Charlize Theron nominated for Best Actress in surprise-filled Oscar race

Charlize Theron followed her Golden Globe win Sunday with a Best Actress Oscar nomination Tuesday for her portrayal of lesbian multiple murderer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, while epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King topped the list of overall Oscar nominees, landing in 11 categories, including best film. Joining Rings on the list of Best Picture nominees were the seafaring adventure Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, crime thriller Mystic River, horse-racing tale Seabiscuit, and Lost in Translation, about two disenchanted Americans in Tokyo. The best film nominations were largely expected, but the acting categories held several unlikely nominees and were as notable for who was included as who was not. Master and Commander star Russell Crowe was left out of the group for best actor, and Nicole Kidman failed to land in the best actress group in the Civil War drama Cold Mountain. In fact, neither Rings nor Master and Commander, which was the second-most-nominated film with 10, scored any acting nominations. "It was just a great, rich field this year," said Academy president Frank Pierson. "I think that's why some of the significant names that were talked about were not on the list. We are seeing some fresh faces, and that's great." Best Actor nominations went to Ben Kingsley for House of Sand and Fog, Jude Law in Cold Mountain, Bill Murray for Lost in Translation, Sean Penn in Mystic River, and Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Samantha Morton was nominated for In America, about an Irish family's struggle to make a home in New York. Even more unlikely was Keisha Castle-Hughes in New Zealand's Whale Rider, who at 13 years old became the youngest Best Actress nominee to date. At the age of 10, Tatum O'Neal won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Paper Moon. Other Best Actress nominees were Diane Keaton for the comedy Something's Gotta Give, Theron in Monster, and Naomi Watts, portraying a woman dealing with her husband's death in 21 Grams. The supporting actor category also put in a few surprises, with Djimon Hounsou landing in the group for In America. He was joined by Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai, as well as expected nominees Alec Baldwin in The Cooler, Benicio Del Toro for 21 Grams, and Golden Globe winner Tim Robbins in Mystic River. Nominations for supporting actress went to Renee Zellweger for Cold Mountain, Holly Hunter in Thirteen, Marcia Gay Harden in Mystic River, Patricia Clarkson for Pieces of April, and Shohreh Aghdashloo in House of Sand and Fog. Directing nominations went to Peter Jackson for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Clint Eastwood for Mystic River, Peter Weir for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Sofia Coppola--who became the first American woman to ever receive a Best Director Academy Award nomination--for Lost in Translation, and Fernando Meirelles for City of God. Coppola, daughter of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, was also nominated for best original screenplay, and the film had four nominations overall. Although it failed to land in the best film group, Cold Mountain tied with Seabiscuit as the third-most-nominated movie with seven, followed by Mystic River with six and Pirates of the Caribbean with five. The Oscars, which are awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are the U.S. film industry's top honors and will be given out in a gala ceremony from Los Angeles on February 29. Here is a complete list of nominees for the 76th annual Academy Awards: Best Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lost in Translation, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Mystic River, Seabiscuit Best Actress: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider; Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give; Samantha Morton, In America; Charlize Theron, Monster; Naomi Watts, 21 Grams Best Actor: Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog; Jude Law, Cold Mountain; Bill Murray, Lost in Translation; Sean Penn, Mystic River Best Supporting Actress: Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog; Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April; Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River; Holly Hunter, Thirteen; Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain Best Supporting Actor: Alec Baldwin, The Cooler; Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams; Djimon Hounsou, In America; Tim Robbins, Mystic River; Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai Best Director: Fernando Meirelles, City of God; Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation; Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Clint Eastwood, Mystic River Best Adapted Screenplay: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, American Splendor; Fernando Meirelles, City of God; Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Brian Helgeland, Mystic River; Gary Ross, Seabiscuit Best Original Screenplay: Denys Arcand, The Barbarian Invasions; Steven Knight, Dirty Pretty Things; Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds, Finding Nemo; Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan, In America; Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation Best Documentary Feature: Balseros, Capturing the Friedmans, The Fog of War, My Architect, The Weather Underground Best Animated Feature: Brother Bear, Finding Nemo, The Triplets of Belleville Best Foreign Film: The Barbarian Invasions (Canada), Evil (Sweden), The Twilight Samurai (Japan), Twin Sisters (The Netherlands), Zelary (Czech Republic) Best Score: Danny Elfman, Big Fish; Gabriel Yared, Cold Mountain; Thomas Newman, Finding Nemo; James Horner, House of Sand and Fog; Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Best Song: "Into the West," The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," A Mighty Wind; "Scarlet Tide," Cold Mountain; "The Triplets of Belleville," The Triplets of Belleville; "You Will Be My Ain True Love," Cold Mountain Best Art Direction: Ben Van Os and Cecile Heideman, Girl With a Pearl Earring; Lilly Kilvert and Gretchen Rau, The Last Samurai; Grant Major, Dan Hennah, and Alan Lee, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; William Sandell and Robert Gould, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Jeannine Oppewall and Leslie Pope, Seabiscuit Best Cinematography: Cesar Charlone, City of God; John Seale, Cold Mountain; Eduardo Serra, Girl With a Pearl Earring; Russell Boyd, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; John Schwartzman, Seabiscuit Best Costume Design: Dien van Straalen, Girl With a Pearl Earring; Ngila Dickson, The Last Samurai; Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Wendy Stites, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Judianna Makovsky, Seabiscuit Best Makeup: Richard Taylor, Peter King, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Edouard Henriques III, Yolanda Toussieng, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Ve Neill and Martin Samuel, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Best Animated Short: Boundin', Destino, Gone Nutty, Harvie Krumpet, Nibbles Best Live Action Short: Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket), Most (The Bridge), Squash, (A) Torzija ([A] Torsion), Two Soldiers Best Documentary Short: Asylum, Chernobyl Heart, Ferry Tales Best Film Editing: Daniel Rezende, City of God; Walter Murch, Cold Mountain; Jamie Selkirk, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Lee Smith, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; William Goldenberg, Seabiscuit Best Sound: Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Jeff Wexler, The Last Samurai; Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Paul Massey, D.M. Hemphill and Arthur Rochester, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Christopher Boyes, David Parker, David Campbell, Lee Orloff, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Tod A. Maitland, Seabiscuit Best Sound Editing: Gary Rydstrom and Michael Silvers, Finding Nemo; Richard King, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Christopher Boyes and George Watters II, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Best Visual Effects: Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, Alex Funke, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Daniel Sudick, Stefen Fangmeier, Nathan McGuinness, Robert Stromberg, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, Terry Frazee, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl