Oscar nominees 2015: 'Birdman,' 'Grand Budapest Hotel' the films to beat

Two comedies, “Birdman” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” are now the films to beat at the upcoming 87th Academy Awards. Both films earned nine nominations each, including for best picture, when this year’s Oscar nominees were announced Thursday morning.

“The Imitation Game” followed with eight nominations, including best actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the mathematician Alan Turing. “Boyhood” earned six nominations, as did Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper.” All three earned nods for best picture.

“Birdman” earned Michael Keaton a leading actor nomination for his portrayal of a washed-up Hollywood actor, but “Boyhood,” Richard Linklater’s 12-years-long production about a splintered family, seems the favorite for best picture, especially after winning the Golden Globe for best dramatic picture. Wes Anderson’s lavishly-produced “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is nominated in many behind-the-camera categories, such as production design, although Anderson is nominated for best director and best screenplay.

Also in the best actor category is Steve Carell, for his dramatic turn as a creepy millionaire in “Foxcatcher,” and Eddie Redmayne, who plays the physicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory Of Everything.” Redmayne won the Golden Globe for best dramatic actor.

Two surprises in the best actress category were Rosamund Pike, who played a vanished wife in “Gone Girl,” and Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night,” a French-language film. Despite much buzz and a Golden Globe nomination for Jennifer Aniston in the drama “Cake,” she does not appear in the Oscars' leading actress category.

The biggest surprise was the five nominations for “Whiplash,” an independent film from Damien Chazelle, a second-time filmmaker who has yet to turn 30. The story of a young jazz drummer and his abusive teacher, “Whiplash” earned nods for adapted screenplay, supporting actor (for J.K. Simmons) and, most impressive, best picture. “Whiplash” edged out major contenders like Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” and Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” to land a spot in the best picture category, which this year found room for only eight titles.

“Virunga,” a documentary set in the Republic of Congo, earned Netflix an Oscar nomination in the documentary feature category. “Ida,” a Polish film about the aftermath of the Holocaust, was nominated for foreign-language film and also for cinematography. “The Lego Movie,” a critical and commercial hit, was shut out of the animated feature category but earned a nod for best song, “Everything is Awesome.”

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