Family Thrilled by Heath Oscar Nod

Benjamin Button, Slumdog lead the pack

(NEWSER) - Exactly a year after his death, Heath Ledger has been nominated for an Academy Award, AP reports. Ledger's Supporting Actor nod was the only nom for The Dark Knight, while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire rose to the top with 13 and 10 nominations respectively. Other nominees:

• Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon; Gus Van Sant, Milk; Stephen Daldry, The Reader; Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Funny and un-funny moments abound at ceremony

(NEWSER) - Oscar night was filled with highs and lows, from the predictably inspirational moments when Kate Winslet finally won and Heath Ledger’s family received his posthumous award, to the cheap shot of producers cutting to Angelina Jolie’s face during Jennifer Aniston’s presenter speech. More from the Los Angeles Times. Best:

• Sean Penn opened his acceptance speech by greeting “you Commie, homo-loving sons-of-a-gun.”

(NEWSER) - Warner Bros. is tiptoeing around the possible Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger, the late star of Dark Knight, writes Rachel Abramowitz in the Los Angeles Times. Hollywood insiders contend that a nod for Ledger is almost certain, but the studio must tread the line between boosting his chances and exploiting popular sympathy for the actor. The company line is that it is promoting all the film's actors equally. More»

Dark Knight , Wall-E would have been in running

(NEWSER) - We should all thank the Academy for its decision to double the number of Best Picture nominees next year, writes Lane Brown in New York. A few reasons why:

• More “crowd-pleasing hits” will be in the running, meaning a ratings jump—which in turn means more exposure for the lesser-known gems.
• Comedies will finally get a chance to take center stage.
• We’ll see more Oscar campaigning, meaning more ad money: “Journalism, consider yourself saved.”

It'll give more films a chance: Academy

(NEWSER) - Next year’s Academy Awards will feature 10 contenders for Best Picture, up from five, the Los Angeles Times reports, a return to how the show ran in 1932-43. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences “is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award,” its academy president says. More»