Even the gifted may go home empty-handed

Not everyone had reason to celebrate Sunday night -- what follows is a look at those who went home empty-handed:

Amy Ryan: Ryan won a slew of critics awards for her supporting role as a negligent, slatternly mother in South Boston in Ben Affleck’s Dennis Lehane adaptation “Gone Baby Gone” but lost the big prize to Tilda Swinton.

Julie Christie: The many-nominated British icon hasn’t won an Oscar since 1966, and the critics had all but crowned her for her performance as an Alzheimer’s patient in “Away From Her.” Yet the crown was snatched by newcomer Marion Cotillard, who won for bringing Edith Piaf to life in “La Vie en Rose.”

“Atonement”: A decade ago this traditional English costume drama might have won all the accolades. This year it was nominated seven times but left with only the Oscar for Dario Marianelli’s score.

“There Will Be Blood”: This pungent examination of good old-fashioned American greed wowed critics and handed Daniel Day-Lewis his second Oscar and cinematographer Robert Elswit his first. Six other nominees went home empty-handed, including heralded genius-of-the-moment director Paul Thomas Anderson, who is in danger of falling into the Martin Scorsese trap -- beloved by critics but forced to wait until the twilight of his career to win an Oscar.

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”: Those who were hoping for a pajama-clad best director were surely disappointed when artist-turned-director Julian Schnabel showed up in a tux. But probably not as disappointed as Schnabel, who impressed with his visual command of the film medium but was sent home without a statuette.

rachel.abramowitz @latimes.com