The 2008 Donna Awards

Best Picture
Changeling – Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Brain Grazer
MILK – Bruce Cohin, Dan Jinks, Michael London
Slumdog Millionaire – Christian Coloson
Tropic Thunder – Stuart Cornfield, Eric Mcleod, Ben Stiller
Wrestler – Darren Aronofsky and Scott Franklin

Best Director
Changeling – Clint Eastwood
MILK – Gus Van Sant
Tropic Thunder – Ben Stiller
Slumdog Millionaire – Danny Boyle
Wrestler – Darren Aronofsky

Best Actor
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Leonardo D’Caprio – Revolutionary Road
Sam Rockwell – Snow Angels

Best Actress
Catinca Untaru – The Fall
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Anjelina Jolie – Changeling
Kate Winslet – The Reader
Melissa Leo – Frozen River

Best Supporting Actor
James Franco - Milk
Robert Downy Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Brad Pitt – Burn After Reader
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Haaz Sleiman – The Visitor

Best Supporting Actress
Samantha Morton – Synedoche, New York
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Frances Mcdormened – Burn After Reading
Taraji P Henson – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best Ensemble
MILK
Tropic Thunder
Wrestler
Slumdog
Burn After Reading

Best Writing Original
Changeling – J. Michael Stracyzski
MILK – Dustin Lance Black
Wrestler – Robert Siegal
Baghead – Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass
The Visitor – Thomas McCarthy

Best Writing Adapted
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Eric Roth and Robin Scwincord
The Reader – David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beafuae
The Fall – Dan Gilroy, Nico Soultankis, Tarsem Sighn
Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan

Cinematography
MILK – Harris Savidade
The Fall – Colin Watkinson
Slumdog Millionaire – Anthony Dod Mantle
Tropic Thunder – John Toll
The Reader – Roger Deakins and Chris Menges

Editing
The Fall – Robert Duffy
Slumdog Millionaire – Chris Dickens
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Kim Baxter and Angus Wall
Tropic Thunder – Greg Hayden
Wrestler – Andrew Wiesblum

Art Direction
Slumdog Milionaire – Michelle Day
Tropic Thunder – Ralph Grot, Richard L. Johnson, Dan Webster
Wrestler – Matthew Munn
Changeling – James Man
MILK – Charley Beal

Costume
The Fall – Ekio Ishika
Wrestler – Amy Westcott
Changeling – Debi Hopper
Slumdog Millionaire – Sturrat Anne Larlarb
MILK – Danny Glicker

Sound
Tropic Thunder – Steve Cantamess
Slumdog Millionaire – Resul Pookutty
The Dark Night – Ed Novick
Wrestler – Ken Kshii
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Mark Wiengarten

Make-Up
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Stacy Hubert
Tropic Thunder – Carlton Coleman
Wrestler – Judy Chin

Best Music
The Visitor – Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Tropic Thunder – Theodore Shapiro
Doubt – Howard Shore
MILK – Danny Elfman
Changeling – Clint Eastwood

Best Original Song
"Little Person" - Synecdoche, NY
"The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
"Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire

Documentary
Gonzo
Final Inch
Man On Wire
Bigger Stronger
Young at Heart

Nomination Tally: (Best Picture Nominees in bold)
12 The Wrestler
10 Slumdog Millionaire
10 Tropic Thunder
9 Milk
6 Changeling
5 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5 The Fall
3 Burn After Reading
3 Doubt
3 The Reader
3 The Visitor
2 The Dark Knight
2 Frost/Nixon
2 Synecdoche, NY
1 Baghead
1 Bigger Stronger Faster
1 Final Inch
1 Frozen River
1 Gonzo
1 Man On Wire
1 Revolutionary Road
1 Snow Angels
1 Young at Heart

Drew's Thoughts:
An interesting line-up at the Donnas this year. There are some noticeable differences from the Drews which keeps things interesting.
I was ecstatic to see Tropic Thunder pick up picture and director (though how did it get forgotten in Original Screenplay?!) and, I think it's interesting how The Wrestler continued to dominate taking home 12(!) nominations. I wasn't sure if it would connect to the PFA, but I'm glad it has. I was also happy to see Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand get more recognition. I have to say though, Doubt got shafted. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams were snubbed, and how it did not get nominated for Adapted Screenplay I'll never know. I wasn't as big of a fan of Changeling or Slumdog so I think they were over-nominated here but, hey, you gotta respect a maverick like Donna who gives them a combined 16 nominations when no one else does.
Colleen's Thoughts:
Happy to See: I was happy to see Slumdog Millionaire get some love from someone. I enjoyed the film and think it maybe it should have got more noms at the Colleen's but some of its flaws stopped me from doing so. I think everyone enjoyed the scene Drew describes in his review (where he gets the celebs signature poop-covered)and so Slumdog deserves from love. I was also happy to see MILK nominated for best picture and Catinca Untaru nominated for best actress (that had some influence on the Colleen's).
Not So Happy to See: Like Drew I am sad that Doubt didn't get due recognition in the picture category, screenplay categories and acting categories. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was great in that film and so I feel he deserved a nom. I also would have changed up the best actress category (as my noms show) and had Blanchett and Hawkins in there. Also, disappointed it seems Hunger was forgotten especially in the sound category.
Hopes for the Donnas:I am excited to see how the Donnas will turn out. I think it will be interesting to see what wins best picture. I am of course hoping that Streep takes home the Donna and that Doubt and MILK make good showings. I am also hoping that The Fall with its tremendous technical work is reognized. It should be a good Donnas.