Countdown to the Oscars (bleh), Part 4

This may be the final installment of the "Countdown to the Oscars," as I've realized I haven't seen quite a few of the foreign language film nominees and very few of the ones I've seen, outside of The Class, All About My Mother and Revanche, are even worth recommending. I guess that new foreign-language committee really is helping as I didn't see a single nominee from 2008 (I'll probably see Andrzej Wajda's Katyn sometime, but I'm not in a hurry). I debated going through the glaring omissions of each year, but most of my candidates will be for foreign-language candidates, and we know how rarely those show up. Of the acting omissions, Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky is near the top, just below Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive, which is the only film she's ever completely rocked my world. Without further adieu, here are the directors and screenwriters.

Ten Best "Best Director" Nominees

1. David Lynch, Mulholland Drive (2002)
2. Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood (2008)
3. Paul Greengrass, United 93 (2007)
4. Fernando Meirelles, City of God (2004)
5. Michael Mann, The Insider (2000)
6. Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2008)
7. Pedro Almodóvar, Talk to Her (2003)
8. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men (2008)
9. Gus Van Sant, Milk (2009)
10. Martin Scorsese, The Departed (2007)

Ten Worst "Best Director" Nominees

1. Stephen Daldry, The Reader (2009)
2. Lasse Hallström, The Cider House Rules (2000)
3. Taylor Hackford, Ray (2005)
4. Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind (2002)
5. David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2009)
6. Jason Reitman, Juno (2008)
7. Paul Haggis, Crash (2007)
8. Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York (2003)
9. Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby (2005)
10. Alexander Payne, Sideways (2005)

Ten Best "Best Original Screenplay" Nominees

1. Pedro Almodóvar, Talk to Her (2003)
2. Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky (2009)
3. Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich (2000)
4. Todd Haynes, Far from Heaven (2003)
5. Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Cuarón, Y tu mamá también (2003)
6. Brad Bird, The Incredibles (2005)
7. Martin McDonagh, In Bruges (2009)
8. Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds, Finding Nemo (2004)
9. Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums (2002)
10. Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale (2006)

Nine Worst "Best Original Screenplay" Nominees (I only really disliked 8 of them that I saw, and no I didn't see My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

1. Paul Haggis, Crash (2007)
2. Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl (2008)
3. Guillermo Arriaga, Babel (2008)
4. Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous (2001)
5. Jim Sheridan, Kristen Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan - In America (2004)
6. Milo Addica, Will Rokos, Monster's Ball (2002)
7. Alan Ball, American Beauty (2000)
8. David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson, Gladiator (2001)

Ten Best "Adapted Screenplay" Nominees

1. Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, Before Sunset (2005)
2. Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, Election (2000)
3. Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Children of Men (2007)
4. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men (2008)
5. Braulio Mantovani, City of God (2004)
6. Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood (2008)
7. Sarah Polley, Away from Her (2008)
8. Todd Field, Robert Festinger, In the Bedroom (2002)
9. Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, Tsai Kuo Jung, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001)
10. Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr. Ripley (2000)

Ten Worst "Adapted Screenplay" Nominees

1. Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal (2007)
2. John Irving, The Cider House Rules (2000)
3. David Hare, The Reader (2009)
4. Akiva Goldsman, A Beautiful Mind (2002)
5. Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat (2001)
6. Gary Ross, Seabiscuit (2004)
7. David Magee, Finding Neverland (2005)
8. Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2009)
9. Steven Kloves, Wonder Boys (2001)
10. Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Roger S.H. Schulman, Shrek (2002)