Got it, loud and clear

THIS time, the medium was the message -- and Oscar voters couldn’t have put it more clearly.

Even as the big studios increasingly eliminate thoughtful dramas from their production slates, five overtly political message movies were nominated Tuesday for the best picture Academy Award, as “Brokeback Mountain,” which went in the favorite, picked up eight nominations to take the lead.

Without a mass-appeal blockbuster in the bunch, the 5,798 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences singled out “Capote,” “Crash,” “Munich” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” in addition to “Brokeback” -- movies that delve into hot-button issues, such as racial intolerance, terrorism and homophobia.

“My movie was the only one that actually caught fire and almost burned to the ground, but the other movies are really inflammatory too,” said “Munich” director Steven Spielberg. “They were made with guts and passion and in such a fearless way as if to say, ‘This is who I am. This is what I believe in.’ ”

While technically a five-picture race, the best picture contest will likely come down to two movies. “Brokeback Mountain,” which starts out in 1960s Wyoming, focuses on a polarizing contemporary issue: tolerance of gay relationships. “Crash,” which is set against the backdrop of modern-day Los Angeles, explores a centuries-old topic: racism in America.

“I wasn’t trying to get any message across at all,” said Paul Haggis, who made his directorial debut with “Crash.” “I was talking about things that troubled me personally. That is what makes all of these films so effective. They ask questions that are gnawing at us.”

Almost every movie faced long odds and endless delays in finding financing; “Crash,” “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Brokeback Mountain” were funded either wholly or partially by non-studio investors.

But what played with the academy, though, hasn’t played across America: None of the best picture nominees is a breakout hit in the middle of the country. The highest-grossing is “Crash,” a series of interlocking stories about race, which has grossed a mere $53.4 million.

George Clooney collected three separate nominations: one for directing the Sen. Joseph McCarthy drama “Good Night, and Good Luck,” one for co-writing the black-and-white film and the third for his supporting role in the international thriller “Syriana.”

“The entire society is more political than it has been in a long time,” Clooney said. “You can sit in a coffee shop in Cincinnati, and you hear people talking on either side of the aisles about political films.”

Other top categories were peppered with nominees from other movies carrying progressive agendas. “North Country,” a tale of sexual harassment among miners, earned a best actress nomination for Charlize Theron and best supporting actress for Frances McDormand. “Syriana,” a complex account of the personal and political price of oil, was nominated for original screenplay as well as for Clooney’s supporting role. “The Constant Gardener,” a romantic thriller about unscrupulous drug trials in Kenya, received four nominations, including best supporting actress for Rachel Weisz.

“These are films that are holding up a mirror to contemporary culture,” Weisz said. “I don’t think films should edify. First and foremost, they’re to thrill and entertain. But if they can also make you think, then great.”

The most notable exclusion from the best picture contenders was the Johnny Cash biography “Walk the Line,” a $100-million-grossing success that Oscar prognosticators had assumed would make the cut. The film was, however, not overlooked, with a best actor nomination for Joaquin Phoenix and best actress for Reese Witherspoon.

Despite a pricey, end-of-the-year push, the boxing drama “Cinderella Man” also failed to receive a best picture nomination. The film’s star, Russell Crowe, was blanked in the best actor race, but Paul Giamatti was named in the best supporting actor race for his role as Crowe’s boxing manager.

“Memoirs of a Geisha” earned six nominations -- tying it with “Crash” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” -- but none in a major category. The year’s two highest-grossing films, “Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” received one minor nomination each.

“Brokeback Mountain,” which chronicles the love affair between two cowboys, was nominated in almost every prominent category for which it was eligible: best director for Ang Lee, best actor for Heath Ledger, best supporting actress for Michelle Williams, best supporting actor for Jake Gyllenhaal, and cinematography, original score and adapted screenplay.

Joining Ledger and Phoenix in the best actor competition were “Capote’s” Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Hustle & Flow’s” Terrence Howard and “Good Night, and Good Luck’s” David Strathairn.

Nominated for best actress in addition to Theron and Witherspoon were Judi Dench for “Mrs. Henderson Presents,” Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica” and Keira Knightley of “Pride & Prejudice.”

Facing McDormand, Williams and Weisz in the supporting actress category were “Junebug’s” Amy Adams and “Capote’s” Catherine Keener. In addition to Clooney, Giamatti and Gyllenhaal, the best supporting actor nominees were Matt Dillon for “Crash” and William Hurt for a single, memorable scene in “A History of Violence.”

For the first time since 1981, all five of the best picture nominees also saw their directors honored with a best director selection: Lee, Clooney, Spielberg, “Capote’s” Bennett Miller and “Crash’s” Haggis, who suffered a heart attack during production.

Nominated for original screenplay were the writers of “Crash,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Match Point,” “The Squid and the Whale” and “Syriana,” the last of which originally had been submitted for best adapted screenplay. The picks for adapted screenplay were “Brokeback Mountain,” “Capote,” “The Constant Gardener,” “A History of Violence” and “Munich.”

The academy’s rules allowed for only three movies to be considered for animated feature. Despite the industry rage for computer-generated animated movies, all of the nominated films used the old-fashioned techniques of either hand-drawn, two-dimensional animation (“Howl’s Moving Castle”) or stop-motion animation (“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” and “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride”).

For best foreign-language film, the academy nominated Italy’s “Don’t Tell,” France’s “Joyeux Noel,” Palestine’s “Paradise Now,” Germany’s “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days” and South Africa’s “Tsotsi.”

The 78th annual Academy Awards are scheduled to be presented March 5 in a ceremony broadcast on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” will host the show for the first time.

Times staff writers Robert W. Welkos and Rachel Abramowitz and special correspondent Chris Lee contributed to this report.

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SPECIAL DELIVERY: A-list florist Mark Held of Mark’s Garden has an edge when it comes to advising well-wishers on what to buy for nominees: He often personally knows their likes and dislikes. Still, he stocks up on white because it makes “a classy presentation.” At the Four Seasons, Eric Buterbaugh is going for an architectural approach for nominees: traditional flowers made tall, wide and wild with wire and decorative grasses.

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LOVE, GIORGIO: “It’s a clear-your-calendar day for us, in every time zone,” says Wanda McDaniel of Giorgio Armani. “We wake up for the nominations and I call Milan right away. Once Mr. Armani’s office has weighed in, we send simple white flowers and a personal note from Mr. Armani to congratulate nominees who are friends of the house. It’s an equal opportunity day. We’ll probably send as many flowers to actors as actresses.”

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GOING TO THE MATT: Melissa Lonner of NBC’s “Today” started planning for the nominations a month ago. “People love a contest, and the Oscars are the creme de la creme.” To ensure “Today” had an interview with a top name Tuesday, the supervising producer kept tabs on who racked up Golden Globes and other tributes. Their catch? Best supporting actor nominee Matt Dillon. “He has a great story ... he’s the comeback kid.”

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: To feed the more than 450 intrepid souls at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater for the 5:30 a.m. reading of the Oscar nominations, caterer Someone’s in the Kitchen figured on 36 dozen eggs, three gallons of egg whites, 2,000 pieces of bacon, 12 pans of home fries, 350 pieces of French toast, 4 gallons of maple syrup, 48 dozen bagels, 240 croissants and, most important, 30 gallons each of regular and decaf coffee.

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BEST ACTRESS

Judi Dench

“Mrs. Henderson Presents”

Career nominations: 5

One of Oscar’s favorites -- she won best supporting actress for her eight-minute turn as Queen Elizabeth in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love” -- receives her fifth overall nomination and third as best actress. Dench, 71, plays Laura Henderson in the nostalgic comedy-drama -- a widow who in the late 1930s opened a nude revue on the London stage. Dench, who will be returning as James Bond’s boss, M, in “Casino Royale,” also chalked up Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominations for “Henderson.”

Felicity Huffman

“Transamerica”

Career nominations: 1

Linda Hunt won a supporting actress Oscar for playing a man in “The Year of Living Dangerously,” and Hilary Swank picked up her first best actress Academy Award as a woman living as a man in “Boys Don’t Cry.” And now Huffman, 43, is nominated for best actress for playing a transgender man who discovers a week before his surgery that he is a father of a teenage boy. Huffman won a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama for “Transamerica” as well as Emmy and SAG awards for “Desperate Housewives.”

Keira Knightley

“Pride & Prejudice”

Career nominations: 1

The 20-year-old daughter of playwright Sharman Macdonald is nominated for her first Oscar as Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet in the acclaimed adaptation of the classic British novel. The former child actress has starred in such popular films as “Bend It Like Beckham,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and its two upcoming sequels. She also received a Golden Globe nomination for “Pride.”

Charlize Theron

“North Country”

Career nominations: 2

Two years after receiving the best actress Oscar as murderess Aileen Wuornos in “Monster,” the South African native is in contention again for her portrayal of a miner who files a sexual harassment suit. She also received Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations for her performance.

Reese Witherspoon

“Walk the Line”

Career nominations: 1

Dyeing her tresses dark brown seemed to have a dramatic effect on the 29-year-old actress known for her comedic roles in “Legally Blonde,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Election.” Witherspoon, who began her career 15 years ago in “The Man in the Moon,” not only won a SAG Award and the Golden Globe for her role as singer June Carter, she also was named best actress by several critics’ groups. She is nominated for the BAFTA award.

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BEST ACTOR

Philip Seymour Hoffman

“Capote”

Career nominations: 1

After winning major critical awards, including from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and the National Society of Film Critics as well as a Golden Globe, the 38-year-old follows Sunday’s SAG Award with a best actor nomination as the flamboyant, manipulative writer Truman Capote. Hoffman, who made his film debut 15 years ago in “Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole,” has made memorable appearances in “Boogie Nights,” “Punch Drunk Love” and “Magnolia,” “Almost Famous” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Cold Mountain.”

Terrence Howard

“Hustle & Flow”

Career nominations: 1

The charismatic actor, 36, came into his own in 2005. Besides starring in his Oscar-nominated role in “Hustle & Flow” as a Memphis pimp who wants to become a rap star, Howard also appeared in the features “Crash,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” and “Four Brothers” and in the TV movies “Lackawanna Blues” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Howard was nominated for a Golden Globe for “Hustle & Flow.”

Heath Ledger

“Brokeback Mountain”

Career nominations: 1

After forgettable heartthrob roles in such films as “The Patriot” and “The Four Feathers,” the 26-year-old Australian finally got a part that enabled him to demonstrate his range in Ang Lee’s tragic western romance. For his haunting performance as a taciturn ranch hand who has a two-decade love affair with a fellow cowboy, Ledger also picked up nominations for the SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Independent Spirit awards. He won the New York Film Critics Circle award.

Joaquin Phoenix

“Walk the Line”

Career nominations: 2

The 31-year-old Phoenix receives his first recognition in this category for his striking turn as the legendary Man in Black, singer Johnny Cash. The actor, who began his career more than 20 years ago as Leaf Phoenix, learned how to play the guitar and sing. Earlier this month, he won the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical. Phoenix was nominated five years ago for a supporting actor Oscar for “Gladiator.”

David Strathairn

“Good Night, and Good Luck”

Career nominations: 1

Best known for John Sayles films such as “Return of the Secaucus 7,” “The Brother From Another Planet” and “Eight Men Out,” -- he and Sayles met while attending Williams College -- the versatile character actor picks up his first Oscar nomination as famed CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow in the historical drama. The 57-year-old Strathairn has also garnered nominations for the Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and Independent Spirit.

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THE OTHER NOMINEES

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Adapted screenplay

“Brokeback Mountain” Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana

“Capote” Screenplay by Dan Futterman

“The Constant Gardener” Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine

“A History of Violence” Screenplay by Josh Olson

“Munich” Screenplay by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth

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Original screenplay

“Crash” Screenplay by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco; story by Paul Haggis

“Good Night, and Good Luck” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov

“Match Point” Written by Woody Allen

“The Squid and the Whale” Written by Noah Baumbach

“Syriana” Written by Stephen Gaghan

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Documentary feature

“Darwin’s Nightmare” (International Film Circuit) Hubert Sauper

“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” (Magnolia Pictures) Alex Gibney and Jason Kliot

“March of the Penguins” (Warner Independent Pictures) Luc Jacquet and Yves Darondeau

“Murderball” (ThinkFilm) Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro

“Street Fight” Marshall Curry

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Foreign language film

“Don’t Tell” Italy

“Joyeux Noel” France

“Paradise Now” Palestinian territories

“Sophie Scholl: The Final Days” Germany

“Tsotsi” South Africa

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Animated feature film

“Howl’s Moving Castle” Hayao Miyazaki (Buena Vista)

“Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” Tim Burton and Mike Johnson (Warner Bros.)

“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” Nick Park and Steve Box (DreamWorks Animation SKG)

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Art direction

“Good Night, and Good Luck” Jim Bissell, art direction; Jan Pascale, set decoration

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” Stuart Craig, art direction; Stephenie McMillan, set decoration

“King Kong” Grant Major, art direction; Dan Hennah and Simon Bright, set decoration

“Memoirs of a Geisha” John Myhre, art direction; Gretchen Rau, set decoration

“Pride & Prejudice” Sarah Greenwood, art direction; Katie Spencer, set decoration

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Editing

“Cinderella Man” Mike Hill and Dan Hanley

“The Constant Gardener” Claire Simpson

“Crash” Hughes Winborne

“Munich” Michael Kahn

“Walk the Line” Michael McCusker

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Cinematography

“Batman Begins” Wally Pfister

“Brokeback Mountain” Rodrigo Prieto

“Good Night, and Good Luck.” Robert Elswit

“Memoirs of a Geisha” Dion Beebe

“The New World” Emmanuel Lubezki

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Documentary short subject

“The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club” Dan Krauss

“God Sleeps in Rwanda” Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman

“The Mushroom Club” Steven Okazaki

“A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin” Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson

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Original score

“Brokeback Mountain” Gustavo Santaolalla

“The Constant Gardener” Alberto Iglesias

“Memoirs of a Geisha” John Williams

“Munich” John Williams

“Pride & Prejudice” Dario Marianelli

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Original song

“In the Deep” from “Crash” Music by Kathleen “Bird” York

and Michael Becker; lyric by Kathleen “Bird” York

“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”

from “Hustle & Flow” Music and lyric by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard

“Travelin’ Thru” from “Transamerica” Music and lyric by Dolly Parton

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Costume design

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Gabriella Pescucci

“Memoirs of a Geisha” Colleen Atwood

“Mrs. Henderson Presents” Sandy Powell

“Pride & Prejudice” Jacqueline Durran

“Walk the Line” Arianne Phillips

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Makeup

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” Howard Berger and Tami Lane

“Cinderella Man” David Leroy Anderson and Lance Anderson

“Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith” Dave Elsey and Annette Miles

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Animated short film

“Badgered” Sharon Colman

“The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation” John Canemaker and Peggy Stern

“The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello” Anthony Lucas

“9” Shane Acker

“One Man Band” Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews

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Live action short film

“Ausreisser (The Runaway)” Ulrike Grote

“Cashback” Sean Ellis and Lene Bausager

“The Last Farm” Runar Runarsson and Thor S. Sigurjonsson

“Our Time Is Up” Rob Pearlstein and Pia Clemente

“Six Shooter” Martin McDonagh

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Sound editing

“King Kong” Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn

“Memoirs of a Geisha” Wylie Stateman

“War of the Worlds” Richard King

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Sound mixing

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” Terry Porter, Dean A. Zupancic and Tony Johnson

“King Kong” Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek

“Memoirs of a Geisha” Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline and John Pritchett

“Walk the Line” Paul Massey, D.M. Hemphill and Peter F. Kurland

“War of the Worlds” Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ronald Judkins

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Visual effects

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney and Scott Farrar

“King Kong” Joe Letteri, Brian Van’t Hul, Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor

“War of the Worlds” Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra and Daniel Sudick

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BEST DIRECTOR

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Ang Lee

“Brokeback Mountain”

Career nominations: 3

Five years ago, Lee was considered the front-runner for the directing Oscar for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” after winning Directors Guild of America and Golden Globe nods, but the honor went to Steven Soderbergh for “Traffic.” With Tuesday’s nomination, the 51-year-old Taiwanese director is following the same path with the tragic western romance..

Bennett Miller

“Capote”

Career nomination: 1

The 39-year-old Miller receives his first nomination for the acclaimed adaptation of Gerald Clarke’s biography of the legendary author Truman Capote. Miller garnered nominations for the DGA award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and received many “first film” honors.

Paul Haggis

“Crash”

Career nominations: 4

The writer-director-producer received three nominations -- for director, screenplay and film -- for his ensemble racial drama about the interconnecting lives of several people during a 24-hour period in Los Angeles. Haggis was nominated last year for his adapted screenplay of “Million Dollar Baby.”

George Clooney

“Good Night, and Good Luck”

Career nominations: 3

The 44-year-old Clooney has gone from resident heartthrob on “ER” and People magazine’s “Sexiest Man of the Year” to Oscar’s triple threat. He’s nominated for director for the historical drama about TV journalist Edward R. Murrow’s reporting on the McCarthy-era namesake and shares a nod with Grant Heslov for original screenplay. Clooney also is contending for supporting actor in “Syriana.”

Steven Spielberg

“Munich”

Career nominations: 10

The 59-year-old filmmaker was first nominated for 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and won for 1993’s “Schindler’s List” and 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan.” Spielberg picks up his sixth nomination in this category for his thriller about five men chosen to eliminate assassins of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

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Amy Adams

“Junebug”

Career nominations: 1

For her poignant performance as the perky, pregnant wife of a slacker, Adams, 30, picks up her first nomination. Adams first gained attention for her performance as Ashley at the Sundance Film Festival last year with a grand jury prize.

Catherine Keener

“Capote”

Career nominations: 2

The versatile character actress, 45, is nominated for her second Oscar for her performance as Harper Lee, the writer of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Keener won best supporting actress of 2005 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. for “Capote” and three other films, including “The 40 Year-Old Virgin.” Her prior Oscar nomination was for 1999’s “Being John Malkovich.”

Frances McDormand

“North Country”

Career nominations: 4

The 1997 best actress winner for “Fargo,” McDormand is the recipient of her third nomination in this category for her role as the friend and co-worker of a female miner who files a sexual harassment suit. McDormand, 48, received her first Oscar nomination 17 years ago for “Mississippi Burning.”

Rachel Weisz

“The Constant Gardener”

Career nominations: 1

The 34-year-old British actress follows her Golden Globe win in this category with a nomination for her performance as a pharmaceutical whistle-blower who is murdered in Kenya.

Michelle Williams

“Brokeback Mountain”

Career nominations: 1

The former star of “Dawson’s Creek,” the 25-year-old Williams receives her first nomination as the wife of a cowboy who realizes that he loves a man.

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

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George Clooney

“Syriana”

Career nominations: 3

In addition to his nominations for director (see above) and co-screenwriter for “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Clooney also is the first director nominated for supporting actor in another director’s movie, “Syriana.”

Matt Dillon

“Crash”

Career nominations: 1

The former teen star is contending for his first Oscar for his portrayal of a racist L.A. cop in the ensemble drama. Dillon, 41, and the rest of the cast of “Crash” won the SAG award for ensemble cast.

Paul Giamatti

“Cinderella Man”

Career nominations: 1

After being snubbed last year for his Oscar-caliber performance in “Sideways,” Giamatti, 38, receives a nomination for his colorful performance as the fight manager and trainer of Jim Braddock in the Depression-era drama. He won the SAG award for supporting actor.

Jake Gyllenhaal

“Brokeback Mountain”

Career nominations: 1

The busy 25-year-old actor receives his first nomination for his performance as a young man whose love for a fellow cowboy leads to tragedy. Gyllenhaal appeared in the cult film “Donnie Darko.”

William Hurt

“A History of Violence”

Career nominations: 4

The 55-year-old Hurt, who won the best actor Oscar for 1985’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” picks up his first nomination in this category for his quirky turn as a brutal gangster kingpin in the David Cronenberg thriller.