It's the tally that counts

By the numbers:

"There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men," to no one's real surprise, lead the way with eight nods apiece.

"Atonement," though snubbed in the top actor and director categories, gathered seven award mentions. Teenager Saoirse Ronin was the sole performer nominated for the film (which, we might add, makes much more sense than Vanessa Redgrave's less than seven screen minutes, since the sprightly Ms. Ronin had an indelible impact on the period romance).

Cate Blanchett did in fact go two-fer, with "I'm Not There" and "Elizabeth." Can you say, cancel each other out?

Number of surprises in the best actor category: one -- Tommy Lee Jones for the little-seen "In the Valley of Elah." Just as the supporting actor category is as solid as it's ever been, the lead actor group is formidable, packed with all manner of complicated and/or morally ambiguous characters.

Number of unexpecteds in the best animated feature category: two of three. Most predictions leaned toward "The Simpsons Movie," some thought "Shrek" or "Beowulf" could sneak in. Some did think "Persepolis" would manage, which it did. Few saw "Surf's Up" coming. Still, it's "Ratatouille's" race to lose.

Star-heavy, Globe-nominated "Charlie Wilson's War" -- goose eggs. With the notable exception of Hal Holbook, same happened for "Into the Wild." Lesson: don't believe the hype.

Check THR for the full list.