Nominations for the Academy Awards are announced tomorrow, and we can’t help but wonder what five tracks will be in the running for Best Original Song. It’s been an oddly good year for music in movies—relatively speaking, anyway—and while there’s no reason to have faith that the Academy will make anything other than a tacky choice for the winner, there might be some surprises in the nominations. The Golden Globes nominated songs from Wall-E, Gran Torino, Cadillac Records, Bolt, and The Wrestler, ultimately going with Bruce Springsteen’s song from the latter for the win. But maybe something else will sneak in? Something from High School Musical 3, perhaps? A list of the most intriguing contenders is after the jump.
“Barking at the Moon” from Bolt (Jenny Lewis)
“I Thought I Lost You” from Bolt (Miley Cyrus and John Travolta)
“Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records (Beyoncé)
“The Call” from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Regina Spektor)
“Dracula’s Lament” from Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Jason Segel)
“Gran Torino” from Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)
“Rock Me Sexy Jesus” from Hamlet 2 (The Ralph Sall Experience) [This would be my pick, BTW. -MB]
“Now or Never” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
“The Traveling Song” from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (will.i.am)
“The Story” from My Blueberry Nights (Norah Jones)
“In Rodanthe” from Nights in Rodanthe (Emmylou Harris)
“Another Way to Die” from Quantum of Solace (Jack White and Alicia Keys)
“Up to Our Nex” from Rachel Getting Married (Robyn Hitchock)
“O Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire (M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman)
“Little Person” from Synecdoche, New York (Jon Brion)
“Right to Dream” from Tennessee (Mariah Carey and Willie Nelson)
“Down to Earth” from WALL-E (Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman)
“The Wrestler” from The Wrestler (Bruce Springsteen)
“Sweet Ballad” from Yes Man (Munchausen By Proxy: Zooey Deschanel and Von Iva)
Academy Unveils List Of 49 Songs [The Playlist]
I think Eastwood, Springsteen, and Gabriel are locks. Maybe Norah Jones? I dunno.
That Quantum Of Solace song, btw, is still not good at all.
The Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack is incredible, I definitely think it will pick up at least a nod in the Best Original Song category as well as winning the Oscar for Best Original Soundtrack
It’s hard for me to see how HSM3 doesn’t get at least one of its — what, 11? — “semi-finalist” songs in the finals. Also, I suspect some voters will be voting based on who they’d like to see perform, because of the potential ratings draw. So, Beyonce would be a good bet as well.
Nevertheless, I guarantee I’ll watch this year if Miley Cyrus and John Travolta duet at the Oscars!
Oh man, it would be freakin’ awesome to see “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” performed at the Oscars, but I’d settle for “Dracula’s Lament.”
I’d love to see Jon Brion sneak in–that song is excellent. But I think the Academy, much like the general public, will pretend that Synechdoche, New York didn’t happen. (Fuckers! It was great!)
“Rock Me Sexy Jesus” would be an outstanding pick–the production stages itself!–but in this post-”Blame Canada” era it’s highly unlikely. Same goes to a lesser extent for “Dracula’s Lament,” though Sarah Marshall was at least a box-office success, so it has that going for it.
I’m betting the list is at least 4-of-5 the same as the Globes, if not identical.
@How do I say this … THROWDINI!: We seem to have similar feelings on this topic.
Though Peter Gabriel probably has a better shot at winning, I’d probably weep with joy to see Robyn Hitchcock performing on that big stage in front of all those stars, likewise Jason Segal ft. Dracula while Van Helsing glares down at them. HSM will get at least one, but Hamlet 2 would immediately cancel it out: in my mind, as in my uncle’s, they are the same movie.
That Regina Spektor song from the Narnia flick is actually quite good — I could see that sneaking in; it’s classy, etc.
That being said, I’m sure Springsteen has it in the bag, frankly.
Three-Six Mafia or GTFO
How could “Love Take Me Down To The Streets” from “Role Models” not be on this list?
@tigerpop: Seems to be happening a lot today.
@thefridayforty: A Wings reunion would just be impossible.
I’d be happy to see Jenny Lewis get the Oscar that she so deeply deserved for “The Wizard.”