The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American
fantasyFantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
-
drama filmA drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by
David FincherDavid Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
. The screenplay by
Eric RothEric Roth is an American screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump . He also co-wrote the screenplay for Michael Mann's The Insider , the Steven Spielberg film Munich , and David Fincher's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , all of which were nominated for...
and
Robin SwicordRobin Swicord is an American screenwriter and film director. She wrote the screenplay for the film Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden...
is loosely based on the 1922
short storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
of the same name by
F. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
. The film stars
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
as a man who ages in reverse and
Cate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
as the love interest throughout his life.
The film was released in the United States on December 25, 2008, to positive reviews. The film went on to receive thirteen Academy Award nominations, including
Best PictureThe Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
, Best Director,
Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for Pitt, and
Best Supporting ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for
Taraji P. HensonTaraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
. It won three Oscars, for
Art DirectionThe Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
, Makeup, and Visual Effects.
Plot
In 2005, Daisy, an elderly woman, is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. Daisy asks her daughter, Caroline, to read aloud from the diary of Benjamin Button.
In 1918, Mr. Gateau, a blind New Orleans clockmaker, loses his son on the battlefields of France in
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. As a way to deal with the grief, Gateau builds a large clock for the New Orleans train station, but fixes it so that the time goes in reverse. When asked why, Gateau states that maybe time will reverse and the men lost in the war—including his son—might come home again.
On the evening of
November 11, 1918Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, a boy is born with the appearance and physical maladies of a very elderly man. The baby's mother dies shortly after giving birth, and the father, Thomas Button, abandons the infant on the porch of a nursing home. Queenie and Mr. "Tizzy" Weathers, who work at the nursing home, find the baby, and Queenie decides to care for him as her own.
In 1930, 12-year-old Benjamin, having exchanged a wheelchair for crutches, befriends six-year-old Daisy, whose grandmother lives in the nursing home. As Benjamin's body grows younger, he accepts work on a
tugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
. Benjamin also meets Thomas Button, who does not reveal that he is Benjamin's father. In 1936, Benjamin leaves New Orleans with the tugboat crew for a long-term work engagement. He eventually finds himself in
MurmanskMurmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, where he starts an affair with Elizabeth Abbott, wife of the British Trade Minister.
In 1941, while the tugboat crew is still in Russia, Japan attacks the U.S. at
Pearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
thrusting America into World War II. Mike volunteers the boat to be a ship in the U.S. Navy and the crew is assigned to scrap collection duty. Then one night later in the war, the tugboat stumbles upon a sunken U.S. transport and the bodies of hundreds of American troops. Then a German submarine surfaces. Knowing his duty Mike steers the tugboat full speed towards the sub while a German gunner fires on the tugboat killing most of the crew including Mike. The tugboat rams the submarine causing it to explode sinking both vessels. The next day Benjamin and one other crew member are picked up by ships of the U.S. Navy.
In 1945, Benjamin returns to New Orleans, and learns that 21-year-old Daisy has become a successful ballet dancer. Benjamin again crosses paths with Thomas Button, who, terminally ill, reveals that he is Benjamin's father. Thomas wills Benjamin his possessions before he dies.
Daisy's dance career is ended in
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1957, when she is hit by a taxi cab and breaks her leg. When Benjamin goes to see her, Daisy is amazed at his youthful appearance, but frustrated at her own injuries; she tells him to stay out of her life. In 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin. Now of comparable physical age, they fall in love and move in together.
Daisy gives birth to a girl, Caroline in 1968. Benjamin, believing he cannot be a father figure to his daughter due to his reverse aging, sells his belongings and leaves the proceeds to Daisy and Caroline. He travels the world alone during the 1970s.
Benjamin, appearing to be in his early twenties, returns to Daisy in 1980. Now re-married, Daisy introduces Benjamin to her husband and daughter as a family friend. Daisy then visits Benjamin at his hotel, where they share their passion for each other. Daisy admits that Benjamin was right to leave; she could not have coped otherwise. Benjamin departs again.
In 1991, widowed Daisy receives a phone call from social workers. They have found Benjamin — now apparently about 12 years old — living in a condemned building, and have contacted her because they found her name in his diary. The bewildered social workers say that his condition resembles
dementiaDementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
. Daisy moves into the nursing home where Benjamin grew up and takes care of him as he becomes increasingly younger until, physically, he becomes an infant once more. In 2003, he dies in Daisy's arms remembering who she was. Benjamin's story now told, Daisy dies in her New Orleans hospital bed, as
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
approaches.
Cast
- Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
as Benjamin Button, apparent adult.
- Robert Towers
-Animated roles:* Doctor Dolittle - Various Animals* Kidd Video - Cool Cat* Pole Position - Additional Voices-Film roles:* Masters of the Universe - Karg* Switch - Mental Patient...
as Benjamin Button, apparent adult.
- Peter Donald Badalamenti II as Benjamin Button, apparent adult.
- Tom Everett
Tom Everett is an American actor known for his performances in political films such as Air Force One and Thirteen Days.-Film:-TV:-External links:...
as Benjamin Button, apparent adult.
- Spencer Daniels
Spencer Eli Daniels is an American film and television teen actor.He was born in Los Angeles, California. Daniels began acting professionally at the age of ten. Daniels has appeared in over ten films including Star Trek and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
as Benjamin Button, apparent age 12.
- Chandler Canterbury
Chandler Canterbury is an American child actor.-Life and career:Canterbury was born in Houston, Texas, to Kristine and Russell Canterbury, and resides in Houston. He starred in Summit Entertainment's thriller Knowing for director Alex Proyas , alongside Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne...
as Benjamin Button, apparent age 8.
- Charles Henry Wyson as Benjamin Button, apparent age 6.
- Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
as Daisy Fuller, adult.
- Elle Fanning
Mary Elle Fanning , credited as Elle Fanning, is an American actress. She is the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning and mainly known for her starring roles in Phoebe in Wonderland, Somewhere, Super 8 and We Bought a Zoo which will receive a theatrical release on December 23,...
as Daisy Fuller, age 6.
- Madisen Beaty
Madisen Beaty is an American teen actress based in the Los Angeles, California area. She has two younger siblings, Declan and Rylie. Both are actors.-Career:...
as Daisy Fuller, age 11.
- Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
as Queenie
- Julia Ormond
Julia Karin Ormond is an English actress who has appeared in film and television and on stage.-Early life and education:...
as Caroline Fuller
- Shiloh Jolie-Pitt as Caroline Fuller, age 2.
- Jason Flemyng
Jason Iain Flemyng is an English actor. He is known for his film work, which has included roles in British films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch , both for Guy Ritchie, as well as Hollywood productions such as Rob Roy along with the Alan Moore comic book adaptations From...
as Thomas Button
- Mahershalalhashbaz Ali
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Richard Tyler on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400, and "Tizzy" in the 2008 motion picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Ali was born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore in Oakland,...
as Tizzy Weathers
- Jared Harris
Jared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
as Captain Mike Clark
- Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
as Monsieur Gateau
- Ed Metzger
Ed Metzger is an American actor and writer.Metzger is known for portrayals of famous men in history. He has portrayed Albert Einstein live on stage for over 30 years in his one-man show, Albert Einstein: The Practical Bohemian. He also portrayed Ernest Hemingway in his live on stage...
as Theodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
- Phyllis Somerville
Phyllis Somerville, born 1944, is an American stage, screen, and television actress. Her most prominent role to date was in 2006 as the mother of the sexual predator played by Jackie Earle Haley in Todd Field's Little Children....
as Grandma Fuller
- Josh Stewart
Joshua Regnall Stewart is an American actor best known for his role as Holt McLaren in the FX TV series Dirt. He was also cast as Brendan Finney in the final season of the NBC TV series Third Watch.-Early life:...
as Pleasant Curtis
- Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
as Elizabeth Abbott
- Bianca Chiminello
Bianca Chiminello is an Australian model and actress best known for her role as "Jenavian Charto" in the Farscape miniseries and television series. Chiminello's breakout film performance is in the December 2008 release of David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and...
as Daisy's friend
- Rampai Mohadi as Ngunda Oti
Development
Producer
Ray StarkRay Stark was an American film producer and powerbroker known for his Machiavellian ways.While putting together the Broadway musical Funny Girl - the highly fictionalized account of the life of his mother-in-law, Fanny Brice - its producer David Merrick took Stark and his wife to see an unknown...
bought the film rights to do
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in the mid-1980s, and it was optioned by
Universal Pictures-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
. The first choice to direct it was
Frank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
, with
Martin ShortMartin Hayter Short, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, singer and producer. He is best-known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live...
attached for the title role, but Oz could not work out how to make the story work. The film was optioned in 1991 by
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, with
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
attached for the lead role, but Spielberg left the project to direct
Jurassic ParkJurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
and
Schindler's ListSchindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
. Other directors attached were
Patrick Read JohnsonPatrick Read Johnson in Wadsworth, Illinois) is an American film director, producer, and writer.-Movie career:Johnson is best known for his directorial work on the films Spaced Invaders, Angus, Baby's Day Out, The Genesis Code and 77. He also has written and produced such films as Dragonheart...
and
Agnieszka HollandAgnieszka Holland is a Polish film and TV director and screenwriter. Best recognized for her highly political contributions to Polish cinema, Holland is one of Poland's most prominent filmmakers.-Personal life:...
. Stark eventually sold the rights to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, who took the film to
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, with
Universal Pictures-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
still on as a co-production partner. By summer 1994, Maryland Film Office chief Jack Gerbes was approached with the possibility of making the film in
BaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. In October 1998, screenwriter
Robin SwicordRobin Swicord is an American screenwriter and film director. She wrote the screenplay for the film Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden...
wrote for director
Ron HowardRonald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
an adapted screenplay of the short story, a project which would potentially star actor
John TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. In May 2000,
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
hired screenwriter
Jim TaylorJim Taylor is an American producer and screenwriter, best known as the writing partner of Alexander Payne. They are credited as co-writers of six films released between 1996 and 2007:Citizen Ruth ,...
to adapt a screenplay from the short story. The studio also attached director
Spike JonzeSpike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
to helm the project. Screenwriter
Charlie KaufmanCharles Stuart "Charlie" Kaufman is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. His film work includes Being John Malkovich, Human Nature, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York...
had also written a draft of the adapted screenplay at one point. In June 2003, director
Gary RossGary Ross is an American writer, director, and actor. He is best known for directing Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, both of which featured Tobey Maguire in the lead role...
entered final negotiations to helm the project based on a new draft penned by screenwriter
Eric RothEric Roth is an American screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump . He also co-wrote the screenplay for Michael Mann's The Insider , the Steven Spielberg film Munich , and David Fincher's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , all of which were nominated for...
. In May 2004, director
David FincherDavid Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
entered negotiations to replace Ross in directing the film. In July 2005, Fincher negotiated a deal with the studios to direct
Benjamin Button and
ZodiacZodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
back-to-back, with
Zodiac being produced first.
Casting
In May 2005, actors
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and
Cate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
entered negotiations to star in the film. In September 2006, actors
Tilda SwintonKatherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
,
Jason FlemyngJason Iain Flemyng is an English actor. He is known for his film work, which has included roles in British films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch , both for Guy Ritchie, as well as Hollywood productions such as Rob Roy along with the Alan Moore comic book adaptations From...
, and
Taraji P. HensonTaraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
entered negotiations to be cast into the film. The following October, with production yet to begin, actress
Julia OrmondJulia Karin Ormond is an English actress who has appeared in film and television and on stage.-Early life and education:...
was cast as Daisy's daughter, to whom Blanchett's character tells the story of her love for Benjamin Button.
Filming
For
Benjamin Button, New Orleans,
LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the surrounding area was chosen as the filming location for the story to take advantage of the state's production incentives, and shooting was slated to begin in October 2006. Filming of
Benjamin Button began on November 6, 2006 in New Orleans. In January 2007, Blanchett joined the shoot. Fincher praised the ease of accessibility to rural and urban sets in New Orleans and said that the recovery from
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
did not serve as an atypical hindrance to production. In March 2007, production moved to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for two more months of filming.
Principal photographythumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
was targeted to last a total of 150 days. Additional time was needed at visual effects house
Digital DomainDigital Domain is a visual effects and animation company founded by film director James Cameron, Stan Winston and Scott Ross. It is based in Venice, Los Angeles, California...
to make the visual effects for the metamorphosis of Brad Pitt's character to the infant stage. The director used a camera system called
ContourMova Contour is a multi-camera system developed by former Apple Computer engineer Steve Perlman. It records surfaces digitally, by using fluorescent makeup and stereo triangulation, allowing for very detailed digitization and manipulation...
, developed by
Steve PerlmanStephen G Perlman, OnLive founder, president & CEO, is an entrepreneur and inventor devoted to pioneering Internet, entertainment, multimedia, consumer electronics and communications technologies and services...
, to capture facial deformation data from live-action performances. Overall production was finished in September 2007. The movie props were donated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the
Ninth Ward of New OrleansThe Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana that is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans....
. The scenes set in wintertime Russia and some of the scenes set in Paris were shot in Montreal in July, necessitating tons of fake snow to be trucked in for the wintertime scenes.
Music
The score to
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was written by French composer
Alexandre DesplatAlexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
, who recorded his score with an 87-piece ensemble of the
Hollywood Studio SymphonyThe Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
at the Sony Scoring Stage.
Reception
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was originally slated for theatrical release in May 2008, but it was pushed back to November 26, 2008. The release date was moved again to December 25 in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, January 16, 2009 in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, February 6 in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, February 13 in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and February 27 in
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Box office performance
On its opening day, the film opened in the number two position behind
Marley & MeMarley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
, in North America with $11,871,831 in 2,988 theaters with a $3,973 average. However, during its opening weekend, the film dropped to the third position behind
Marley & MeMarley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
and
Bedtime StoriesBedtime Stories is a 2008 American family-fantasy-comedy film directed by Adam Shankman that stars Adam Sandler in his first appearance in a family-oriented film...
with $26,853,816 in 2,988 theaters with an $8,987 average. The film has come to gross $127.5 million domestically and $206.4 million in foreign markets, with a total gross of $333.9 million.
Critical reception
The film has received positive reviews. The review aggregator
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 73% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 230 reviews, with 74% of selected
Top Critics giving the film positive reviews, based on 38 reviews. According to
MetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film received an average score of 70 out of 100, based on 37 reviews.
Yahoo! MoviesYahoo! Movies , provided by the Yahoo! network, is home to a large collection of information on movies, past and new releases, trailers and clips, box office information, and showtimes and movie theater information. Yahoo! Movies also includes red carpet photos, actor galleries, and production...
reported the film received a B+ average score from critical consensus, based on 12 reviews.
Todd McCarthy of
VarietyVariety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
gave the film a positive review, calling it a "richly satisfying serving of deep-dish Hollywood storytelling." Peter Howell of
The Toronto Star says: "It's been said that the unexamined life is not worth living.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button suggests an addendum: a life lived backwards can be far more enriching" and describes the film as "a magical and moving account of a man living his life resoundingly in reverse" and "moviemaking at its best." Rod Yates of
EmpireEmpire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
awarded it five out of a possible five stars. Kirk Honeycutt of
The Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
felt the film was "superbly made and winningly acted by Brad Pitt in his most impressive outing to date." Honeycutt praised Fincher's directing of the film and noted that the "cinematography wonderfully marries a palette of subdued earthern colors with the necessary CGI and other visual effects that place one in a magical past." Honeycutt states the bottom line about
Benjamin Button is that it is "an intimate epic about love and loss that is pure cinema."
A. O. ScottAnthony Oliver Scott, known as A. O. Scott , is an American journalist and critic. He is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with Manohla Dargis.-Background and education:...
of
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
states, "
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, more than two and a half hours long, sighs with longing and simmers with intrigue while investigating the philosophical conundrums and emotional paradoxes of its protagonist’s condition in a spirit that owes more to
Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
than to
FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
." Scott praised director David Fincher and writes "Building on the advances of pioneers like
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
,
Peter JacksonSir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
and
Robert ZemeckisRobert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
, Mr. Fincher has added a dimension of delicacy and grace to digital filmmaking" and further states, "While it stands on the shoulders of breakthroughs like
Minority ReportMinority Report is a 2002 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg and loosely based on the short story "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick. It is set primarily in Washington, D.C...
,
The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
and
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
,
Benjamin Button may be the most dazzling such hybrid yet, precisely because it is the subtlest." He also stated: "At the same time, like any other love--like any movie--it is shadowed by disappointment and fated to end."
On the other hand, Anne Hornaday of
The Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
states, "There's no denying the sheer ambition and technical prowess of
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What's less clear is whether it entirely earns its own inflated sense of self-importance" and further says, "It plays too safe when it should be letting its freak flag fly." Kimberley Jones of the
Austin ChronicleThe Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
panned the film and states, "Fincher's selling us cheekboned movie stars frolicking in bedsheets and calling it a great love. I didn't buy it for a second."
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the
Chicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying that it is "a splendidly made film based on a profoundly mistaken premise." He goes on to elaborate that "The movie's premise devalues any relationship, makes futile any friendship or romance, and spits, not into the face of destiny, but backward into the maw of time."
Peter Bradshaw in
The GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called it "166 minutes of twee tedium", giving it one star out of a possible five.
Cosmo Landesman of the
Sunday Times wrote: "The film’s premise serves no purpose. It's a gimmick that goes on for nearly three hours," concluding "
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an
anodyneIn medicine before the 20th century, an anodyne was a medicine that was believed to relieve or soothe pain by lessening the sensitivity of the brain or nervous system In medicine before the 20th century, an anodyne was a medicine that was believed to relieve or soothe pain by lessening the...
Hollywood film that offers a safe and sanitised view of life and death. It's
Forrest Gump goes backwards," while awarding the film two out of five stars. James Christopher in
The TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called it "a tedious marathon of smoke and mirrors. In terms of the basic requirements of three-reel drama the film lacks substance, credibility, a decent script and characters you might actually care for" while Derek Malcolm of London's
Evening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
notes that "never at any point do you feel that there's anything more to it than a very strange story traversed by a film-maker who knows what he is doing but not always why he is doing it."
The screenplay has also come under criticism for similarities between
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, both written by
Eric RothEric Roth is an American screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump . He also co-wrote the screenplay for Michael Mann's The Insider , the Steven Spielberg film Munich , and David Fincher's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , all of which were nominated for...
.
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. According to Movie City News, the film has appeared on 79 different top ten lists out of 286 different critics lists surveyed, the 6th most mentioned on a top ten list of the films released in 2008. According to CriticsTop10, the film appeared on over 136 film critics top ten lists, with 12 number one mentions, and was also ranked 6th of the year in terms of appearances on critics' top ten lists.
- 1st - Rex Reed
Rex Taylor Reed is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.-Life and career:...
, The New York Observer
- 1st - Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow is a film critic and columnist who has written for The Baltimore Sun, The New Times, The New Yorker , The Atlantic and salon.com...
, The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
- 1st - Ben Lyons, At the Movies
- 3rd - Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern is a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for The Wall Street Journal.-Career:Morgenstern graduated from Lehigh University in 1953. His first journalism experience was as news clerk at the New York Times...
, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
- 3rd - Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 5th - Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 5th - Lou Lumenick
Louis J. "Lou" Lumenick is an American film critic. He is the chief film critic and a blogger for the New York Post and has reviewed films there since 1999.-Life and career:Lumenick was born and raised in Astoria, Queens...
, New York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
- 6th - James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
, ReelViews
- 6th - Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
, New York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
- 6th - Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
, TimeTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
- 8th - Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 9th - Rene Rodriguez, The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
Home media
The film was released on DVD on May 5, 2009 by
ParamountParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, and on Blu-ray and 2-Disc DVD by
The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
. The Criterion release includes over three hours of special features, and a documentary about the making of the film.
As of November 1, 2009 the DVD has sold 2,515,722 DVD copies and has generated $41,196,515 in sales revenue.
Accolades
| Award |
Category |
Recipient |
Result |
81st Academy AwardsThe 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
|
Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
|
Kathleen Kennedy
Frank Marshall
Ceán Chaffin |
|
| Best Director |
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
|
|
| Best Actor in a Leading Role Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
|
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
|
|
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
|
Taraji P. HensonTaraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
|
|
| Best Adapted Screenplay |
Eric RothEric Roth is an American screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump . He also co-wrote the screenplay for Michael Mann's The Insider , the Steven Spielberg film Munich , and David Fincher's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , all of which were nominated for...
|
|
| Best Film Editing |
Kirk Baxter Kirk Baxter is an Australian film editor. His editing, with Angus Wall, of the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing, the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, and the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award.Baxter was raised in Sydney, Australia and...
Angus WallAngus Wall is a film editor and film title designer. His editing, with Kirk Baxter, of the film The Social Network won the Academy Award for Film Editing...
|
|
| Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
|
Claudio Miranda Claudio Miranda, ASC is a Chilean cinematographer best known as the director of photography on David Fincher's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the first entirely digitally filmed movie nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and an American Society of Cinematographers...
|
|
| Best Art Direction The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
|
Donald Graham Burt Donald Graham Burt is a film production designer. He has worked on multiple films including The Joy Luck Club, Dangerous Minds, and Donnie Brasco, as well as with David Fincher on Zodiac in 2007...
Victor J. Zolfo |
|
| Best Costume Design |
Jacqueline West Jacqueline West is a costume designer whose work has been recognized in numerous films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Quills...
|
|
| Best Makeup |
Greg Cannom Greg Cannom is a Hollywood special makeup effects artist. Cannom has been nominated for nine Academy Awards and has won three times. He has also been nominated for seven Saturn Awards and received one.-Partial filmography:...
|
|
| Best Original Score The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
|
Alexandre Desplat Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
|
|
| Best Sound Mixing |
David Parker David Parker is an American sound engineer. He won two Academy Awards for Best Sound and was nominated for another four in the same category...
, Michael SemanickMichael Semanick is an American sound engineer. He has won two Academy Awards for Best Sound and has been nominated for six more in the same category...
, Ren KlyceRen Klyce is an American sound engineer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards; two for Best Sound and one for Best Sound Editing.-Selected filmography:* Fight Club - Best Sound Editing...
and Mark WeingartenMark Weingarten is an American sound engineer. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Sound. He has worked on over 80 films since 1987.-Selected filmography:* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
|
|
| Best Visual Effects |
Eric Barba
Steve Preeg
Burt Dalton
Craig BarronCraig Barron is an American visual-effects supervisor who specializes in seamless matte painting effects. He is also a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and film historian who is co-founder and head of the visual effects company, Matte World Digital...
|
|
American Society of CinematographersThe American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
|
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases |
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Austin Film Critics Association The 4th Austin Film Critics Association Awards honored the best filmmaking of 2008.-Top 10 Films:* The Dark Knight* Slumdog Millionaire* Milk* Synecdoche, New York* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* The Wrestler* WALL-E...
|
Best Supporting Actress The 4th Austin Film Critics Association Awards honored the best filmmaking of 2008.-Top 10 Films:* The Dark Knight* Slumdog Millionaire* Milk* Synecdoche, New York* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* The Wrestler* WALL-E...
|
Taraji P. Henson |
|
| British Academy Film Awards The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon...
|
Best Film |
Kathleen Kennedy
Frank Marshall
Ceán Chaffin |
|
| Best Makeup & Hair |
|
|
| Best Director |
David Fincher |
|
| Best Adapted Screenplay |
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Leading Actor |
Brad Pitt |
|
| Best Costume Design |
|
|
| Best Music |
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Best Cinematography |
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Best Editing |
|
|
| Best Production Design |
|
|
| Best Visual Effects |
|
|
| Broadcast Film Critics The 14th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking.Nominees were announced on December 9, 2008.-Best Film:Slumdog Millionaire...
|
Best Film |
|
|
| Best Actor The Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.-List of winners and nominees:*1995: Kevin Bacon - Murder in the First as Henri Young...
|
Brad Pitt |
|
| Best Actress The Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is one of nineteen awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.- List of winners and nominees :...
|
Cate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
|
|
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director |
David Fincher |
|
| Best Supporting Actress |
Taraji P. Henson |
|
| Best Cast |
|
|
| Best Writer The Critics' Choice Award for Best Original and Adapted Screenplay is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association....
|
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Composer |
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards |
Best Score |
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Top 10 Films of the Year |
|
9th |
| Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association.-Members:Current members include:*Sarah Knight Adamson*Zbigniew Banas*Shelley Cameron*Dave Canfield*Vittorio Carli*Erik Childress*Camerin Courtney*Bonnie DeShong...
|
Best Picture |
|
|
| Best Director The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:...
|
David Fincher |
|
| Best Screenplay, Adapted The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-2000s:-References:*http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=59...
|
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Cinematography |
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Best Original Score |
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Directors Guild of America Awards The 61st Directors Guild of America Awards, which was given on January 31, 2009, honors the outstanding directorial achievements in films, documentary and televisions...
|
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures is one of the annual awards given by Directors Guild of America.-1940s:* 1948: Joseph L...
|
David Fincher |
|
| Golden Globe Awards The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
|
Best Motion Picture Drama This page lists the winners and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, since its institution in 1951. The organizer, Hollywood Foreign Press Association , is an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications...
|
|
|
| Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
|
Brad Pitt |
|
| Best Director - Motion Picture This page lists the winners of and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Since its inception in 1943, it has been presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization composed of journalists who cover the United States film industry for publications based...
|
David Fincher |
|
| Best Screenplay The Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association."†" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "‡" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "§" indicates a Golden Globe Award...
|
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Original Score The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947...
|
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards The 2nd Houston Film Critics Society Awards were given out at a ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on December 17, 2008. The awards are presented annually by the Houston Film Critics Society based in Houston, Texas.-Winners and nominees:...
|
Best Picture |
|
|
| Best Director |
David Fincher |
|
| Best Actor |
Brad Pitt |
|
| Best Actress |
Cate Blanchett |
|
| Best Supporting Actress |
Taraji P. Henson |
|
| Best Screenplay |
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Cinematography |
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Best Score |
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards The 12th Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, honouring the best in film for 2008, were given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society on 18 December 2008.-Winners:Best Actor*Frank Langella - Frost/NixonBest Actress...
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Best Art Direction The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Art Direction is one of the annual awards given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society.-2000s:-2010s:...
|
|
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| Best Cinematography The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography is one of the annual awards given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society.-1990s:-2000s: -2010s:...
|
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Best Costume Design |
Jacqueline West |
|
| London Film Critics' Circle |
Film of the Year |
|
|
| Director of the Year The London Film Critics Circle Award for Director of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics' Circle.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
|
David Fincher |
|
| British Supporting Actress of the Year |
Tilda SwintonKatherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
|
|
| Screenwriter of the Year |
Eric Roth |
|
| MTV Movie Awards |
Best Female Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:...
|
Taraji P. Henson |
|
| National Board of Review The 80th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were given on 4 December 2008.-Top 10 films:*Burn After Reading*Changeling*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*The Dark Knight*Defiance*Frost/Nixon...
|
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films The following is a list of the Top-10 films chosen annually by the National Board of Review, beginning in 1929. From 1968 till 2005, 29 times the NBR chose the film that would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Picture as Best Film...
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|
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| Best Director An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review Award for Best Director made by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
|
David Fincher |
|
| Best Adapted Screenplay The National Board of Review Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is an annual award given by the National Board of Review.-2000s:-2010s:...
|
Eric Roth |
|
| Satellite Awards The winners of the 13th Annual Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television in 2008, were announced on December 14, 2008.-Top 10 films:*Ballast*Changeling*Doubt*The Dark Knight*Frost/Nixon*Frozen River*Milk...
|
Best Adapted Screenplay The Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is an annual award given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :- 2000s :- 2010s :...
|
Eric Roth and Robin SwicordRobin Swicord is an American screenwriter and film director. She wrote the screenplay for the film Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden...
|
|
| Best Art Direction and Production Design The Satellite Award for Best Art Direction is one the annual awards given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :Best Art Direction:*1996: Romeo + Juliet**The English Patient**Evita**Hamlet...
|
Donald Graham Burt and Tom Reta |
|
| Best Cinematography The Satellite Award for Best Cinematography is one of the annual Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :- 2000s :...
|
Claudio Miranda |
|
| Best Costume Design The Satellite Award for Best Costume Design is one of the annual Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy.- Winners and nominees :The following listing is based on the web postings of the International Press Academy.- 1990s :- 2000s :...
|
Jacqueline West |
|
| Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
|
Best Fantasy Film The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Fantasy Film:...
|
|
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| Best Actor The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed, who felt that films within those genres...
|
Brad Pitt |
|
| Best Actress |
Cate Blatchett |
|
| Best Supporting Actress |
Tilda SwintonKatherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
|
|
| Best Director The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Direction:-Multiple Winners:*James Cameron - 5 awards*Steven Spielberg - 4 awards*Peter Jackson - 3 awards*Bryan Singer - 2 awards...
|
David Fincher |
|
| Best Writing The following is a list of people who have won the Saturn Award for Best Writing.-Multiple Winners:*James Cameron - 3 awards*Christopher Nolan - 3 awards*William Peter Blatty - 3 awards-External links:* http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#writing...
|
Eric Roth |
|
| Best Music The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Music.-Multiple Winners:*John Williams - 7 awards*Danny Elfman - 5 awards*James Horner - 3 awards*Alan Silvestri - 3 awards*Alan Menken - 2 awards*John Ottman - 2 awards*Miklós Rózsa - 2 awards...
|
Alexandre Desplat |
|
| Best Make-Up The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Make-up:...
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|
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| Best Visual Effects The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Special Effects:...
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| Scream Awards The Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films, hosted and sponsored by Spike TV. The show was created by executive producers Michael Levitt, Cindy Levitt, and Casey Patterson....
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Best Fantasy Actor |
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
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| Screen Actors Guild Awards ----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: 30 Rock ...
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Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role |
Brad Pitt |
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| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |
Taraji P. Henson |
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| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
Mahershalalhashbaz AliMahershalalhashbaz Ali is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Richard Tyler on the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400, and "Tizzy" in the 2008 motion picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Ali was born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore in Oakland,...
Cate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
Jason FlemyngJason Iain Flemyng is an English actor. He is known for his film work, which has included roles in British films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch , both for Guy Ritchie, as well as Hollywood productions such as Rob Roy along with the Alan Moore comic book adaptations From...
Jared HarrisJared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
Taraji P. Henson
Elias KoteasElias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
Julia OrmondJulia Karin Ormond is an English actress who has appeared in film and television and on stage.-Early life and education:...
Brad Pitt
Phyllis SomervillePhyllis Somerville, born 1944, is an American stage, screen, and television actress. Her most prominent role to date was in 2006 as the mother of the sexual predator played by Jackie Earle Haley in Todd Field's Little Children....
Tilda Swinton |
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| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards -Best Actor:**Sean Penn - Milk as Harvey Milk*Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon*Richard Jenkins - The Visitor*Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road-Best Actress:...
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Best Film -Best Actor:**Sean Penn - Milk as Harvey Milk*Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon*Richard Jenkins - The Visitor*Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road-Best Actress:...
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| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards The Vancouver Film Critics Circle was founded to represent Vancouver's print, on-line and broadcast media and honours the best in Canadian and international filmmaking.-Award categories:International*Best Film*Best Director*Best Actor...
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Best Director The Vancouver Film Critics Circle was founded to represent Vancouver's print, on-line and broadcast media and honours the best in Canadian and international filmmaking.-Award categories:International*Best Film*Best Director*Best Actor...
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David Fincher |
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| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association The 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 were given in December 2008.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Meryl Streep - Doubt*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E...
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Best Art Direction The 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 were given in December 2008.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Meryl Streep - Doubt*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E...
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| Writers Guild of America Awards The 61st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2008. Winners were announced on February 7, 2009.-Best Adapted Screenplay:...
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Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is one of the three screenwriting Writers Guild of America Awards, one that is specifically for film...
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Eric Roth
Robin Swicord |
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