Despite some Oscar buzz, the dramedy snagged no nominations — most notably, missing out on the original screenplay category. Will Reiser's loosely autobiographical script about a young man with cancer, directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, had been a dark-horse contender.
Many predicted the comedy icon, who portrays a murderous mobster in Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's acclaimed drama, would score his second-ever Academy Award nomination for the role. But he was pushed out in the supporting actor category in favor of Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close).
Good news for Beginners on Oscar nomination day: Christopher Plummer was among the supporting actor nominees for his role as as a widower who comes out as gay late in life. Bad news: The film, written and directed by Mike Mills, was not nominated for original screenplay.
Pixar's Cars 2 sequel was snuffed out of the animated feature category to make room for five others: A Cat in Paris; Chico & Rita; Kung Fu Panda 2; Puss in Boots; and Rango.
The critically acclaimed, oft-nominated director — up for a Directors Guild of America prize for helming The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo — was the lone DGA nominee left out of the Oscars race. The five heavyweights vying for 2012's best director: Michel Hazanivicius (The Artist), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) and Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life).
There was nary a nomination for Clint Eastwood's J.Edgar, with the director shut out, along with star Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who previously won for original screenplay for 2008's Milk.
The final installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise failed to crack the best picture category, which recognizes nine films this year. Instead, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 was left with just three technology nominations for visual effects, art direction and makeup.
The Rise of the Planet of the Apes star, previously snubbed for his work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, got no recognition in the supporting actor category for his role as ape Caesar in the Fox action flick, despite a vocal push from the studio.
For "Shame." The Steve McQueen sex-addiction drama was not among the nominees in any category — a big surprise, given the critical accolades for the director and star Michael Fassbender in an emotionally raw (and literally naked) performance.
While The Help prevailed in three top categories — actress (Viola Davis), supporting actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer) and picture — the drama's screenwriter, Tate Taylor, was shut out as an adapted screenplay contender.
Steven Spielberg's animated adventure tale was ignored in every category except for original score. Composer John Williams was nominated alongside Ludovic Bource (The Artist), Howard Shore (Hugo), Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and … himself for War Horse.
Charlize Theron's widely admired, wicked turn as a hard-drinking, home-wrecking ghostwriter of young adult fiction went unnoticed by the Academy, as did director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. Meanwhile, Rooney Mara of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo might have stolen Theron's nomination in the actress category. Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Glenn Close and Michelle Williams round out the nominees.