The Academy
Awards appear to be the three-horse race many expected they would be, with
"Gravity," ''American Hustle" and "12 Years a Slave"
all receiving a heap of nominations in an Oscar field that blends otherworldly
endurance with glamorous escapism.
The
nominations for the 86th Academy Awards, announced Thursday morning in Beverly
Hills, Calif., were led by the 3-D space odyssey "Gravity" and the
con-artist caper "American Hustle," both with 10 nominations. The
harrowing historical epic "12 Years a Slave" trailed closely with
nine nominations.
All were
among the nine films nominated for best picture. The other nominees are
"Captain Phillips," ''Dallas Buyers Club," ''Her,"
''Nebraska," ''The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Philomena."
The most
notable omission by the academy was Tom Hanks, whose lead performance in
"Captain Phillips" was widely considered a shoo-in. It was a
particularly surprising snub since Hanks is widely beloved by the academy,
having been nominated five times previously, winning for "Forest
Gump" and "Philadelphia."
