Harry fails to impress at Baftas

12 April 2012

Fantasy epic Lord of the Rings scored a magical early victory over box office rival Harry Potter today as the boy wizard's tale was snubbed for many major titles when the Bafta nominations were unveiled.

Potter failed to make the shortlist for best film against Rings, and picked up just two nods for leading awards - one of which was for best British film, despite being made with US cash.

Dame Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent both had double cause for celebration after each landing two nominations in the acting categories. Dame Judi is up for best actress for Iris and best supporting actress for The Shipping News, which is yet to get a UK release. Broadbent is nominated for best actor in Iris, and best supporting actor for Moulin Rouge.

The lavish Baz Luhrmann musical Moulin Rouge led the field today with 13 nominations for the awards, to be handed over on February 24, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. They include best film, best original screenplay and best director for Luhrmann.

Lord of the Rings was close behind on 12 nominations, but Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone managed just eight, many of which were for technical categories such as special effects and makeup.

Potter has struggled to pick up award nominations at many leading US ceremonies, often overshadowed by the first film in the Rings trilogy, which is called The Fellowship of the Ring.

Stephen Woolley, of the Bafta committee, explained that Potter was eligible to be classed as British as judges took their lead from movies which can claim Government tax breaks in the UK.

"In the past there have been so many arguments about films having Irish directors, Yugoslavian actors and money coming from Holland," he said. "But we thought the Government has already done this, so anything that can qualify for their tax breaks we thought we would accept as a British film.

"Harry Potter has wonderful British acting and fantastic British technical achievements - it just happens to be made with American funding. But you'd be hard pushed to find anything over a budget of one or two million dollars without American funding."

As well as Moulin Rouge and Lord of the Rings, the animated movie Shrek, A Beautiful Mind and French language film Amelie will battle it out for best film.

Iris, the tender tale of writer Iris Murdoch's relationship with husband John Bayley and her battle with Alzheimer's, is up for just six prizes but they are among the key awards. It's stars compete in all the acting categories with Kate Winslet up for best supporting actress and Hugh Bonneville competing for best supporting actor.The film is also up for best British movie and best adapted screenplay.

Most of the prizes are decided by the Bafta jury but movie-goers do get to choose the Orange Audience Award from the top 10 box office hits of 2001. The full list of nominees is as follows:

Best film - Amelie; A Beautiful Mind; The Lord of the Rings; Moulin Rouge; Shrek.

The Alexander Korda award for outstanding British film - Bridget Jones' Diary; Gosford Park; Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone; Iris; Me Without You.

The Carl Foreman award for British newcomer - Steve Coogan/Henry Normal (The Parole Officer); Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park); Joel Hopkins/Nicola Usbourne (Jump Tomorrow); Ruth Kenley-Letts (Strictly Sinatra); Jack Lothian (Late Night Shopping); Richard Parry (South West 9).

The David Lean award for achievement in direction - Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet); A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard); Gosford Park (Robert Altman); Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson); Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann).

Best original screenplay - Amelie; Gosford Park; Moulin Rouge; The Others; The Royal Tenenbaums.

Best adapted screenplay - A Beautiful Mind; Bridget Jones' Diary; Iris; The Lord of the Rings; Shrek.

Best actress - Dame Judi Dench (Iris); Nicole Kidman (The Others); Sissy Spacek (In The Bedroom); Audrey Tautou (Amelie); Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones' Diary).

Best actor - Jim Broadbent (Iris); Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind); Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings); Kevin Spacey (The Shipping News); Tom Wilkinson (In The Bedroom).

Best supporting actress - Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind); Dame Judi Dench (The Shipping News); Helen Mirren (Gosford Park); Dame Maggie Smith (Gosford Park); Kate Winslet (Iris).

Best supporting actor - Hugh Bonneville (Iris); Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge); Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone); Colin Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary); Eddie Murphy (Shrek).

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