'Benjamin Button' is Oscars front-runner with 13 nominations
Posted: 22 January 2009 2315 hrs

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BEVERLY HILLS, California - Period love story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" emerged as the front-runner for the Academy Awards here Thursday after landing a whopping 13 nominations.

The critically acclaimed romance, starring Brad Pitt as a man who ages in reverse, edged out India-set rags-to-riches drama "Slumdog Millionaire," which scored 10 nominations.

"Benjamin Button" scored nominations in most of the categories including best picture and best director, while the film's leading man Pitt also earned a best actor nod.

The film's 13 nods was just one shy of the all-time record of 14 nominations held by 1997's "Titanic" and 1950's Bette Davis classic "All About Eve," which both went on to earn best picture.

But there was disappointment for Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight," which failed to earn nominations in either the best picture or best director categories, two areas where the film had been tipped to score.

However the film did earn a poignant posthumous Oscar nomination for Australian actor Heath Ledger, exactly one year to the day after the heart-throb died of an accidental overdose in New York.

Ledger picked up a best supporting actor nomination for his spell-binding performance as the Joker and is now the heavy favorite heading into the February 22 awards extravaganza at Hollywood's Kodak Theater.

Thursday's nominations have reignited the Oscars hopes of "Benjamin Button," which was all but ignored earlier this month at the Golden Globes when "Slumdog Millionaire" walked away with four honors.

However David Fincher's epic love story is now the film to beat.

Historically the movie with the most nominations has tended to win the coveted best picture Oscar.

Other contenders in the best picture category are political drama "Frost/Nixon" and Gus Van Sant's biopic "Milk," starring Sean Penn as trailblazing gay politician Harvey Milk.

The surprise nominee which appeared to squeeze out "The Dark Knight" is Stephen Daldry's Nazi drama "The Reader."

In the acting categories, "Benjamin Button" star Pitt will be up against sentimental favorite Mickey Rourke, superb as a washed up prize-fighter in "The Wrestler," Penn for his role in "Milk" and Frank Langella, who plays disgraced former US President Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon." Richard Jenkins of "The Visitor" completes the line-up.

Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie is meanwhile nominated in the best actress category for her performance in "Changeling." Her rivals will be Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Melissa Leo.