Books Lead the Nominees for 2016’s Biggest Film Awards

The Revenant, by Michael Punke
The fictionalized story of real-life nineteenth-century fur trapper Hugh Glass starring Leonardo DiCaprio comes from Alejandro Iñárritu, the director of last year’s Best Picture winner, Birdman. It leads the field with 12 total nominations, including (*deep breath*): Best Picture, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Director (Alejandro Iñárritu), Supporting Actor (Tom Hardy), Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Sound Editing.

The Big Short, by Michael Lewis
This non-fiction expose about the housing bubble of the mid-2000s became an acclaimed comedy-drama, directed by veteran comedy helmer Adam McKay and starring Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, and Ryan Gosling. Awards nominations include: Best Picture, Best Director (Adam McKay), Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

The Martian, by Andy Weir
Matt Damon was perfectly cast as Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars, in Ridley Scott’s faithful adaptation of Weir’s breakout sci-fi thriller. The film picked up seven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Matt Damon), Best Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing.

Room, by Emma Donoghue
Donoghue’s poignant bestseller about a young woman and her son adapting to life after having been held captive for seven years stars Brie Larson and Jack Tremblay. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Brie Larson), Best Director (Lenny Abrahamson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Brooklyn, by Colm Tóibín
Saoirse Ronan stars as a young woman who tries to escape her past in Ireland by immigrating to (you guessed it) Brooklyn, in this nominee for Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Carol, based on The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith
The late Patricia Highsmith’s books have made for some truly great films, and 2015 brought one of her earliest works to the screen. The drama about the romantic relationship between two women in the repressive 1950s, was nominated for Best Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Supporting Actress (Rooney Mara), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Cinematography.

The Danish Girl, by David Ebershoff
Ebershoff’s 2000 novel was a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of gender reassignment surgery in the 1920s. Eddie Redmayne stars. Nominations include Best Actor (Eddie Redmayne), Best Supporting Actress (Alicia Vikander), Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

Trumbo, by Bruce Cook
Bryan Cranston stars in the story of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was ostracized from Hollywood after he refused to “name names” during the House Unamerican Activities Committee investigation into Communism in Hollywood in the 1950s. Bryan Cranston earned a Best Actor nomination for taking on the title role.

45 Years, based on In Another Country, by David Constantine
The discovery of the body of an old lover derails an anniversary party, and threatens to destroy a marriage in this quiet drama based on Constantine’s short story. Charlotte Rampling earned a Best Actress nod for her turn as a woman dealing with the jarring appearance of a figure from her long-time husband’s past.

Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
The erotic bestseller-turned-film is, perhaps, an unlikely Oscar® nominee, but the Academy obviously dug the movie’s soundtrack. The Weeknd’s “Earned It” is up for Best Song.
 
Academy Awards® and Oscar® are marks owned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.