2004 FILM BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

Honoring the best in several categories from the 2004 film year.
(all titles received wide or limited release for '04)
Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,

 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Also, if you wish to view my favorite 30 films of 2004, go here

2004

*ETERNAL SUNSHINE 

      OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
BEFORE SUNSET

OASIS

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

THE INCREDIBLES

DOGVILLE
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
BIRTH

GOODBYE, DRAGON INN

KILL BILL vol.2

SPIDER-MAN 2 

TOKYO GODFATHERS

CRIMSON GOLD

SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

MOOLAADE

OLDBOY

THE TRACKER

BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI

LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE

actual best picture oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY  (won)
FINDING NEVERLAND
RAY
SIDEWAYS

actual oscar nominees:
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
DOWNFALL
THE CHORUS
THE SEA INSIDE  (won)
YESTERDAY

2004

*Michel Gondry 

          for ETERNAL SUNSHINE.. 

Richard Linklater for BEFORE SUNSET
Lars Von Trier for DOGVILLE
Lee Chang-dong for OASIS
Zhang Yimou for HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

actual oscar nominees:
Taylor Hackford for RAY
Scorsese for THE AVIATOR
Alexander Payne for SIDEWAYS
Mike Leigh for VERA DRAKE
Clint Eastwood for MILLION DOLLAR BABY  (won)

2004

*Kate Winslet 

            in ETERNAL SUNSHINE..
Hilary Swank in MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Julie Delpy in BEFORE SUNSET
Vera Farmiga in DOWN TO THE BONE
Uma Therman in KILL BILL: VOL.2

actual oscar nominees:
Annette Bening in BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno in MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton in VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank in MILLION DOLLAR BABY  (won)
Kate Winslet in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

2004

*Jamie Foxx in RAY
Gael Garcia Bernal in BAD EDUCATION
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE AVIATOR
Kurt Russell in MIRACLE
Bruno Ganz in DOWNFALL

actual oscar nominees:
Don Cheadle in HOTEL RAWANDA
Johnny Depp in FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Jamie Foxx in RAY  (won)

2004

*Virginia Madsen in SIDEWAYS

Irma P. Hall in THE LADYKILLERS

Naomi Watts in I HEART HUCKABEES

Cate Blanchett in THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

Eva Green in THE DREAMERS

actual oscar nominees:

Cate Blanchett in THE AVIATOR  (won)

Laura Linney in KINSEY

Virginia Madsen in SIDEWAYS

Sophie Okonedo in HOTEL RAWANDA

Natalie Portman in CLOSER

2004

*Jamie Foxx in COLLATERAL
Thomas Hayden Church in SIDEWAYS
Liev Shreiber in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
J.K. Simmons in SPIDER-MAN 2
Morgan Freeman in MILLION DOLLAR BABY

actual oscar nominees:
Alan Alda in THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church in SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx in COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman in MILLION DOLLAR BABY  (won)
Clive Owen in CLOSER

2004

*ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Charlie Kaufman
THE INCREDIBLES - Brad Bird
KILL BILL: VOL.2 - Quentin Tarantino
THE AVIATOR - John Logan
BAD EDUCATION - Pedro Almodovar

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (won)
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE

2004

*BEFORE SUNSET 

         - Linklater; Julie Delpy; Ethan Hawke

MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Paul Haggis
DOWNFALL - Bernd Eichinger
THE DREAMERS - Gilbert Adair 
SIDEWAYS - Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE - D.Pyne; D.Georgaris

actual oscar nominees:
BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS  (won)

2004

*TARNATION

LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF

TOUCHING THE VOID
ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

BRIGHT LEAVES

THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS

actual oscar nominees:
BORN INTO BROTHELS  (won)
STORY OF WEEPING CAMEL
SUPER SIZE ME
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
TWIST OF FAITH

2004

*THE INCREDIBLES

TOKYO GODFATHERS

TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE

STRINGS

DEAD LEAVES

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE

actual oscar nominees:
THE INCREDIBLES  (won)
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2

2004

*THE VILLAGE

               - James Newton Howard >
BODYSONG - Jonny Greenwood >
LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU - Mark Mothersbaugh >
THE INCREDIBLES - Michael Giacchino > 
LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS 

                                                        - Thomas Newman >
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Jon Brion >

actual oscar nominees:
FINDING NEVERLAND  (won)
HARRY POTTER PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE

2004

*7:35 IN THE MORNING
WASP

JAY-Z: 99 PROBLEMS

YEAH YEAH YEAHS: Y CONTROL
YEAH YEAH YEAHS: MAPS
AUTISM IS A WORLD

TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT

actual oscar nominees live action short:
EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY MUST
LITTLE TERRORIST
7:35 IN THE MORNING
TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
WASP  (won)

actual oscar nominees documentary short:
AUTISM IS WORLD
CHILDREN OF LENINGRADSKY
HARDWOOD
MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH (won)
SISTER ROSE'S PASSION

2004

*Yuriy Norshtey's "BASHŌ POEM #1" 

      [WINTER DAYS segment]
RYAN
LORENZO
Isao Takahata's "BASHŌ POEM #28" [WINTER DAYS segment]
JACK JACK ATTACK
BIRTHDAY BOY

DARK FURY: CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK

LINKIN PARK: BREAKING THE HABIT

actual oscar nominees:
BIRTHDAY BOY
GOPHER BROKE
GUARD DOG
LORENZO
RYAN  (won)

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

2004

*HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS 

                             - Zhao Xiaoding
THE VILLAGE - Roger Deakins, BSC, ASC
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT - Bruno Delbonnel, AFC
BIRTH - Harris Savides, ASC

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST - Caleb Deschanel, ASC

THE AVIATOR - Robert Richardson, ASC

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR  (won)
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

2004

*ETERNAL SUNSHINE.. 

                         - Valdís Óskarsdóttir
THE AVIATOR - Thelma Schoonmaker
COLLATERAL - Jim Miller, Paul Rubell
TARNATION - Jonathan Caouette
MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Joel Cox

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR  (won)
COLLATERAL
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
FINDING NEVERLAND

2004 - PRODUCTION DESIGN + SET DECOR

*THE AVIATOR - Dante Ferretti
LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

                                          - Mark Friedberg, Gretchen Rau
SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS - R.Heinrichs, C.Carasik
TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE - J.Dultz, R.C. Walker

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK - Holger Gross, Peter Lando

THE VILLAGE - Tom Foden, Larry Dias

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR  (won)
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

2004

*THE AVIATOR - Sandy Powell

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS - Emi Wada

LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS - Colleen Atwood

TROY - Bob Ringwood

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK - Michael Dennison, Ellen Mirojnick

RAY - Sharen Davis

ALEXANDER - Jenny Beavan

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR  (won)
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
RAY
TROY

2004

*HELLBOY - Rick Baker 
LEMONY SNICKET'S - Valli O'Reilly, Bill Corso
PASSION OF THE CHRIST - Vanderlaan, Christien Tinsley
DAWN OF THE DEAD - Burton Leblanc, Suk-Min Lee
THE SEA INSIDE - Jo Allen, Manuel García

actual oscar nominees:
THE SEA INSIDE

LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS  (won)

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

2004

*THE INCREDIBLES
SPIDER MAN 2
THE VILLAGE
THE POLAR EXPRESS
TORQUE

actual oscar nominees:
THE INCREDIBLES  (won)
THE POLAR EXPRESS
SPIDER MAN 2

2004

*THE AVIATOR

RAY

SPIDER MAN 2

KILL BILL: VOL.2
THE POLAR EXPRESS

actual oscar nominees:
THE AVIATOR
THE INCREDIBLES
THE POLAR EXPRESS
RAY  (won)
SPIDER MAN 2

2004

*HELLBOY

SPIDER MAN 2

HARRY POTTER & PRISONER OF AZKABAN

THE AVIATOR

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

GODZILLA: FINAL WARS

actual oscar nominees:
HARRY POTTER & PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I, ROBOT
SPIDER MAN 2  (won)

↓The following categories are inspired by The Muriel Awards

2004

*1) Beatrix's Coffin escape, set to Morricone's "L'Arena"

          - KILL BILL: VOL. 2
2) Mr. Incredible endures island gauntlet of traps & robots 

------------------------------------------ THE INCREDIBLES
3) "Life is But a Dream" Childhood memory sequence 

-------------- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND 
4) BuckarooBonzai-esque exit from film festival 

("Queen Bitch") ---------- LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

5) Silver H1-Racer speed trials & beet field crash landing 

------------------------------------------------- THE AVIATOR
6) Shaun walks to & from store oblivious of zombies 

----------------------------------------------- SHAUN OF THE DEAD
7) One with hammer VS many. Hallway fight sequence 

------------------------------------------------------- OLDBOY
8) Spiderman VS Dr. Octopus atop a speeding train 

------------------------------------------------- SPIDERMAN 2

-tie- Alice first encounters Nemesis 

------------------------------------ RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
9) Team U.S.A. wins olympic gold. **Climax** - MIRACLE
10) Giant ant riding commuter train hallucination 

----------------------------------------------------------- OLDBOY

11) Nina Simone's "Just in Time" at Celine's

**finale** ---------------------------------------- BEFORE SUNSET
12) "I wish I'd stayed," the beach house memory 

-------------- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND 
13) Jin rescues Mei with 4 very precise arrows 

----------------------------------- HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
14) The Elusive Jaguar Shark 

---------------------------- LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
15) Frankie confesses dilemma to the priest 

--------------------------------- MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Also this:

2004

*THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
ANCHORMAN: LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY
SIDEWAYS

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014