see before Oscar night or until the day before the Oscars (notably A Prophet), these are actually "Open Nominees," meaning that anytime I review another 2009 film, make sure to find this post and look to see who/what has changed. All clear? Alright, onto the (current) nominees!

**PPS: I plan on doing video presentation of my winners, now that I have FinalCutPro; it should make the awards (due on Sunday, only hours before the Oscars this year) much mo

re fun. Hopefully I can find enough to do it!

The 3rd Annual Texan Award Nominees

For Excellence in the Year 2009:

Best Picture:

Best Actor:

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Sharlto Copely - District 9

Colin Firth - A Single Man

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Sam Rockwell - Moon

Best Actress:

Abbie Cornish - Bright Star

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Tilda Swinton - Julia

Best Supporting Actor:

Peter Capaldi - In the Loop

Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker

Alfred Molina - An Education

James Gandolfini - In the Loop

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress:

Marion Cotillard - Nine

Penelope Cruz - Broken Embraces

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Mo'Nique - Precious

Best Director:

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Joel and Ethan Coen - A Serious Man

Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon

Jacques Audiard - A Prophet

Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Best Ensemble Cast:

An Education
A Serious Man
Inglourious Basterds
In the Loop
The Hurt Locker

Nine

Precious

Best Original Screenplay:

A Prophet

A Serious Man

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The White Ribbon

Best Adapted Screenplay:

An Education

A Single Man

District 9

In the Loop

Up in the Air

Best Editing:

A Prophet

District 9

The Hurt Locker

In the Loop

Up in the Air

Best Cinematography:

A Single Man

Bright Star

The Hurt Locker

Nine

The White Ribbon

Best Art Direction:

A Single Man

Bright Star

Inglourious Basterds

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Nine

Best Costume Design:

A Single Man

Bright Star

Cheri

Inglourious Basterds

Nine

Best Foreign Language Film:

Spain
France

Germany

Best Animated Film:

Best Original Score

[listening samples coming soon]:

A Single Man - Abel Korzeniowski

Bright Star - Mark Bradshaw

Broken Embraces - Alberto Iglesias

The Last Station - Sergey Yevtushenko

The Road - Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

Best Original Song:

"The Weary Kind" - Crazy Heart

"Take it All" - Nine

Best Make Up:

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Nine
The Road

Star Trek

Best Visual Effects:

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

Best Sound Editing:

Avatar

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Nine

Star Trek

Best Sound Mixing:

Avatar
District 9

The Hurt Locker

Nine

Star Trek