Oscar nominations announced, movie fans begin bickering, plans to release Transformers tragically not altered.

You can let out that lungful of nervous, excited breath now, prognosticators! The Oscar nominations have been announced and now we can get back to the important business of celebrating the worthy, pouting over the ignored and holding our nervous and excited breath for the big night on February 25th.

By the way, Dennis at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule posted an excellent love/hate letter to Uncle Oscar yesterday, and it’s a very solid, rollercoastery read for all movie fans. He even praises David Letterman’s year in the Oscar Host Hotseat, an opinion that I thought I was the only one to hold.

But anyway.

Here are the nominations for the 79th Annual Academy Awards:

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Leonardo DiCaprio – BLOOD DIAMOND
• Ryan Gosling – HALF NELSON
• Peter O’Toole – VENUS
• Will Smith – THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
• Forest Whitaker – THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Alan Arkin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
• Jackie Earle Haley – LITTLE CHILDREN
• Djimon Hounsou – BLOOD DIAMOND
• Eddie Murphy – DREAMGIRLS
• Mark Wahlberg – THE DEPARTED

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Penélope Cruz – VOLVER
• Judi Dench – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
• Helen Mirren – THE QUEEN
• Meryl Streep – THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
• Kate Winslet – LITTLE CHILDREN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Adriana Barraza – BABEL
• Cate Blanchett – NOTES ON A SCANDAL
• Abigail Breslin – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
• Jennifer Hudson – DREAMGIRLS
• Rinko Kikuchi – BABEL

Best animated feature film of the year

• CARS
• HAPPY FEET
• MONSTER HOUSE

Achievement in art direction

• DREAMGIRLS
• THE GOOD SHEPHERD
• PAN’S LABYRINTH
• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
• THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in cinematography

• THE BLACK DAHLIA
• CHILDREN OF MEN
• THE ILLUSIONIST
• PAN’S LABYRINTH
• THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in costume design

• CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
• THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
• DREAMGIRLS
• MARIE ANTOINETTE
• THE QUEEN

Achievement in directing

• BABEL
• THE DEPARTED
• LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
• THE QUEEN
• UNITED 93

Best documentary feature

• DELIVER US FROM EVIL
• AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
• IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
• JESUS CAMP
• MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best documentary short subject

• THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
• RECYCLED LIFE
• REHEARSING A DREAM
• TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing

• BABEL
• BLOOD DIAMOND
• CHILDREN OF MEN
• THE DEPARTED
• UNITED 93

Best foreign language film of the year

• AFTER THE WEDDING
• DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
• THE LIVES OF OTHERS
• PAN’S LABYRINTH
• WATER

Achievement in makeup

• APOCALYPTO
• CLICK
• PAN’S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• BABEL
• THE GOOD GERMAN
• NOTES ON A SCANDAL
• PAN’S LABYRINTH
• THE QUEEN

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “I Need to Wake Up” – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
• “Listen” – DREAMGIRLS
• “Love You I Do” – DREAMGIRLS
• “Our Town” – CARS
• “Patience” – DREAMGIRLS

Best motion picture of the year

• BABEL
• THE DEPARTED
• LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
• LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
• THE QUEEN

Best animated short film

• THE DANISH POET
• LIFTED
• THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
• MAESTRO
• NO TIME FOR NUTS

Best live action short film

• BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
• ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
• HELMER & SON
• THE SAVIOUR
• WEST BANK STORY

Achievement in sound editing

• APOCALYPTO
• BLOOD DIAMOND
• FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
• LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST

Achievement in sound mixing

• APOCALYPTO
• BLOOD DIAMOND
• DREAMGIRLS
• FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST

Achievement in visual effects

• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
• POSEIDON
• SUPERMAN RETURNS

Adapted screenplay

• BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
• CHILDREN OF MEN
• THE DEPARTED
• LITTLE CHILDREN
• NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Original screenplay

• BABEL
• LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
• LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
• PAN’S LABYRINTH
• THE QUEEN

Congrats, moviemakers! Except for the Click guys, of course. That should really go without saying.