The nominees for Best Original Screenplay include three war movies, a Coen Brothers film, and an animated production. Jeremy Martin says “The Hurt Locker” is the favorite over Quentin Tarantino and “Inglourious Basterds,” but he doesn’t discount the possibility of an “Up”-set.

The deepest field of Best Animated Film nominees ever is headlined by Pixar’s “Up.” Many experts think “Up” is a lock for this category, but Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is among a feisty group of challengers hoping to pull an upset. Nate Freiberg reports in our “Road to the Oscars” series.

With the Academy expanding the field of Best Picture nominees to 10 films, Adam Spunberg asks if the move was worth it. The change allowed mainstream movies like “The Blind Side”, “Up”, and “District 9″ to get nominated, but Spunberg questions the value of having them there.

For years, Best Animated Film has seen just 3 nominees. But with the success of films like Up, Ponyo, and Coraline joining upcoming titles like The Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Princess and the Frog, it’s possible we could see 5 nominees. Sasha Stone of Awards Daily reports.