A coldblooded killer and a coldblooded tycoon led the Oscar nominations Tuesday, with a lawyer suffering from an ethical crisis also earning a strong showing.
The film tied "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie about the rise of an oil tycoon, which received nominations for best picture, best director and best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).
The drama "Michael Clayton," about a lawyer (George Clooney) undergoing a crisis of conscience, also did well, picking up nominations in five of the six major categories: best picture, best director (Tony Gilroy), best actor (George Clooney), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson) and best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton). The film received seven nominations overall.
Also receiving seven nominations was "Atonement," the World War II-era drama about a relationship threatened by a child’s lie. The film earned nominations for best picture and best supporting actress (Saoirse Ronan).
The fifth best picture nominee is "Juno," the story of a pregnant high schooler in search of a couple to adopt her child. 
Gallery: The major nominees »
The nominations were announced Tuesday morning from Beverly Hills, California.
As always, the Oscars had some surprises. Tommy Lee Jones earned a best actor nomination for "In the Country of Elah," a much-praised film that had received little recognition in awards ceremonies. Jason Reitman received a best director nomination for "Juno," considered this year’s sleeper in the "Little Miss Sunshine" mode.
And two longtime actors who had never been nominated for Oscars — 83-year-old Ruby Dee and Hal Holbrook, soon to turn 83 also — both received recognition for their supporting performances in "American Gangster" and "Into the Wild," respectively.
However, Oscar turned the back of its hand to "Atonement’s" director, Joe Wright, and lead performers Keira Knightley and James McEvoy. Angelina Jolie, on many critics’ short lists for her performance in "A Mighty Heart," was overlooked, as was Sean Penn, who directed "Into the Wild."
"American Gangster," the high-octane film about a wealthy African-American drug dealer and a detective trying to bring him down, earned just one nomination aside from supporting actress: art direction.
Cate Blanchett picked up nominations in two categories, best actress ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age") and best supporting actress ("I’m Not There"). It marks the second time she’s been nominated for playing the Tudor monarch Elizabeth I. Blanchett also played the English queen in 1999’s "Elizabeth."
The three films nominated for best animated feature are an interesting mix: "Ratatouille," a computer-animated Pixar film directed and written by Oscar winner Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"); "Persepolis," a sparsely drawn, largely black-and-white film based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi; and "Surf’s Up," a computer-animated film about penguins that got lost among the summer blockbusters.
"Enchanted," the Disney film about an animated princess come to life, earned three of the five best song nominations. Among those left out was Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, who wrote music for "Into the Wild."
Aside from Clooney, Day-Lewis and Jones, other best actor nominees are Johnny Depp ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") and Viggo Mortensen ("Eastern Promises").
Joining Blanchett as best actress nominees are Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose"), Ellen Page ("Juno"), Julie Christie ("Away from Her") and Laura Linney ("The Savages")
The nominees for best supporting actor are Bardem, Holbrook, Wilkinson, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Charlie Wilson’s War") and Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford").
Best supporting actress nominees are Dee, Blanchett, Ronan, Swinton and Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone").
This year’s Oscar race is considered one of the most wide open ever. "Atonement," which won the Golden Globe for best drama, was ignored by several other organizations. "No Country" and "Clayton," though widely praised by film critics, have yet to top $50 million at the box office.
Source CNN
