'The Reader' takes fifth slot

 

You would've been hard-pressed to find any so-called Oscarologists who believed that "The Reader" would occupy that fifth slot in the best picture Oscar race.

Here's what nearly everyone seemed to be able to agree on:

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

"Milk"

"Frost/Nixon"

"Slumdog Millionaire"

And that's how it went.

There was talk, of course, of "The Dark Knight." Even "WALL-E" had the juice to do what animated movies never do, which is break out of its own category and head into the brightest spotlight. There were even rumblings, after it became the biggest opening ever for a Clint Eastwood film, that "Gran Torino" might be able to wedge itself into the elite group.

Honestly, we'd have been happier with any of those results.

Academy voters loved "The Reader" enough to catapult it into the fave five? We can't be objective about the film, and we're disappointed at this choice. Bad voters. Bad voters!