A couple days ago the Producers Guild announced their picks for best picture of the year:

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and Slumdog Millionaire.

Today, The Directors Guild announced their picks.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and Slumdog Millionaire.

Notice a couple similarities?

With the Academy Award nominations coming on January 22 it’s worth noting that often in the past at least three of the five films picked by the Producers Guild wind up being Oscar choices as well.

So which of these films will make the cut? All of them? None of them?

What’s been left out?

While I’m certainly excited to see The Dark Knight getting the recognition it deserves, I am sad not to see Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road on either of these lists and hope that the Academy thinks twice before just following along with what everyone else has picked.

I’m sure you feel just as passionate about a film that’s not on this list as well, what is it?

See the nominations below the break.

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures
b. FROST/NIXON
Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures
c. THE READER
Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company
d. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage
e. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. ANNE HATHAWAY – RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
b. ANGELINA JOLIE – CHANGELING
c. MERYL STREEP – DOUBT
d. KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS – I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)
e. KATE WINSLET – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

a. LEONARDO DICAPRIO – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
b. FRANK LANGELLA – FROST/NIXON
c. SEAN PENN – MILK
d. BRAD PITT – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
e. MICKEY ROURKE – THE WRESTLER

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. BURN AFTER READING
Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features in association with Studio Canal
b. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films
c. IN BRUGES
Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features
d. MAMMA MIA!
Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures
e. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Mediapro; The Weinstein Company

5.BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. REBECCA HALL – VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
b. SALLY HAWKINS – HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
c. FRANCES MCDORMAND – BURN AFTER READING
d. MERYL STREEP – MAMMA MIA!
e. EMMA THOMPSON – LAST CHANCE HARVEY

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. JAVIER BARDEM – VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
b. COLIN FARRELL – IN BRUGES
c. JAMES FRANCO – PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
d. BRENDAN GLEESON – IN BRUGES
e. DUSTIN HOFFMAN – LAST CHANCE HARVEY

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

a. BOLT
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
b. KUNG FU PANDA
DreamWorks Animation SKG; Paramount Pictures
c. WALL-E
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

a. THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (GERMANY)
(DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX)
Constantin Film Produktion GmbH; Summit Entertainment, LLC
b. EVERLASTING MOMENTS (SWEDEN/DENMARK)
(MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK)
Final Cut Productions Aps; IFC Films
c. GOMORRAH (ITALY)
(GOMORRA)
Fandango; IFC Films
d. I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (FRANCE)
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)
UGC YM/UGC Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics
e. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (ISRAEL)
Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D’Ici/Razor Films/Arte France/ITVS International; Sony Pictures Classics

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. AMY ADAMS – DOUBT
b. PENELOPE CRUZ – VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
c. VIOLA DAVIS –DOUBT
d. MARISA TOMEI – THE WRESTLER
e. KATE WINSLET – THE READER

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

a. TOM CRUISE – TROPIC THUNDER
b. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. –TROPIC THUNDER
c. RALPH FIENNES – THE DUCHESS
d. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – DOUBT
e. HEATH LEDGER – THE DARK KNIGHT

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

a. DANNY BOYLE – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
b. STEPHEN DALDRY – THE READER
c. DAVID FINCHER – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
d. RON HOWARD – FROST/NIXON
e. SAM MENDES – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

a. SIMON BEAUFOY – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
b. DAVID HARE – THE READER
c. PETER MORGAN – FROST/NIXON
d. ERIC ROTH – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
e. JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY – DOUBT

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

a. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT –THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
b. CLINT EASTWOOD – CHANGELING
c. JAMES NEWTON HOWARD – DEFIANCE
d. A. R. RAHMAN – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
e. HANS ZIMMER – FROST/NIXON

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

a. “DOWN TO EARTH” — WALL-E
Music by: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
Lyrics by: Peter Gabriel
b. “GRAN TORINO” — GRAN TORINO
Music by: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens
Lyrics by: Jamie Cullum
c. “I THOUGHT I LOST YOU” — BOLT
Music & Lyrics by: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele
d. “ONCE IN A LIFETIME” — CADILLAC RECORDS
Music & Lyrics by: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street
e. “THE WRESTLER” — THE WRESTLER
Music & Lyrics by: Bruce Springsteen

15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a. DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime/John Goldwyn Productions/The Colleton Company/Clyde Phillips Productions
b. HOUSE (FOX)
Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions
c. IN TREATMENT (HBO)
Sheleg, Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
d. MAD MEN (AMC)
Lionsgate Television
e. TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
Your Face Goes Here Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a. SALLY FIELD – BROTHERS AND SISTERS
b. MARISKA HARGITAY –LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
c. JANUARY JONES – MAD MEN
d. ANNA PAQUIN – TRUE BLOOD
e. KYRA SEDGWICK – THE CLOSER

17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a. GABRIEL BYRNE – IN TREATMENT
b. MICHAEL C. HALL – DEXTER
c. JON HAMM – MAD MEN
d. HUGH LAURIE – HOUSE
e. JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS – THE TUDORS

18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. 30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little Stranger Inc.
b. CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
Showtime Presents in association with Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then…
c. ENTOURAGE (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
d. THE OFFICE (NBC)
Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios
e. WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Lionsgate Television

19.BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. CHRISTINA APPLEGATE – SAMANTHA WHO?
b. AMERICA FERRERA – UGLY BETTY
c. TINA FEY – 30 ROCK
d. DEBRA MESSING – THE STARTER WIFE
e. MARY-LOUISE PARKER – WEEDS

20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

a. ALEC BALDWIN – 30 ROCK
b. STEVE CARELL – THE OFFICE
c. KEVIN CONNOLLY – ENTOURAGE
d. DAVID DUCHOVNY – CALIFORNICATION
e. TONY SHALHOUB – MONK

21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. A RAISIN IN THE SUN (ABC)
Sony Pictures Television, Storyline Entertainment, and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment
b. BERNARD AND DORIS (HBO
Trigger Street Independent Productions in association with Little Bird and Chicago Films and HBO Films
c. CRANFORD (PBS)
A Co-Production of BBC and WGBH Boston.
d. JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
Playtone in association with HBO Films
e. RECOUNT (HBO)
Spring Creek/Mirage Productions in association with Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures and HBO Films

22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. JUDI DENCH – CRANFORD
b. CATHERINE KEENER – AN AMERICAN CRIME
c. LAURA LINNEY – JOHN ADAMS
d. SHIRLEY MACLAINE – COCO CHANEL
e. SUSAN SARANDON – BERNARD AND DORIS

23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. RALPH FIENNES – BERNARD AND DORIS
b. PAUL GIAMATTI – JOHN ADAMS
c. KEVIN SPACEY – RECOUNT
d. KIEFER SUTHERLAND – 24: REDEMPTION
e. TOM WILKINSON – RECOUNT

24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. EILEEN ATKINS – CRANFORD
b. LAURA DERN – RECOUNT
c. MELISSA GEORGE – IN TREATMENT
d. RACHEL GRIFFITHS – BROTHERS AND SISTERS
e. DIANNE WIEST – IN TREATMENT

25. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS – HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
b. DENIS LEARY – RECOUNT
c. JEREMY PIVEN – ENTOURAGE
d. BLAIR UNDERWOOD – IN TREATMENT
e. TOM WILKINSON – JOHN ADAMS

Unlike most awards shows, this is one you can participate in yourself. Just go to pcavote.com and cast your vote.

But first, check out the nominees.

2009 People’s Choice Awards Nominees:

FAVORITE MOVIE
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man

FAVORITE FAMILY MOVIE
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man

FAVORITE MOVIE COMEDY
27 Dresses
Get Smart
Mamma Mia!

FAVORITE MOVIE DRAMA
21
Eagle Eye
The Secret Life of Bees

FAVORITE INDEPENDENT MOVIE
The Duchess
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
The Secret Life of Bees

FAVORITE CAST
The Dark Knight (Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal)
Mamma Mia! (Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Colin Firth)
Sex and the City (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth)

FAVORITE MALE MOVIE STAR
Robert Downey Jr.
Harrison Ford
Will Smith

FAVORITE LEADING MAN
Christian Bale
Brad Pitt
Mark Wahlberg

FAVORITE MALE ACTION STAR
Christian Bale
Robert Downey Jr.
Will Smith

FAVORITE FEMALE MOVIE STAR
Angelina Jolie
Keira Knightley
Reese Witherspoon

FAVORITE LEADING LADY
Anne Hathaway
Kate Hudson
Queen Latifah

FAVORITE FEMALE ACTION STAR
Cate Blanchett
Anne Hathaway
Angelina Jolie

FAVORITE ON-SCREEN MATCH-UP
Christian Bale & Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Tina Fey & Amy Poehler (Baby Mama)
Harrison Ford & Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)

FAVORITE SUPERHERO
Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Will Smith as John Hancock

TELEVISION:

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Grey’s Anatomy
House

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Samantha Who?
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty

FAVORITE ANIMATED COMEDY
Family Guy
The Simpsons
South Park

FAVORITE SCI-FI / FANTASY SHOW
Heroes
Supernatural
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

FAVORITE COMPETITION / REALITY SHOW
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

FAVORITE GAME SHOW
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Deal Or No Deal
Jeopardy!

FAVORITE MALE TV STAR
Patrick Dempsey
Hugh Laurie
Charlie Sheen

FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR
Christina Applegate
Sally Field
Mariska Hargitay

FAVORITE TALK SHOW HOST
Ellen DeGeneres
David Letterman
Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa

FAVORITE SCENE-STEALING GUEST STAR
Luke Perry on Law & Order: SVU
Britney Spears on How I Met Your Mother
Robin Williams on Law & Order: SVU

FAVORITE TV DRAMA DIVA
Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko on Saving Grace
Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin on Weeds
Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on The Closer

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
90210
Crusoe
Easy Money
Eleventh Hour
Fringe
Knight Rider
Life on Mars
The Mentalist
My Own Worst Enemy
Privileged

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Gary Unmarried
Kath & Kim
Valentine
Worst Week

MUSIC:

FAVORITE MALE SINGER
Chris Brown
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley

FAVORITE FEMALE SINGER
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE GROUP
Coldplay
Maroon 5
Rascal Flatts

FAVORITE R&B SONG
No One by Alicia Keys
Take A Bow by Rihanna
With You by Chris Brown

FAVORITE POP SONG
Disturbia by Rihanna
I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry
No Air by Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown

FAVORITE ROCK SONG All Summer Long by Kid Rock
Apologize by OneRepublic & Timbaland
Viva La Vida by Coldplay

FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG
Last Name by Carrie Underwood
Love Story by Taylor Swift
Take Me There by Rascal Flatts

FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONG
Good Life by Kanye West
Lollipop by Lil Wayne featuring Static Major
Low by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain

FAVORITE COMBINED FORCES
4 Minutes by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake
Love Like This by Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston
No Air by Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown

FAVORITE SONG FROM A SOUNDTRACK Another Way to Die by Jack White & Alicia Keys from Quantum of Solace
Labels or Love by Fergie from Sex and the City
Mamma Mia by Meryl Streep from Mamma Mia!

FAVORITE FUNNY MALE STAR
Steve Carell
Jim Carrey
Adam Sandler

FAVORITE FUNNY FEMALE STAR
Ellen DeGeneres
Tina Fey
Whoopi Goldberg

FAVORITE STAR 35 & UNDER
Amy Adams
Drew Barrymore
Beyonce
Orlando Bloom
Chris Brown
Chace Crawford
Miley Cyrus
Leonardo DiCaprio
Zac Efron
America Ferrara
Ryan Gosling
Jake Gyllenhaal
Anne Hathaway
Scarlett Johansson
Angelina Jolie
Alicia Keys
Keira Knightley
John Krasinski
Shia LaBeouf
Blake Lively
John Mayer
Eva Mendes
Daniel Radcliffe
Rihanna
Taylor Swift
Justin Timberlake
Carrie Underwood
Usher
Milo Ventimiglia
Pete Wentz
Kanye West
Reese Witherspoon

Look at my 20 titles, and you tell me which 10 you would cut. Nor can I select one to stand above the others, or decide which should be No. 7 and which No. 8. I can’t evaluate films that way. Nobody can, although we all pretend to. A “best films” list, certainly. But of exactly 10, in marching order? These 20 stood out for me, and I treasure them all. If it had been 19 or 21, that would have been OK. If you must have a Top 10 List, find a coin in your pocket. Heads, the odd-numbered movies are your 10. Tails, the even-numbered.

• “Ballast”
• “The Band’s Visit”
• “Che”
• “Chop Shop”
• “The Dark Knight”
• “Doubt”
• “The Fall”
• “Frost/Nixon”
• “Frozen River”
• “Happy-Go-Lucky”
• “Iron Man”
• “Milk”
• “Rachel Getting Married”
• “The Reader”
• “Revolutionary Road”
• “Shotgun Stories”
• “Slumdog Millionaire”
• “Synecdoche, New York”
• “W.”
• “WALL-E”

I have composed a separate list of the year’s five best documentaries. They also may be described as “one of the year’s best.” And this year’s Special Jury Award goes to Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg,” which stands between truth and fiction, using the materials of the documentary to create a film completely preposterous and deeply true. Another of “the year’s best.”

Five documentaries in equal first place:

• “Encounters at the End of the World”
• “I.O.U.S.A.”
• “Man on Wire”
• “Standard Operating Procedure”
• “Trouble the Water”

Looking back over the list, I think most moviegoers will have heard of only about 11, because distribution has reached such a dismal state. I wrote to a reader about “Shotgun Stories,” “I don’t know if it will play in your town.” She wrote back, “How about my state?” This is a time when home video, Netflix and the good movie channels come to the rescue. My theory that you should see a movie on a big screen is sound, but utopian.

For further descriptions of Roger Ebert’s twenty-best films of 2008, you can read the article in its entirety here.