The cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain led the Academy Awards field Tuesday with eight nominations, among them best picture and honors for actor Heath Ledger and director Ang Lee. Indian entry Paheli was out.
Also nominated for best picture were the Truman Capote story Capote; the ensemble drama Crash; the Edward R. Murrow chronicle Good Night, and Good Luck; and the assassination thriller Munich.
Brokeback Mountain has swept through early critics' and media awards and became the clear front-runner for the year's best film. It earned Oscar nominations for Ang Lee as best director, Heath Ledger as best actor, Jake Gyllenhaal as best supporting actor and Michelle Williams in the best supporting actress category.
In the category for best actor, Ledger and Strathairn were joined by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the title character in Capote, Terrence Howard as a pimp in Hustle & Flow and Joaquin Phoenix for his role as singer Johnny Cash in romance Walk the Line.
Best actress nominees were Judi Dench in Mrs. Henderson Presents, Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice, Charlize Theron in North Country and Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line.
Best actress nominees were Judi Dench in Mrs. Henderson Presents, Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, Keira Knightley in Pride & Prejudice, Charlize Theron in North Country and Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line.